Brad Hand Stats & Scouting Report

IP	772
ERA	3.754
WHIP	1.256
BB/9	3.462
SO/9	9.117

Full name Bradley Richard Hand
Born 03/20/1990 in Minneapolis, MN
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 224 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Chaska
Debut 06/07/2011
Drafted in the 2nd round (52nd overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2008 (signed for $760,000).

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Hand has created a bigger sensation among scouts than any Minnesota high school prospect since Joe Mauer. He won't go at the top of the draft like Mauer did, but Hand performed very well when two dozen scouts attended his fourth start of the spring. His fastball ranged from 88-93 mph with nice life, and both his curveball and changeup flashed plus potential. Hand is an athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder who also plays football and hockey, and in baseball he doubles as a first baseman with lefty power. The biggest issues with him are his mechanics and his signability. He has violence and a head whack in his delivery, and he lands on a stiff front leg. Hand has pitched himself into third-round consideration, but that the slot bonuses in that area of the draft (roughly $275,000 to $400,000) may not be enough to lure him away from an Arizona State scholarship. The Twins usually stay on top of their homestate prospects, and they could be tempted to take him with a sandwich or second-round choice.

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A quality athlete who also played football and hockey in high school, Hand became the highest-drafted Minnesota prepster since Joe Mauer when the Marlins made him a second-round pick in 2008. He made steady progress at Jupiter last year, getting promoted to Jacksonville in time for the postseason. He spun 13 scoreless frames in the Southern League playoffs, including a seven-inning, three-hit gem in the finals. All three of Hand's pitches have plus potential, with his hard curveball the most advanced. He delivers it in the upper 70s with 11-to-4 break. The pitch bites away from lefties and he also can back-door it for strikes against righties. He has improved his command of his 91-94 mph fastball, though he needs to utilize it more frequently instead of relying too much on his curve. Florida is working to lengthen Hand's stride, which should add a little velocity to his fastball. He also needs to use his fringy changeup more often and do a better job of holding runners. The Marlins love his moxie and presence on the mound. He needs to learn to hold runners better. Hand will be one of the youngest starters in the Southern League this year at age 21. A potential No. 3 starter, he'll show Florida he's ready when he masters pitch sequences and learns how to set hitters up.
Having landed with an organization that values lefthanded pitching more than most, Hand's handedness should only speed his rise through the organization. Physical and country strong, he turned down Arizona State to sign with the Marlins for $760,000 after going early in the second round in 2008. He also played football and hockey in high school, where he showed two-way ability as a power-hitting first baseman. After pitching coordinator Wayne Rosenthal helped him make some early adjustments to what had been a stiff delivery, Hand got his fastball velocity back up to 93-94 mph last year after working at 88-91 mph in his pro debut. His 77-81 mph curveball and developing changeup also show the potential to become plus pitches. He uses a mid threequarters arm slot and must fight a tendency to drop his arm, which causes his pitches to sail and leads to too many walks. Hand managed to survive at Greensboro, which has been known to chew up pitchers, and he should head to high Class A with a full head of steam in 2010.
The best Minnesota high school prospect since Joe Mauer, Hand is a classic cold-weather pitcher with a physical, country-strong frame. He walked away from an Arizona State scholarship to sign for $760,000 after going early in the second round last June. He also played football and hockey in high school, where he doubled as a power-hitting first baseman. Marlins pitching coordinator Wayne Rosenthal worked with Hand to smooth out a violent delivery in which he would land with a stiff front leg and fly open with his front shoulder. Those adjustments have cost him velocity in the short term, but he still works at 88-91 mph and tops out at 93 with heavy life. His command improved markedly, too, allowing him to get a quick taste of short-season Jamestown at the end of his pro debut. Hand also owns the best curveball in the system, a hard downer, and his changeup gives him the chance to have three plus pitches. He throws from a mid three-quarters arm slot and must be careful not to drop his arm, lest his pitches begin to sail. He'll start his first full pro season in low Class A.