Gavin Floyd Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1250
ERA	4.37
WHIP	1.323
BB/9	2.988
SO/9	7.092

Full name Gavin Christopher Floyd
Born 01/27/1983 in Annapolis, MD
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 245 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mount Saint Joseph
Debut 09/03/2004
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2001 (signed for $4,200,000).

View Draft Report

Floyd has been a known commodity nationally for most of his high school career, and scouts have compare him to a young Kerry Wood. He has No. 1 starter stuff and command of three pitches. His fastball sits at 91-94 mph and has touched 97 this spring. His power curve is the equal of almost any pitcher in the amateur ranks. His arm action is clean and effective. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, his body is long and lanky--ideal for a pitcher. If anything, he has gotten stronger this year in the lower half of his body. The intangibles are all there as well. Floyd has excellent makeup and is focused in his approach to pitching. High school arms are normally the riskiest commodity in the draft, but scouts say Floyd is as safe as a high school pitcher can be.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Floyd was the first of three Mount St. Joseph High products selected in the 2001 draft, going fourth overall, one pick before Mark Teixeira and 21 rounds before his brother Mike. Gavin and Mike Floyd both signed days before they were to attend classes at South Carolina, with Gavin getting a club-record $4.2 million signing bonus. Though he was out of gas in September, he pitched well in his major league debut. Floyd's 12-to-6 hammer curveball rates as one of the best in the minors and proved effective against major leaguers. His fastball sits at 89-90 mph, topping out at 94. His changeup has improved to a consistent solid-average pitch that's a plus offering at times. Floyd's velocity tailed off and his delivery was less consistent at the end of 2004. He must improve his stamina and lower half strength. Floyd also needs to command his fastball better. Floyd could make the 2005 rotation, but will return to Triple-A if he's not ready. He projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter.
Floyd would rank as the top prospect in many other organizations. He signed for a club-record $4.2 million as the fourth overall pick in 2001--one spot before fellow Mount St. Joseph High product Mark Teixeira. Philadelphia signed Gavin's older brother Mike, an outfielder, as a 22nd-rounder out of the same draft. Floyd entered his pro career with two plus pitches, a 92-95 mph fastball with movement, and a shoulders-to-shoelaces hard curveball that rates 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale at times. His main focus since has been developing a changeup, which now rates average. Floyd works hard at improving his skills and shows above-average makeup. A longtime fan of Kevin Millwood, Floyd tried to emulate his idol's deliberate delivery after watching him in spring training. It cost Floyd his rhythm and deceptiveness, and it took a month to remedy the problem. He must continue to hone his location and ability to repeat pitches, but he's still ahead of most pitchers his age. Floyd's development is right on track. He'll move up to Double-A in 2004, and the pitching depth in the organization means the Phillies won't have to rush him.
As a freshman on Mount St. Joseph High's junior-varsity team, Floyd watched his older brother Mike and Mark Teixeira, both seniors, play for the varsity. Three years later, Gavin and Teixeira were selected with the fourth and fifth overall picks in the 2001 draft, with Philadelphia also taking Mike in the 22nd round. The Floyd brothers were on the South Carolina campus ready to attend class before both agreed to last-minute deals with the Phillies, with Gavin receiving a club-record $4.2 million bonus. He made a strong pro debut in 2002, ranking among the low Class A South Atlantic League leaders in several categories. Managers rated him the league's top prospect. The Phillies handled Floyd cautiously, starting his pitch count at 70 and stretching it to 100 as he gained strength and durability. Floyd came to the Phillies with two plus pitches: his fastball and hard, sharp curveball. He throws the fastball 89-92 mph, peaking at 94-95 mph, with rapid arm action and a smooth delivery, and he used it almost exclusively to no-hit Lexington on July 24. Nevertheless, his knee-buckling curve is his best pitch because it can be unhittable at times. The organization asked Floyd to lay off his curve last season, urging him to develop the changeup that he never needed in high school. He has a nice feel for it now, and it could become a third plus offering. While Floyd's stuff compares favorably to that of Brett Myers, he has a more laid-back personality. That doesn't mean Floyd isn't a strong competitor, though. His makeup and work ethic should allow him to maximize his talents. Floyd just needs innings and work in game situations. He's learning which pitches to throw in certain counts and how to read hitters. He throws strikes to both sides of the plate but is refining his command in the strike zone. Floyd must use his fastball more and not rely so much on his curveball. Though he's as polished as any prep pitcher after one year in the minors, Floyd won't be rushed. The Phillies' minor league pitching depth will allow them to move him one level at a time. He can expect to start 2003 at high Class A Clearwater. Floyd profiles as a No. 1 starter.
With consecutive picks the Phillies and Rangers selected a pair of Severna Park, Md., neighbors, Floyd and Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira. Floyd's brother Mike, an outfielder, was selected by the Phillies in the 22nd round. The Floyd brothers were enrolled at South Carolina and on campus before Gavin agreed to a club-record $4.2 million bonus. Floyd's arm draws comparisons to Darryl Kile, Wade Miller and Brett Myers. He signed too late to pitch during the 2001 season, but he made a strong first impression in instructional league. Floyd showed his best stuff for Phillies brass, including an explosive 95-96 mph fastball that bores in on righthanders. Roving pitching instructor Gary Ruby, now with the Pirates, called Floyd's punchout curveball the best he's seen in 16 years of coaching in the minors. Floyd hasn't had to use his changeup much, though it could be a plus pitch. He's refined for his age but needs mechanical fine-tuning. He finished his delivery too straight up in instructional league. Spring training will dictate where Floyd debuts. His ceiling is comparable to that of Myers, who spent his first full season in the low Class A South Atlantic League.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Phillies let Floyd take the reins in 2004 and he galloped to the major leagues. He bolstered his status as a potential frontline starter, leading the EL in ERA and improving his feel for pitching. Floyd is athletic and repeats his delivery well, pitches to both sides of the plate, holds runners and features one of the filthiest curveballs in the game. His stuff draws comparisons to the late Darryl Kile's. Floyd's breaking ball is a hard downer that he controls well and throws in any count. It rates as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His fastball is also a plus pitch. He touches 94 mph and pitches between 90-92 mph with deft command.
Like Mauer, Floyd entered 2003 as one of the league's high-profile players but stumbled out of the gate. After a series of mechanical tweaks that aided his deception and improved his balance, he added velocity and had another successful summer. The low Class A South Atlantic League's top prospect a year ago, Floyd had the best curveball in the league. Slowed by shoulder tendinitis at midseason, he recovered to consistently throw his fastball at 92-93 mph by season's end. He also made strides in improving his mental approach. "He's the total package," Clearwater manager Roly DeArmas said. "His breaking ball is as good as they come and he has a great arm. His biggest problem is with himself. Sometimes he over-thinks instead of just using his stuff and attacking hitters."
The Phillies wanted Floyd, the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, to focus on throwing his fastball for strikes this season. He responded to the challenge, shown by his no-hitter against Lexington on July 24, when he threw 79 fastballs among his 97 pitches. He also showed his durability by ranking fourth in the league in innings. Floyd, however, is more than a durable fastball pitcher. While his plus heater sits in the 94-96 mph range, his best pitch is a sharp-breaking curveball that buckles hitters' knees. His changeup is nothing less than an average major league offering and improving. Managers loved his smooth mechanics and effortless delivery, which allow him to work both sides of the plate with pinpoint control. "His makeup for a teenager is the best I have ever seen," Manto said. "Most kids his age are just trying to fit in, but Gavin has a unique intangible that lets him to know what it takes to succeed. He knew how to budget his time with his workouts, studied hitters, did everything he could to understand why certain things were done the way they were. Then you add his ability to throw the ball, and he's as polished as any kid you'll see."