Yusmeiro Petit Stats & Scouting Report

IP	904
ERA	3.933
WHIP	1.148
BB/9	2.041
SO/9	7.636

Full name Yusmeiro Alberto Petit
Born 11/22/1984 in Maracaibo, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 252 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School U.E. Andres Bello
Debut 05/14/2006

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Acquired from the Mets along with Mike Jacobs in the November 2005 deal that sent Carlos Delgado to Flushing, Petit was supposed to contend for a spot in the Marlins rotation by midseason. Instead it was Anibal Sanchez who blasted his way to fame with a September no-hitter, while Petit bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues. Petit's fastball velocity fluctuated to an alarming degree, dipping into the mid-80s during a woeful spring training and settling into the 89-91 mph range later in the year. He has a plus change, but his curve and slider were not the weapons they had been with the Mets. He was decent against Triple-A hitters but struggled mightily in the majors, where he was limited to one start in 15 appearances. His ERA was the highest in the majors for any of the 460 pitchers to work at least 21 innings. The deception that was his hallmark never seemed to materialize. With the Marlins rotation seemingly set, Petit could be used as a trade chip or head back to Triple-A to work out his problems.
The best of the three prospects received from the Mets for Carlos Delgado, Petit had been the best pitching prospect in New York's system the last two years. He continued to dominate in 2005 with a repertoire that's typically deemed ordinary. Though he struggled in a late callup to Triple-A, he fanned 14 in a playoff start there. Petit's four-pitch attack plays up because of his above-average command and deception. Some grade his 88-90 mph fastball as a plus because of its movement and his ability to hide the ball well. He complements the fastball with a solid changeup, a slider and a curve. With stuff that is a tick better than average, scouts continue to question whether he has enough to succeed in the majors. While he mows down righthanders, he struggled in 2005 against lefties, who slugged .525 against him. At 6 feet and 230 pounds, he must watch his weight. Petit's numbers suggest a frontline starter, but his raw stuff profiles him toward the back of a rotation. He too could use time in Triple-A, but the Marlins are looking to fill several holes in their rotation.
Petit has dominated at every step up the ladder. He has struck out more than a batter an inning in all six minor league stops, finishing second in the minors with 200 whiffs in 2004. He followed up with a strong winter in Venezuela. Petit's fastball leaves batters and scouts scratching their heads. It has solid velocity (89-91 mph, touching 93) and movement, but nothing about it appears to be exceptional--except how hitters never seem to get a good swing against it. His slider is already average and has plus potential. His changeup is more advanced than his slider, but with less room for growth. It's uncertain whether Petit's fastball will play as well against more advanced hitters. However, those questions are diminishing as he continues to have success. Petit carries a little extra weight and will need to make sure he doesn't add too much more. The trade of Scott Kazmir left Petit as the Mets' best pitching prospect, though first-round pick Philip Humber may have something to say about that after signing in January. Petit will likely begin 2005 in Double-A.
Despite his lack of a dominant pitch, Petit quickly has established himself as one of the best strikeout pitchers in the system. After blowing away Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League hitters in 2002, he continued to leave hitters shaking their heads in his first season in the United States. Petit throws an 88-90 mph fastball that touches 92, a changeup that could end up being a plus pitch and an average curveball. What makes him effective is his ability to throw all three pitches for strikes, and to throw his changeup and curve in fastball counts. Though Petit's build isn't projectable, the Mets hope he can add a little more velocity to his fastball. He'll get his first exposure to full-season ball at Capital City in 2004.

Minor League Top Prospects

The EL offered numerous pitching prospect showdowns, including a pair of August confrontations between Petit and fellow Venezuelan Sanchez. Petit got the better of Portland and Sanchez twice, allowing one run and fanning 19 in 15 innings, a tribute to his confident mindset. Petit is an overachiever. His stuff is solid--low-90s fastball, solid-average slider, rudimentary changeup--but it plays up because of his deceptive delivery and ability to locate all three offerings. His fastball has late, rising life in the strike zone, eliciting poor swings that often catch the bottom half of the ball. He needs to improve his changeup or find something that runs away from lefthanders. "If you're a gun scout, don't come watch him," Claus said. "If you understand pitching and what a big leaguer looks like, you need to come see him. When you throw 3-and-2 changeups down in the zone with late bite, it's cheating. And he's doing all that off a plus fastball."
Though he led minor league starters with 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings and finished second with 200 strikeouts, Peit isn't a flamethrower. He gets his swings and misses with a 88-90 mph fastball that peaks at 92. While his fastball is average at best, his command, late life and deceptive delivery ensure that hitters rarely get a good swing at it. "He keeps the ball down, and the ball seems to explode onto bats," Teufel said. "He's fun to watch operate. He's a surgeon on the dish." Of his three minor league stops in 2004, Petit did his best work in St. Lucie. He also features a changeup that is a plus pitch at times but is still inconsistent. His slider has potential, but he doesn't yet fully command it and sometimes it flattens out too much.
One of the surprise stories in the minors this season, Petit finished second in the minors with 200 strikeouts in just 139 innings and completely shackled Sally League hitters, who batted just .159 against him. Righthanders were useless against him (.138) as he showed uncanny command of his fastball, slider and improving changeup. His 89-92 mph fastball seemed to explode on hitters with late life, and he used it aggressively. Petit's delivery, featuring a lower arm slot and good extension, gives him plenty of deception. Hitters rarely got good swings against him. "I thought he was the best pitcher in the league," Epperson said. "He was 91-92 late in the game, it had late movement and he threw it downhill. His slider was outstanding and he had phenomenal command. For me, it wasn't even close. The numbers don't lie with him."