Jeff Ames Stats & Scouting Report

IP	386
ERA	3.544
WHIP	1.386
BB/9	4.873
SO/9	10.003

Full name Jeffrey Sean Ames
Born 01/31/1991 in Vancouver, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Lower Columbia CC
Drafted in the C-A round (42nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 (signed for $650,000).

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Ames has already been drafted twice: by the Phillies (46th round) in 2009 out of high school in Vancouver, Wash., and last year by the Rockies (30th round) out of Lower Columbia. His stuff has gradually improved each year, and he took things up a notch last summer, sitting 92-95 mph and touching 97 in the West Coast League, ranking as the league's No. 3 prospect. His stuff has held up this spring, as his fastball has been consistently in the mid-90s. His fastball has nasty, riding life and arm-side run. His breaking ball doesn't always show the tight break scouts like to see, his changeup is just all right, and he does pitch with some effort, but he should go high enough this year to keep him away from his commitment to Oregon.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The 42nd overall selection in the 2011 draft, Ames had an unimpressive pro debut at Rookie-level Princeton but has made rapid adjustments while making the move from thrower to pitcher over the past two seasons. In the short-season New York-Penn League in 2012, he ranked third in ERA (1.96) and fourth in strikeouts (70) before pacing the low Class A Midwest League in opponent average (.210) and finishing second in WHIP (1.09) in 2013. Ames owes his success to his ability to command an above-average four-seam fastball that sits at 93-95 mph. He also throws a two-seam fastball in the 88-90 mph range, and a plus slider in the mid-80s, with all three offerings complementing each other. He continues to work on his changeup, which shows promise and could give him a strong four-pitch repertoire. The key to Ames' future success is continuing to work down in the zone by keeping his delivery tight and over his front leg. He also needs to trust his stuff and avoid overthrowing, which tends to flatten both of his fastballs.A candidate to be a mid-rotation starter, Ames should make the jump to high Class A Charlotte to open the 2014 campaign.
The 42nd overall pick in the 2011 draft, Ames signed for a below-slot $650,000 before posting a 7.12 ERA at Rookie-level Princeton in his pro debut. He did an impressive job of harnessing his raw stuff in his second year in the system, employing better command and keeping his delivery tight and over his front leg more consistently. He recorded the third-lowest ERA (1.96) in the New York-Penn League while ranking fourth in opponent average (.195) and strikeouts (70). Ames uses his 6-foot-4 frame to throw on an excellent downhill angle. His four-seam fastball sits at 93-95 mph, but it can become straight when he overthrows it. He added a sinking two-seamer during the 2012 season, and it complements his four-seamer well. The two-seamer also does a better job of setting up his plus slider, which resides at 83-88 mph but flattens when he fails to stay on top of it. His changeup is coming along yet still lacks consistent fade and depth. Ames is a work in progress who could have a nice four-pitch mix and become a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He'll open 2013 in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Ames posted a 7.12 ERA in the Rookie-level Appalachian League after getting drafted 42nd overall last year, but he still ranked as the league's No. 16 prospect thanks to his raw stuff. He did a better job of using it this summer, overpowering NY-P hitters and ranking fourth in the league with 70 strikeouts. Ames works downhill and pitches inside aggressively with his fastball. His bread and butter is a 93-95 mph four-seamer with fair movement, and he started throwing an 89-93 mph sinker midway through the year. He improved his fastball command down in the zone by working over his front leg more and staying in sync better than he did a year ago. Ames' No. 2 pitch is an 83-88 mph slider that projects as a solid offering, though it sometimes flattens out when he gets on the side of it. His changeup is currently below average currently but he started throwing it with more conviction in the second half of the season, inducing weak contact against lefties.
Drafted twice previously, Ames boosed his stock when he hit 97 mph in the summer collegiate West Coast League in 2010. The 42nd overall pick this year and the third of Tampa Bay's seven supplemental first-rounders, he hails from Washington state, just like Princeton teammates Vettleson, Brett and Sale. Ames' fastball holds steady at 92-95 mph and features riding life to his arm side. By the end of the season, he rediscovered his plus 82-85 mph slider with hard tilting action, though he has little feel for a changeup because he hasn't thrown it much. Ames shuttled back and forth between the rotation and bullpen with Princeton because his arm was tired after the junior college season. He struck out 22 batters in 17 innings as a starter but posted a 9.18 ERA in that role. He could move quickly as an attack-oriented reliever if the development of his changeup falters.