Francisco Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #1 prospect in 2003
  Rodriguez has been a fixture on prospect lists since the Angels signed him for $900,000 in 1998. Yet it wasn't until instructional league after the 2001 season that the Angels decided he could be their future closer. He showed his overpowering stuff as a starter, but shoulder and elbow problems kept him from surpassing 114 innings. His career took off when he moved to the bullpen in 2002 and his arm proved resilient. His September callup produced 5.2 dominant innings, and that's all it took to put him in manager Mike Scioscia's postseason plans. Rodriguez became the youngest pitcher in 32 years to pitch in the World Series and the youngest ever to pick up a victory. He went 5-1, 1.93 with 28 strikeouts in 19 postseason innings. Despite spending most of the season in the minors, Rodriguez emerged as Scioscia's go-to reliever in critical playoff situations. He made veteran hitters look foolish with his electrifying two-pitch arsenal. His lightning-quick arm generates 94-96 mph velocity on his fastball with explosive late life. Rodriguez tightened the hard rotation on his breaking ball and became more consistent locating it. He can throw it for a strike to either side of the plate or bury it in the dirt, and hitters have a difficult time reading the pitch until it's too late. Scouts are split on whether it's a slider or curveball. Rodriguez alters his grip and changes the tilt on the pitch, creating a true slider break or a sweepy curveball arc. Righthanders stand little chance when he's on. Rodriguez made his biggest strides in maturity, mound presence and conditioning. Though Rodriguez's across-the-body delivery creates deception and leverage, his mechanics and frame could be considered red flags. Considering Rodriguez's history of arm problems, the Angels would be wise to preserve his arm. Unflappable and confident on the mound, he still overthrows at times. Scouts already compare the Rodriguez-Troy Percival tandem to John Wetteland and an up-and-coming Mariano Rivera. Like Rivera, Rodriguez is the heir apparent as closer.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #7 prospect in 2002
  Rodriguez earned a $900,000 bonus with his live arm, but consecutive enigmatic seasons in high Class A have cast a shadow of doubt over his future. Shoulder and elbow tenderness have plagued him throughout his young career, and his elbow prevented him from pitching until May 20 last season. Rodriguez is capable of reaching 99 mph and fastball generally sits around 93 with cutting action from a low three-quarters arm slot. Righties have little chance against his 80 mph curveball with hard, sweeping bite across the strike zone. Between the California and Arizona Fall leagues, he averaged 12 strikeouts per nine innings in 2001. Unfortunately, Rodriguez often has little idea where his pitches are going. He uncorked 17 wild pitches last year and struggled to command his fastball and curveball. He changes his arm speed on his changeup but needs to incorporate it into his repertoire to avoid a future as a reliever. His velocity fluctuated last season due to persistent arm troubles. Lefthanders batted .327 against him. His makeup also has been criticized. Rodriguez's promise was evident when he pitched in the AFL as a teenager last fall. He's finally ready for Double-A.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #2 prospect in 2001
  The Angels ignored Latin America for three years but returned in a big way by signing Rodriguez to a Venezuela-record $900,000 bonus. In his debut a year later, he was the Rookie-level Pioneer League's top prospect. In 121 pro innings, he has allowed just 79 hits and struck out 154. Rodriguez's fastball is just plain filthy, averaging 94-97 mph and reaching as high as 99, with late life to go with the velocity. His quick arm action makes it look even faster. He throws a slurvy slider from a three-quarters arm angle, and the pitch eats up righthanders. His changeup will be a good third pitch. Though Rodriguez has a deceptive motion, it's far from pretty and may have contributed to his arm problems in 2000. Shoulder and elbow tendinitis prevented him from making his first start until May 27, and he was shut down for six weeks after three outings because he had a tender forearm. His mechanics have been smoothed out since. Because Rodriguez is so young and inexperienced, there's no reason to promote him from the high Class A California League to begin 2001. If Joe Torres joins him, they'll form one of the best lefty-righty combos in the minors.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #2 prospect in 2000
  The Angels outbid several other clubs for Rodriguez last winter, signing him for $900,000. He immediately lived up to his advance billing by being named the top prospect in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Rodriguez has nasty stuff. He can throw consistently in the mid-90s through the middle innings and touches 97 mph, incredible velocity for his age. One opposing manager called his breaking pitch "the slider from hell" because of its hard, sharp break. Rodriguez also throws a curveball and changeup and can change his arm angle yet maintain command. Rodriguez’s listed height and weight may be generous, and his size and across-the-body throwing action create worries about the durability of his arm. He’s still adapting to American culture and the minor league lifestyle. Rodriguez missed most of instructional league due to personal problems at home, and the Angels realize that he will require patience and understanding. Expect a step-by-step progression for the next couple of years at least.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #12 prospect in 2002
  After signing for $900,000 out of Venezuela, Rodriguez was at least slightly disappointing in his first three seasons. If he wasn't nagged by injuries, he was immature and inconsistent. Then he moved to the bullpen this year in Double-A and took off. Rodriguez has two closer-quality pitches, a fastball that sits at 93-94 mph and reaches 97, and a hard slider. His lack of a changeup is no longer a handicap. He has calmed his delivery, enabling him to throw more strikes. He sometimes overthrows and leaves his fastball straight and up in the strike zone, and he doesn't always command his slider. But that didn't stop him from contributing to the Angels in September, when he didn't allow a run in his first four major league appearances, striking out eight of the 14 batters he faced. "He has really good stuff, very electric. I manage the game to have the lead before he can come in," Listach said. "You have to put four or five good at-bats in a row on him to score a run."
• 
  Ranked Texas League #5 prospect in 2002
  The live-armed Rodriguez had been touted in the Angels organization since he signed for a $900,000 bonus in 1998. Because of injuries and inconsistent performance, though, the results never measured up to the promise. Moved to the bullpen this year, Rodriguez took off. He jumped to Triple-A in June and then to Anaheim in September, where he pitched well in the heat of a playoff race. Rodriguez was a completely different pitcher in relief, bringing energy and two plus pitches to the mound every time out. His fastball was 93-96 mph with late life, and his slider is already a major league out pitch and makes him effective against both lefthanders and righthanders. "He should be a great set-up guy and grow into the role of closer, like Mariano Rivera," Arkansas manager Doug Sisson said. "He has the aptitude, competitiveness, makeup and stuff."
• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #1 prospect in 1999
  The diminutive Rodriguez was the Angels' first big bonus venture into Latin America when he signed last winter. Rodriguez already throws 94-95 mph with excellent life and tops out at 97. "He was throwing 95-96 in the seventh inning with a slider from hell," Medicine Hat manager Paul Elliot said. "It was like a man against boys, except he's just a boy himself." There was some concern among managers that Rodriguez throws too much across his body and might be putting too much stress on his young arm. In addition to his fastball, Rodriguez throws a slider, curveball and changeup, with the slider being his top secondary pitch.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #10 prospect in 2003
• Ranked Baseball America's #71 prospect in 2001

• December, 2002 Scouting Report
  Rodriguez has been a fixture on prospect lists since the Angels signed him for $900,000 in 1998. Yet it wasn't until instructional league after the 2001 season that the Angels decided he could be their future closer. He showed his overpowering stuff as a starter, but shoulder and elbow problems kept him from surpassing 114 innings. His career took off when he moved to the bullpen in 2002 and his arm proved resilient. His September callup produced 5.2 dominant innings, and that's all it took to put him in manager Mike Scioscia's postseason plans. Rodriguez became the youngest pitcher in 32 years to pitch in the World Series and the youngest ever to pick up a victory. He went 5-1, 1.93 with 28 strikeouts in 19 postseason innings. Despite spending most of the season in the minors, Rodriguez emerged as Scioscia's go-to reliever in critical playoff situations. He made veteran hitters look foolish with his electrifying two-pitch arsenal. His lightning-quick arm generates 94-96 mph velocity on his fastball with explosive late life. Rodriguez tightened the hard rotation on his breaking ball and became more consistent locating it. He can throw it for a strike to either side of the plate or bury it in the dirt, and hitters have a difficult time reading the pitch until it's too late. Scouts are split on whether it's a slider or curveball. Rodriguez alters his grip and changes the tilt on the pitch, creating a true slider break or a sweepy curveball arc. Righthanders stand little chance when he's on. Rodriguez made his biggest strides in maturity, mound presence and conditioning. Though Rodriguez's across-the-body delivery creates deception and leverage, his mechanics and frame could be considered red flags. Considering Rodriguez's history of arm problems, the Angels would be wise to preserve his arm. Unflappable and confident on the mound, he still overthrows at times. Scouts already compare the Rodriguez-Troy Percival tandem to John Wetteland and an up-and-coming Mariano Rivera. Like Rivera, Rodriguez is the heir apparent as closer.
• December, 2001 Scouting Report
  Rodriguez earned a $900,000 bonus with his live arm, but consecutive enigmatic seasons in high Class A have cast a shadow of doubt over his future. Shoulder and elbow tenderness have plagued him throughout his young career, and his elbow prevented him from pitching until May 20 last season. Rodriguez is capable of reaching 99 mph and fastball generally sits around 93 with cutting action from a low three-quarters arm slot. Righties have little chance against his 80 mph curveball with hard, sweeping bite across the strike zone. Between the California and Arizona Fall leagues, he averaged 12 strikeouts per nine innings in 2001. Unfortunately, Rodriguez often has little idea where his pitches are going. He uncorked 17 wild pitches last year and struggled to command his fastball and curveball. He changes his arm speed on his changeup but needs to incorporate it into his repertoire to avoid a future as a reliever. His velocity fluctuated last season due to persistent arm troubles. Lefthanders batted .327 against him. His makeup also has been criticized. Rodriguez's promise was evident when he pitched in the AFL as a teenager last fall. He's finally ready for Double-A.
• December, 2000 Scouting Report
  The Angels ignored Latin America for three years but returned in a big way by signing Rodriguez to a Venezuela-record $900,000 bonus. In his debut a year later, he was the Rookie-level Pioneer League's top prospect. In 121 pro innings, he has allowed just 79 hits and struck out 154. Rodriguez's fastball is just plain filthy, averaging 94-97 mph and reaching as high as 99, with late life to go with the velocity. His quick arm action makes it look even faster. He throws a slurvy slider from a three-quarters arm angle, and the pitch eats up righthanders. His changeup will be a good third pitch. Though Rodriguez has a deceptive motion, it's far from pretty and may have contributed to his arm problems in 2000. Shoulder and elbow tendinitis prevented him from making his first start until May 27, and he was shut down for six weeks after three outings because he had a tender forearm. His mechanics have been smoothed out since. Because Rodriguez is so young and inexperienced, there's no reason to promote him from the high Class A California League to begin 2001. If Joe Torres joins him, they'll form one of the best lefty-righty combos in the minors.
• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  The Angels outbid several other clubs for Rodriguez last winter, signing him for $900,000. He immediately lived up to his advance billing by being named the top prospect in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Rodriguez has nasty stuff. He can throw consistently in the mid-90s through the middle innings and touches 97 mph, incredible velocity for his age. One opposing manager called his breaking pitch "the slider from hell" because of its hard, sharp break. Rodriguez also throws a curveball and changeup and can change his arm angle yet maintain command. Rodriguez’s listed height and weight may be generous, and his size and across-the-body throwing action create worries about the durability of his arm. He’s still adapting to American culture and the minor league lifestyle. Rodriguez missed most of instructional league due to personal problems at home, and the Angels realize that he will require patience and understanding. Expect a step-by-step progression for the next couple of years at least.