John Danks Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1503
ERA	4.377
WHIP	1.347
BB/9	2.94
SO/9	6.599

Full name John William Danks
Born 04/15/1985 in Austin, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Round Rock
Debut 04/08/2007
Drafted in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2003 (signed for $2,100,000).

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Danks has passed Florida's Andrew Miller as the top high school lefthander in the draft and could be the first southpaw drafted, unless a team prefers a college player and opts for Mississippi State's Paul Maholm. Danks threw in the mid-80s last summer, but created a lot of buzz early this year when he kept hitting 93-94 mph and showing a picture-perfect delivery. He hasn't quite maintained that combination of velocity and mechanics, but he has sat at 88-92 and showed a power curveball at times. He has decent but not overwhelming size at 6-foot-2 and room to grow at 175 pounds. He's one of three premium prospects at Round Rock High, the nation's No. 1-ranked team, along with righthander Matt Nachreiner and shortstop/righthander Travis Schlichting.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Throughout his career, Danks has been one of the youngest pitchers in his league and has started off each new stop by struggling against older competition. But every year, he makes adjustments, masters the level and advances to the next challenge. After he stumbled to a 7.15 ERA in April at Double-A Frisco, he went 4-0, 2.70 in his next eight starts to earn a promotion. He posted a 5.90 ERA in his first eight starts at Triple-A Oklahoma, then rallied to turn in a 2.32 ERA in his final six. Because he's lefthanded and has a deeper and more consistent repertoire, he has passed the other members of the DVD trio (Edinson Volquez, Thomas Diamond) to become the top pitching prospect in the system. The ninth overall pick in the 2003 draft, Danks comes from an athletic family. His father John played basketball at Texas, younger brother Jordan is a sophomore outfielder for the Longhorns and a possible first-rounder in the 2008 draft, and younger sister Emily is a standout high school volleyball player. Danks offers a rare package for a 21-year-old lefthander, with a polished three-pitch mix and a track record of success up through Triple-A. His tight 1-to-7 curveball rated as his best pitch coming out of high school, but since then his tumbling changeup has also become a plus offering. His changeup is now more reliable than his curveball. He also has a four-seam fastball that sits at 90-92 mph and tops out at 94. Danks added a two-seam version in 2006 to help him widen the strike zone. He has a clean arm action from a high-three-quarters slot and does a good job repeating his easy delivery. Danks has started to fill out his durable, athletic frame, and he could add a little more velocity. His baseball IQ is outstanding, and he has a better feel for pitching than most hurlers his age. He does a good job of holding runners, as nine of 21 basestealers (43 percent) were caught on his watch in 2006. At this point, it's just a matter of fine-tuning for Danks. He still needs to command his fastball better, because while he can throw it for strikes at any time, he gets punished sometimes when he leaves it up in the zone. His fastball is firm but not overpowering, so he needs to get ahead with it early in the count. Danks' command of his curveball comes and goes, though his changeup often bails him out. He'll need a more consistent curve in order to reach his ceiling as a No. 2 starter. There was some sentiment that Danks could have started 2006 in the big leagues, but the Rangers were determined not to rush him and will continue to be patient. He'll have a chance to force his way into the big league rotation during spring training, but the more likely scenario is a return to Triple-A and a midseason debut in the majors. Once he settles in, Danks should pitch at or near the front of the Texas rotation for years to come.
Danks comes from an athletic family. His father John played basketball at Texas; younger brother Jordan, a slugging outfielder, could have been a 2005 first-round pick if he hadn't committed strongly to the Longhorns; and younger sister Emily is a star volleyball player. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2003 draft, John signed for $2.1 million. Danks' best pitch is a plus curveball that's devastating against lefthanders. He can sneak his 87-93 mph fastball in on the hands of righties, and should pick up velocity as he fills out. He has good feel for his changeup, which the Rangers had him emphasize last year to further its development. He has a free, easy delivery and has improved his leverage from a high three-quarters arm slot. He shows poise beyond his age. Not only would getting stronger give Danks more fastball, it also would help him avoid a late-season fade like he had in 2005. En route to a career-high 156 innings, he went 2-8, 6.46 in the final two months. He needs to continue to develop his changeup and avoid leaving his fastball up in the zone. Danks figures to start 2006 back in Double-A, with a Triple-A promotion likely and a September callup to Texas possible. He looks like a safe bet to develop into a No. 3 starter, and he has a ceiling of a No. 2.
Danks wasn't good enough to make the roster for scout Randy Taylor's Area Code Games team as a high school junior in 2002. A year later, Taylor and the Rangers drafted him with the ninth overall pick. His younger brother Jordan, an outfielder, is a top prospect for the 2005 draft. Danks has excellent athletic ability and has grown much stronger since Taylor cut him. He throws his fastball at 87-92 mph and projects to throw as hard as 90-95 in the future. His hammer curveball has excellent bite and is the best in the system. The Rangers took away Danks' curveball in spring training to make him work on his changeup, and while it made significant progress, it's still his third pitch. He showed good stuff after a promotion to high Class A Stockton, but he left too many pitches over the plate. He needs to handle in-game adversity better. Danks' spring will determine whether he's pushed to Double-A or returns to the California League.
Danks went 10-3, 1.61 with 173 strikeouts in 100 innings to lead Round Rock High to the nation's top prep ranking for much of last spring. His father John Sr. helped the University of Texas to the 1978 NIT basketball championship, and his younger brother Jordan is an outfielder at Round Rock and potential first-rounder in 2006. John signed for $2.1 million. He impresses scouts with his effortless and repeatable delivery, which allows him to work consistently around the strike zone with three pitches. His fastball sits in the 89-92 mph range and he touches 93-94 at times. He displays an advanced feel for his knee-buckling curveball. Danks put in extra work on his changeup in instructional league. He's learning to maintain his arm speed on the pitch and has the aptitude to develop it into an effective third offering. The Rangers prefer college prospects in the first round, but Danks' poise and polish made him irresistible. After a heavy workload last year, he'll be limited to 120 innings in 2004, starting in low Class A Clinton.

Minor League Top Prospects

If Texas had completed an offseason trade for Josh Beckett, Danks likely would have headed to Florida. The Rangers don't regret hanging on to the ninth overall pick in the 2003 draft, as Danks established himself as their top prospect. He struggled in his initial taste of the PCL but learned from his mistakes and posted a 2.32 ERA over his last six starts. Danks made significant strides thanks to the development of his changeup, which the Rangers have had him focus on for the last two seasons. The changeup helps him get righthanders out, while his plus curveball baffles lefties. He also has learned to pitch off his low-90s fastball more effectively. "He took his lumps at times, but I like the overall package, including his age," Boulanger said. "His curveball has a good tight spin, but it wasn't much of a factor. His changeup bailed him out. His fastball has a good angle and he learned how to work it better and better as the season went on."
Like Jimenez, Danks returned to the TL after getting knocked around there in the second half of the 2005 season there in 2005. He's also a repeater on this list, moving up from No. 11 after excelling for two months prior to a promotion to Triple-A. Danks' pure arm strength doesn't compare to that of teammates like Hurley and Thomas Diamond, but he has two things they don't have: He's lefthanded and has a tremendous feel for pitching. He competes hard and always keeps his composure Danks' fastball touches 92-93 mph and he commands it well, and his curveball and changeup have developed to the point where they each received mention as his best pitch. He gets in trouble when he leaves his pitches up or doesn't have fine command in the strike zone.
After putting up a 5.24 ERA in the California League during the second half of 2004, Danks returned with a vengeance. He showed improved command and a more mature approach to pitching while never allowing more than three earned runs in any start. Danks added to his fastball and now has plus velocity for a lefthander, sitting in the low 90s with good control. His plus-plus curveball is a true out pitch against both lefthanders and righthanders, and his changeup continues to make strides. He's comfortable delivering any of his pitches at any point in the count. "He's always grouped with Diamond and Volquez because they've played together all year," an NL scout said. "But people need to realize that he's playing with them and he's two years younger. He could easily end up the best of the three."
Danks got knocked around in his first exposure to Double-A hitters, but his composure and maturity on the mound still were impressive, particularly for a 20-year-old. He has plenty of fastball, especially for a lefthander, touching 94 mph with Frisco. But it's his curveball that sets him apart as a prospect. It's an out pitch and already allows him to dominate lefthanders, who hit just .222 against him in the TL (compared to .322 for righthanders). The main thing Danks had to learn after moving up was how to work more experienced hitters. In high school and at lower levels, he overwhelmed them with his stuff, but Frisco manager Darryl Kennedy said Danks discovered he couldn't do that in Double-A. He started to figure out how to set up hitters.
The ninth overall pick in the 2003 draft, Danks earned a midseason promotion to Stockton after blowing through the low Class A Midwest League. He wasn't as sharp afterward because he got tired in his first full pro season, but his raw talent was clear to those that saw him pitch. "When you consider the fact that he's facing batters 3-5 years older than he is," one scout said, "he's really doing pretty well." Danks features a low-90s fastball and a biting breaking ball that another scout called "as good a curve as you'll find in a young lefty." His changeup is still in development but projects as a plus pitch. Danks' command can be spotty at times, and he needs to work on adding deception to his offspeed pitches. At times, he seemed to get riled by questionable umpiring calls or poor defensive support.
The Rangers desperately need rotation help, and Danks may deliver sooner than expected after going ninth overall in the 2003 draft. He pitched well beyond his 19 years in the MWL, a stay that lasted just two months before he was deemed ready for high Class A. Managers and scouts loved his stuff, command and poise. His biting curveball is a strikeout pitch, and he sets it up with a lively 89-92 mph fastball and a developing changeup. His lean, athletic build allows him to repeat his delivery and locate his pitches wherever he desires. "I love that guy," Cedar Rapids manager Bobby Magallanes said. "He has a chance to be a No. 1 or 2 starter in the big leagues. He throws three pitches for strikes, and they're all plus pitches."