Andrew Sisco Stats & Scouting Report

IP	147
ERA	5.204
WHIP	1.673
BB/9	5.694
SO/9	8.633

Full name Andrew Frank Sisco
Born 01/13/1983 in Steamboat Springs, CO
Profile Ht.: 6'10" / Wt.: 270 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Eastlake
Debut 04/04/2005
Drafted in the 2nd round (46th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2001 (signed for $1,000,000).

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The first thing that grabs your attention about Sisco is his size. He's a monster at 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds. He's agile and athletic for a big lefthander and throws with little effort from a high three-quarters arm slot. He has a heavy, moving fastball that registered consistently at 90-92 mph this spring and touched 95. With improved mechanics, he may hit 100. His breaking ball is still undeveloped, and he uses a splitter as his changeup. Neither he nor high school teammate Blake Hawksworth made big strides this spring, but both should still be picked in the top two or three rounds. Sisco has a college commitment to Miami.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

It would have seemed implausible heading into 2004, but the Cubs opted not to protect Sisco on their 40-man roster after the season and lost him to the Royals in the major league Rule 5 draft. The No. 4 prospect in the Cubs organization a year ago, Sisco had a lot going for him. A 6-foot-9 hulk of a pitcher who had been recruited as a defensive end by Pacific-10 Conference football programs, he threw a 92-94 mph fastball and an effective changeup, flashed a plus curveball and projected to add velocity. But he didn't follow his offseason conditioning properly and arrived in spring training too bulky and tight. That cost him arm speed and velocity, and he pitched at 87-89 mph and rarely topped 90 for much of the year. He also lost the feel for his breaking pitch. His control regressed significantly and he was much more hittable than he had been in the past. Sisco also has to answer questions about his maturity and off-field issues. While his ceiling is as huge as he is, it may be a stretch for Kansas City to keep him in the majors all season when he'd be best served by returning to high Class A. Before the Royals could send Sisco to the minors in 2005, however, Rule 5 guidelines stipulate that he'd have to be placed on waivers and offered back to Chicago for half the $50,000 draft price.
After snaring Mark Prior with the No. 2 overall pick in 2001, the Cubs followed up with another potential ace in Sisco in the second round. As a senior he pitched in the same rotation as Cardinals No. 1 prospect Blake Hawksworth. Recruited as a defensive end by Pacific-10 Conference football programs, he signed for $1 million. He missed two months with a broken pitching hand in 2003, but finished strong by not allowing an earned run in two starts as Lansing won the Midwest League playoffs. Sisco is a huge lefthander who already throws 92-94 mph and projects to add more heat, so he draws obvious comparisons to Randy Johnson. And while he has to polish the rest of his game, he has better mechanics and command than the Big Unit had at the same age. Sisco already has an effective changeup and at times shows a plus curveball. Sisco's curve is far from a finished product, as one in four he throws is above-average. He'd be better off throwing fewer splitters and focusing on his other pitches. The Cubs like his competitive makeup, but he also can be immature. Once he masters his curveball, Sisco will take off. The Cubs will keep him and Jones together again in 2004 in high Class A.
The Cubs may have found not one but two No. 1 starters in the 2001 draft. After taking Mark Prior No. 2 overall, they also landed Sisco in the second round. A former defensive end who turned down football scholarships from several Pacific-10 Conference schools, Sisco signed for $1 million. He was the short-season Northwest League's No. 1 prospect and strikeout leader in 2002. Because he's an intimidating 6-foot-9 lefthander, Sisco draws inevitable comparisons to Randy Johnson--and he's much more polished than Johnson was at the same age. Sisco made impressive strides with his mechanics last year, when he regularly threw 90-96 mph. Besides his arm, he also earns high marks for his athleticism, feel, poise and work ethic. Sisco still needs to make his delivery and his pitches more consistent. He has a slurvy breaking ball that should become a curveball once he maintains a higher arm slot. He throws his splitter too often and needs to develop a true changeup. His command can be shaky and lead to high pitch counts. Chicago's strength is pitching from top to bottom, so Sisco won't be rushed. He'll open 2003 at low Class A Lansing and won't see Wrigley Field before late 2005.
The Cubs have used their second-round picks well, landing infielders of the future David Kelton (1998) and Bobby Hill (2000). They may have hit on another second-rounder last year when they signed Sisco, who's about as intimidating as a lefthander can get, for $1 million. He already stands 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds, plus he has a consistent 90-93 mph fastball that topped out at 96 in instructional league. If he can smooth out his mechanics, not the easiest task for a pitcher his size, he might approach triple digits in the future. Sisco impressed Arizona League managers with his splitter, which serves as his changeup. Among his three pitches, his slider needs the most work. He won't be a pitcher who blows through the minors in a hurry, but Sisco's ceiling is awfully high.

Minor League Top Prospects

Sisco has a stronger arm but not as much feel for pitching as his teammate Jones. His assignments are to learn his craft and hone his secondary pitches, and he was set back when he broke his left hand and missed two months. After his return, he wasn't nearly as sharp as he had been until the playoffs. As a 6-foot-9 lefthander who generates easy velocity, Sisco draws obvious comparisons to Randy Johnson. He's well ahead of where Johnson was at age 20, and his 92-94 mph fastball has room to grow. All four of his pitches are lively, and his fastball, curveball, changeup and splitter all move in different fashion.
Sisco could have earned this distinction for being the youngest player with the highest upside, understandable given his imposing 6-foot-9, 260-pound frame. League managers universally lauded Sisco's size, stuff and athleticism (his family has an extensive football background), and expect him to get better. That's a scary thought, because Sisco looked plenty good in his second pro season. Despite his size and the ability to run his fastball up to 95-96 mph–he regularly pitched between 90-94–Sisco dominated more with the poise and advanced feel for pitching that belied his age. "You look at him and see him throwing four pitches for strikes now, and they will be above-average," Boise manager Steve McFarland said. "Right now, he relies on his split-finger fastball too much, and at one point we had to take it away. We wanted to force him to use his changeup and curveball more, and we want him to learn to pitch off his fastball." Said Vancouver manager Orv Franchuk: "He looked like Randy Johnson early (in the season) against us. He was getting extension and getting right on top of guys. He showed a lot of poise." As Sisco tired later in the season, he wasn't as consistent with his mechanics and short-armed his delivery at times. He still dominated a league full of older players.