Roy Halladay

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 1999
  Blue Jays scout Bus Campbell worked extensively with Halladay during his amateur days in Colorado, creating a relationship that resulted in Halladay using part of his signing bonus to buy Campbell a satellite television system. That was in 1995. Now fast forward to 1998. Sidelined for a month with a right shoulder strain, Halladay returned to one-hit Charlotte on July 20. He spent the full season at Triple-A Syracuse, then opened a few eyes by becoming the third youngest starter in Blue Jays history. His second start turned into a no-hit bid against the Tigers on the season's final day. The bid ended with a two-out, pinch-hit homer by Bobby Higginson. Halladay continued to prove his value with a strong effort in the Arizona Fall League. Halladay has a prototype pitcher's body. He's tall, lanky and flexible--and has plenty of stamina. He once finished third in the Colorado state cross-country finals as a senior at Arvada West High. Halladay puts minimal strain on his arm. His fastball is solidly in the mid-90s, and he has the endurance to maintain his velocity into the late innings. He has developed more downward movement on his fastball, which allows him to get more ground balls. The Blue Jays initially took away the knuckle-curveball that Campbell taught him in high school, but in the middle of this season allowed him to start throwing it again. It was the pitch he used for five of his eight strikeouts in the one-hitter against Detroit. He has developed a hard-biting slider that may be his best pitch. Halladay just needs a little refinement to be a legitimate big league, front-of-the-rotation pitcher. He has a tendency to open up and show the hitter his arm a little too quick. And he needs to throw his changeup more often. After nearly two full seasons at Triple-A, Halladay's future is now. He will be a member of the major league rotation on Opening Day.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 1998
  The youngest player in the Triple-A International League after his midseason promotion, Halladay finished 1997 strong and had two shutouts. He is a true athlete with the tall, lean pitcher’s body that scouts seek. Another in the long line of Colorado pitchers tutored by pitching guru Bus Campbell (now a Blue Jays scout), Halladay not only was a star on the mound in high school but also finished third in the state cross-country meet in his senior year. Halladay continued to show marked improvement this winter in Venezuela. Halladay’s fastball ranges from a low of 92 mph to a high of 97 but is consistently in the 93-95 range. He has good command of the pitch and cuts it effectively for movement. Though he is a young power pitcher, he has walked just 126 batters in 377 professional innings. Like many of Campbell’s pupils, Halladay dabbles with a knuckle-curveball. The biggest challenge facing Halladay is merely getting experience. He reached Triple-A in just his second full pro season. Once Halladay finds consistency with his knuckle-curve, he should be ready to make his move to the big leagues. Halladay will return to Triple-A Syracuse to open the 1998 season and likely will spend the full season there. But he could arrive faster if he begins to master the knuckle-curve.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #1 prospect in 1997
  The Blue Jays took advantage of the Royals streamlining their scouting department and quickly signed Bus Campbell, the guru of Rocky Mountain pitchers. In 1995, the Blue Jays got their first major reward, selecting Halladay. Colorado hasn’t been a stronghold for major league talent, but it has produced some impressive pitchers in recent years, most of whom have benefited from Campbell’s tutelage. Halladay could be the best of the crop. He has a good pitcher’s body and durability, the latter undoubtedly a product of his cross-country experience in high school. He finished third in the state meet in his senior year at Arvada West High. Halladay has a fastball that will hit 98 mph and sits on 95 throughout a game. He has learned to cut his heater for extra movement. He complements his fastball with a knuckle-curveball that will be his out pitch, and has the makings of a solid changeup. He certainly doesn’t back down from competition. He spent most of the 1996 season at 18 but wasn’t intimidated by pitching in high Class A. In his first full pro season he won 15 games, one behind the Florida State League leader, and finished fifth in ERA. Halladay just needs to work on the finer points of pitching. He has the durability and arm strength. Now comes the challenge of putting all the tools to use. He has to learn how to finish off a hitter when he's in command. He has the stuff to be a dominant strikeout pitcher. Halladay made it apparent he’s ready to move to Double-A Knoxville in 1997, only his second full pro season, and might not need a full year at that level.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #6 prospect in 1996
  Halladay is the latest in a line of top high school pitchers from Colorado. The state also produced first-round picks Scott Elarton and Jayson Peterson in 1994. Halladay finished third in the state high school cross-country championships. Halladay has the legitimate fastball teams look for, but his big pitch is a knuckle-curveball that has the potential to be his out pitch in the big leagues. Coming from Colorado, Halladay’s exposure is limited because of the long winters. He's at his best when he keeps his fastball, a solid 93 mph pitch, down in the strike zone. He needs to throw his knuckle-curve more consistently for strikes. Halladay figures to step into the South Atlantic League for a year of work at the low Class A level. He could move to the Florida State League at midyear.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #3 prospect in 1998
  Halladay was No. 5 on the International League list last year, but he looked even better on his way to the Blue Jays' rotation. “He’s nasty,” Buffalo first baseman Jeff Manto said. “He’s got the nastiest stuff in the league.” This season Halladay learned to pitch inside, threw a sharper slider and worked on improving his changeup. He already had a good fastball (92 mph), but now he’s getting more down movement and recording more groundball outs. “I think he’s made a lot of progress in becoming a pitcher, and that’s one of the best compliments to say,” his Syracuse pitching coach Scott Breeden said.
• 
  Ranked International League #5 prospect in 1997
  Halladay is just 20, and he took his lumps early with Syracuse against much older, more experienced competition. But Halladay had a better second half, and most International League managers had little doubt that it will be only a matter of time before he returns the punishment. “You see glimpses,” one manager said. “He’s got great stuff. He’s probably pitching a level too high. He can be overpowering.” Halladay challenges hitters with a mid-90s fastball and knuckle-curveball. Experience is all he lacks. “He’s got a great fastball,” Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Marc Bombard said. “When he gets command of his other stuff, he’ll be a dandy.”
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #3 prospect in 1996
  Just 19, Halladay finished one victory behind St. Petersburg's Blake Stein for the Florida State League lead. He teamed with Kelvim Escobar to give Dunedin an impressive pair of young power pitchers. At 6-foot-6, Halladay presents an intimidating figure on the mound. Besides his fastball, he also throws a knuckle-curveball that baffles most hitters. Like the two pitchers ahead of him on this list, his main need is experience.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #5 prospect in 1995
  Nerves got the better of Halladay, Toronto’s first-round pick, in his first couple of professional outings. Then the 6-foot-5 righthander settled down and displayed command of a 93-94 mph fastball. He also showed an above-average curve and slider.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #12 prospect in 1999
• Ranked Baseball America's #38 prospect in 1998
• Ranked Baseball America's #23 prospect in 1997

• December, 1998 Scouting Report
  Blue Jays scout Bus Campbell worked extensively with Halladay during his amateur days in Colorado, creating a relationship that resulted in Halladay using part of his signing bonus to buy Campbell a satellite television system. That was in 1995. Now fast forward to 1998. Sidelined for a month with a right shoulder strain, Halladay returned to one-hit Charlotte on July 20. He spent the full season at Triple-A Syracuse, then opened a few eyes by becoming the third youngest starter in Blue Jays history. His second start turned into a no-hit bid against the Tigers on the season's final day. The bid ended with a two-out, pinch-hit homer by Bobby Higginson. Halladay continued to prove his value with a strong effort in the Arizona Fall League. Halladay has a prototype pitcher's body. He's tall, lanky and flexible--and has plenty of stamina. He once finished third in the Colorado state cross-country finals as a senior at Arvada West High. Halladay puts minimal strain on his arm. His fastball is solidly in the mid-90s, and he has the endurance to maintain his velocity into the late innings. He has developed more downward movement on his fastball, which allows him to get more ground balls. The Blue Jays initially took away the knuckle-curveball that Campbell taught him in high school, but in the middle of this season allowed him to start throwing it again. It was the pitch he used for five of his eight strikeouts in the one-hitter against Detroit. He has developed a hard-biting slider that may be his best pitch. Halladay just needs a little refinement to be a legitimate big league, front-of-the-rotation pitcher. He has a tendency to open up and show the hitter his arm a little too quick. And he needs to throw his changeup more often. After nearly two full seasons at Triple-A, Halladay's future is now. He will be a member of the major league rotation on Opening Day.
• December, 1997 Scouting Report
  The youngest player in the Triple-A International League after his midseason promotion, Halladay finished 1997 strong and had two shutouts. He is a true athlete with the tall, lean pitcher’s body that scouts seek. Another in the long line of Colorado pitchers tutored by pitching guru Bus Campbell (now a Blue Jays scout), Halladay not only was a star on the mound in high school but also finished third in the state cross-country meet in his senior year. Halladay continued to show marked improvement this winter in Venezuela. Halladay’s fastball ranges from a low of 92 mph to a high of 97 but is consistently in the 93-95 range. He has good command of the pitch and cuts it effectively for movement. Though he is a young power pitcher, he has walked just 126 batters in 377 professional innings. Like many of Campbell’s pupils, Halladay dabbles with a knuckle-curveball. The biggest challenge facing Halladay is merely getting experience. He reached Triple-A in just his second full pro season. Once Halladay finds consistency with his knuckle-curve, he should be ready to make his move to the big leagues. Halladay will return to Triple-A Syracuse to open the 1998 season and likely will spend the full season there. But he could arrive faster if he begins to master the knuckle-curve.
• December, 1997 Scouting Report
  Halladay was No. 5 on the International League list last year, but he looked even better on his way to the Blue Jays' rotation. “He’s nasty,” Buffalo first baseman Jeff Manto said. “He’s got the nastiest stuff in the league.” This season Halladay learned to pitch inside, threw a sharper slider and worked on improving his changeup. He already had a good fastball (92 mph), but now he’s getting more down movement and recording more groundball outs. “I think he’s made a lot of progress in becoming a pitcher, and that’s one of the best compliments to say,” his Syracuse pitching coach Scott Breeden said.
• December, 1996 Scouting Report
  Halladay is just 20, and he took his lumps early with Syracuse against much older, more experienced competition. But Halladay had a better second half, and most International League managers had little doubt that it will be only a matter of time before he returns the punishment. “You see glimpses,” one manager said. “He’s got great stuff. He’s probably pitching a level too high. He can be overpowering.” Halladay challenges hitters with a mid-90s fastball and knuckle-curveball. Experience is all he lacks. “He’s got a great fastball,” Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Marc Bombard said. “When he gets command of his other stuff, he’ll be a dandy.”
• December, 1996 Scouting Report
  The Blue Jays took advantage of the Royals streamlining their scouting department and quickly signed Bus Campbell, the guru of Rocky Mountain pitchers. In 1995, the Blue Jays got their first major reward, selecting Halladay. Colorado hasn’t been a stronghold for major league talent, but it has produced some impressive pitchers in recent years, most of whom have benefited from Campbell’s tutelage. Halladay could be the best of the crop. He has a good pitcher’s body and durability, the latter undoubtedly a product of his cross-country experience in high school. He finished third in the state meet in his senior year at Arvada West High. Halladay has a fastball that will hit 98 mph and sits on 95 throughout a game. He has learned to cut his heater for extra movement. He complements his fastball with a knuckle-curveball that will be his out pitch, and has the makings of a solid changeup. He certainly doesn’t back down from competition. He spent most of the 1996 season at 18 but wasn’t intimidated by pitching in high Class A. In his first full pro season he won 15 games, one behind the Florida State League leader, and finished fifth in ERA. Halladay just needs to work on the finer points of pitching. He has the durability and arm strength. Now comes the challenge of putting all the tools to use. He has to learn how to finish off a hitter when he's in command. He has the stuff to be a dominant strikeout pitcher. Halladay made it apparent he’s ready to move to Double-A Knoxville in 1997, only his second full pro season, and might not need a full year at that level.
• December, 1995 Scouting Report
  Halladay is the latest in a line of top high school pitchers from Colorado. The state also produced first-round picks Scott Elarton and Jayson Peterson in 1994. Halladay finished third in the state high school cross-country championships. Halladay has the legitimate fastball teams look for, but his big pitch is a knuckle-curveball that has the potential to be his out pitch in the big leagues. Coming from Colorado, Halladay’s exposure is limited because of the long winters. He's at his best when he keeps his fastball, a solid 93 mph pitch, down in the strike zone. He needs to throw his knuckle-curve more consistently for strikes. Halladay figures to step into the South Atlantic League for a year of work at the low Class A level. He could move to the Florida State League at midyear.
• December, 1995 Scouting Report
  Just 19, Halladay finished one victory behind St. Petersburg's Blake Stein for the Florida State League lead. He teamed with Kelvim Escobar to give Dunedin an impressive pair of young power pitchers. At 6-foot-6, Halladay presents an intimidating figure on the mound. Besides his fastball, he also throws a knuckle-curveball that baffles most hitters. Like the two pitchers ahead of him on this list, his main need is experience.
• December, 1994 Scouting Report
  Nerves got the better of Halladay, Toronto’s first-round pick, in his first couple of professional outings. Then the 6-foot-5 righthander settled down and displayed command of a 93-94 mph fastball. He also showed an above-average curve and slider.