Drake Britton Stats & Scouting Report

IP	27
ERA	3
WHIP	1.296
BB/9	3
SO/9	7

Full name John Drake Britton
Born 05/22/1989 in Waco, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Tomball
Debut 07/20/2013
Drafted in the 23rd round (714th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 (signed for $700,000).

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Texas' high school lefthander crop isn't strong this year, and the top prospect has been inconsistent this spring. Drake Britton has battled his delivery and his command, and his fastball has ranged from 85-88 mph at times to 89-92 at others. He throws from a low arm angle, which makes it tough to stay on top of his slider. He wants top-two-rounds money early in this year, and he won't get that now. He's a prime candidate to be drafted and followed during the summer. He'll go to Texas A&M if he doesn't turn pro.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Bryce Brentz wasn't the only Red Sox prospect to gain notoriety during spring training 2013. While Brentz shot himself in the leg in February, Britton's brush with infamy came when he was arrested and charged with a DUI and reckless driving in Fort Myers, Fla., in early March. But after a slow start, the lefthander showed an improved slider that, in tandem with a 91-95 mph fastball, allowed him to start dominating in Double-A to earn a July promotion to Triple-A. That stop proved brief, as a need for lefty bullpen help resulted in Britton's on-the-fly conversion to the bullpen in Boston. He opened his big league career with seven scoreless appearances, spanning nine innings, but he subsequently tailed. Still, Britton showed the ability to get swings and misses in the big leagues with two pitches. The Red Sox haven't abandoned the idea of moving the strong southpaw back into the rotation, given that he also can spin a curveball and has made progress with his changeup. At the least, Britton looks like an impact bullpen arm after making strides as a strike-thrower.
Since he signed for $700,000 as a 23rd-round pick in 2007, Britton's stock has been as volatile as anything offered on Wall Street. He blew out his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery in 2008, bounced back in 2010 to surge to No. 3 on this list, then posted a 6.91 ERA at Salem in a hugely disappointing 2011. He's on the upswing again, after he shook off more struggles in high Class A and closed the 2012 season with a 2.23 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 44 innings over his final eight Double-A starts. For Britton, his success comes down to confidence rather than stuff. Few lefthanders can match the velocity on his fastball, which averaged 94 mph in Double-A and peaks at 97. He maintains that velocity deep into games, and his heater plays up further because it features plenty of sink. He doesn't have a plus secondary pitch, but he has made strides with an 81-86 mph slider that has supplanted his curveball as his go-to breaking ball. His changeup has deception and sink. Britton hasn't always trusted his stuff, leading to deep counts and getting hit harder than he should, but he did a better job of attacking hitters and battling through jams down the stretch in 2012. His finish has the Red Sox encouraged again that he can make it as a starter, and if he doesn't, he could be a dynamic late-inning reliever. He should see Triple-A at some point in 2013, with a chance to make his big league debut late in the year.
Last season was supposed to be Britton's breakthrough. The Red Sox signed him away from Texas A&M with a $700,000 bonus in the 23rd round of the 2007 draft, then nursed him back to health after he blew out his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery the following year. He barely pitched in 2009 and was kept on tight pitch counts in 2010. Boston finally took the training wheels off last year, and it couldn't have been much more of a disaster. Britton led the Carolina League with 13 losses, didn't win a game after May 7, turned in just two quality starts in 26 outings and recorded a 6.91 ERA that would have ranked as the worst in all of Class A had he worked enough innings to qualify. The silver lining is that Britton still showed better stuff than most lefthanders, working with a 90-96 mph sinker and flashing a plus slider after switching from a bigbreaking curveball. He even showed some feel for a changeup. Britton's biggest problem is that he lacks control and consistency with his pitches and emotions. Too often last year, he'd fall behind in the count, slow the game to a glacial pace and be unable to extract himself from jams. His secondary pitches would come and go. Scouts inside and outside of the organization think Britton's problems are more mental than physical, and many believe he's destined for the bullpen. Britton needs innings, so Boston has no plans to change his role yet, and hopes he can pick up the pieces after protecting him on the 40-man roster in November.
Britton flashed early-round potential as a high school senior in 2007, but inconsistent velocity and a Texas A&M scholarship caused him to slide to the 23rd round. When he showed a low-90s fastball in summer ball, the Red Sox signed him at the Aug. 15 deadline for $700,000. He blew out his elbow at the end of his 2008 pro debut, but returned to hit 97 mph in instructional league at the end of 2009. Britton has bounced back from Tommy John surgery to now have the best fastball in the system, sitting at 92-94 mph with sink. He has regained his big-breaking curveball that he can throw for strikes, and he also has the makings of an effective changeup. Because he has pitched just 121 pro innings, he needs more time to repeat his high three-quarters delivery and refine his control and command. He's a hard worker who got leaner and stronger during his rehab. After playing it safe last season, limiting Britton's pitch counts and keeping him on the disabled list for six weeks as a precaution with an early-season biceps strain, the Red Sox will turn him loose in high Class A. He has all the ingredients to become a No. 3 starter or a late-inning bullpen weapon.
Britton was the top high school lefthander in Texas for the 2007 draft, but inconsistent velocity and a commitment to Texas A&M dropped him to the 23rd round. The Red Sox followed him during the summer, and after he repeatedly worked in the low 90s they signed him at the Aug. 15 deadline for $700,000. Britton didn't make his pro debut until 2008, and he blew out his elbow at the end of the New York-Penn League season, requiring Tommy John surgery that September. He worked diligently in his rehab and was ready for game action 11 months later. Elbow reconstruction didn't rob him of his stuff, as he came back dealing in the low 90s and topping out at 97. A pitcher's breaking ball and command are often the last two things to return after he has Tommy John surgery, and while that's true with Britton, he has the makings of a hard slider and should throw enough strikes. His changeup will give him a solid third pitch. Britton threw from a low arm slot in high school, but now he operates from a high three-quarters angle with clean arm action. He's a bulldog on the mound who loves to go after hitters, and he might fit best as a lefty set-up man for the long run. For now, Boston will continue to develop him as a starter, and because he'll open the season at age 20, there's no need to push him to make up for his lost year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Britton got back in the Red Sox' good graces with a strong eight-start finish to his season with Portland. He notched a 45-18 K-BB ratio and 2.23 ERA over his final 44 innings, helping ease the sting of a 5.80 ERA compiled with high Class A Salem during the season's first two months. He took a circuitous route back to relevancy after missing most of 2009 following Tommy John surgery, working with a tight pitch count in 2010 and pitching ineffectively in the Carolina League for nearly a season and a half. To this point in his career, Britton's prospect profile and ceiling have outstripped the results. On the one hand, he's a 6-foot-2 lefty with easy 92-94 mph velocity and sinking action, the ability to spin two distinct breaking balls and frequent feel for a changeup. On the other, he appears to rattle easily and ran up a 6.56 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 143 innings in high Class A. Boles believes Britton's command will improve because of his clean arm action and steady improvement once he reached Double-A. Scouts generally prefer the lefty's big-breaking mid-70s curveball to his low-80s slider, which features late tilt and is easier to throw for strikes. He kept righties in check at his two stops this season (.246/.317/.358 in 394 at-bats) with a solid changeup, but unless his overall command improves he might fit best in the bullpen.
After signing for $700,000 as a 23rd-round pick in 2007, Britton blew out his elbow eight games into his pro career and needed Tommy John surgery. The Red Sox handled him carefully this year, limiting him to no more than five innings per start, yet that was enough for him to show dominant stuff at times. Britton's fastball sits at 92-94 mph and features good sink. He also has a big-breaking curveball that he can throw for strikes, and a changeup that has the makings of becoming a solid pitch. He throws strikes from a clean high three-quarters delivery and pitches beyond his limited pro experience. "He had one of the best breaking balls in the league," Mikulik said. "He has a great idea of sequence. He may have been the best pitcher in the league at setting up hitters. He throws three pitches for strikes and adds and subtracts from his pitches really well. There's a lot to like about that young man."