Adam Miller Stats & Scouting Report

IP	637
ERA	3.97
WHIP	1.276
BB/9	2.797
SO/9	8.633

Full name Adam Wayne Miller
Born 11/26/1984 in Plano, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mckinney
Drafted in the C-1 round (31st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2003 (signed for $1,025,000).

View Draft Report

Though most teams prefer Whitaker, Miller was making a late surge and could go ahead of him in the late first round. He has the same build (6-foot-4, 180 pounds), a better breaking ball (in his case, a hard slider) and changeup, and more overall pitchability. He doesn't throw as hard as Whitaker, but Miller generates tremendous sink on his 90-92 mph fastball. He throws it so easily that he projects to reach the mid-90s in time. Add it all up, and some scouts compare him to two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The No. 1 prospect on this list the previous four years, Miller continues to show great promise and an inability to stay healthy. His 2008 season ended in May when he had surgery on his right middle finger, and he went to the Dominican League to make up for lost time. Miller's fastball is the best in the organization, a lively 93-95 mph heater that regularly touched 97 mph in his early winter-ball outings. When he's at his best, his slider is a plus-plus 86-88 mph pitch with late break, and it too looked good in the Dominican. He also uses a two-seam fastball to get groundballs. He has a relatively stress-free delivery and good command. The only thing that has kept Miller from the majors so far is his health. He strained his elbow in 2005 and had elbow and finger issues in 2007 before missing most of the 2008 season. Some scouts feel that his arm action may continue to cause him elbow problems, as he has a high back elbow. He needs to leverage his lower half more frequently in his delivery. A starter throughout his minor league career, Miller may have to move to the bullpen for health reasons. He should compete for a big league relief role in 2009 and soon could become the dominant closer the Indians have sorely lacked in recent years.
After spending 2005 rehabbing an elbow strain, Miller bounced back in 2006 to re-establish himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the game. But his health again faltered last season, as finger and elbow woes kept him out of action for nearly two months. When he returned to Triple-A Buffalo, the Tribe kept him in the bullpen to limit his innings and closely monitored his work between outings. He went down to Double-A Akron for the Eastern League playoffs, and allowed five runs on eight hits in just six innings. Miller went to instructional league before heading to the Arizona Fall League for the second time in three seasons, again with mixed results. While Cleveland raved about his AFL stint, several scouts were less than impressed with his secondary pitches and Miller finished with a 9.00 ERA in 13 innings. When he's healthy, Miller has proven to be dominant with two plus pitches. His 93-97 mph fastball has natural late life and he works all four quadrants of the strike zone with it. His hard 86-88 mph slider can be devastating at times with late break and power. His slider is by far his best pitch. With the addition of a two-seamer, Miller also has a weapon to attack lefthanders and it has emerged as an out pitch over the last two seasons, boosting his groundball ratio in the process. His delivery is free and easy and his work ethic and makeup never have been questioned. After wanting to just blow his fastball by hitters early in his career, Miller has shown exceptional maturity, understanding the value of his secondary pitches. Miller struggled with the arm speed and location of his changeup in the AFL, and it always has lagged behind his other offerings. He made significant progress with his changeup in Double-A in 2006, but with the layoff and the move to the bullpen last year, he didn't get much opportunity to use it. While his mechanics are easily repeatable, Miller struggled to maintain his arm slot in the AFL. His arm dragged behind his body at times, elevating his pitches and leaving them lifeless, which made him extremely hittable. The Indians hope he can pitch out of the major league bullpen, but in order to do that, he's going to need to refine his pickoff move and do a better job of controlling the running game. Though his medical history is beginning to become somewhat worrisome, Miller will have the opportunity to begin 2008 in the Cleveland bullpen. The club still views him as a starter down the road, but he has the stuff to make an impact in a relief role now. How well he can stay healthy and further develop his changeup ultimately will determine his ceiling. Miller still has the arsenal of pitches and the makeup to be a legitimate frontline starter.
Miller spent 2005 essentially on a season-long rehab stint after straining an elbow ligament while long-tossing in spring training. He pitched just 71 innings and ended the year at high Class A Kinston, the same place he had lit up radar guns to the tune of 101 mph in the Carolina League playoffs in 2004. After regaining command of his slider and slowly working a changeup back into his repertoire, Miller climbed back on track in 2006 at Double-A Akron. Though he was inconsistent during the season's first two months, he finished stronger than he ever had, winning six consecutive starts through July and August, including three straight 11-strikeout performances, the last of which was Miller's first-ever nine-inning complete game. He led the organization in strikeouts and topped the Eastern League in wins, while ranking second in ERA and third in strikeouts. He stayed healthy throughout, tossing a career-high 171 innings (including the playoffs). Miller has blossomed into a potential frontline starter by becoming a more complete pitcher. The velocity on his four-seam fastball returned to 93-95 mph and he hit 98 in his final four starts, including the EL playoffs. He has added a two-seamer to change speeds on his fastball more effectively, and his changeup has emerged as a go-to pitch with good depth and late action. But Miller's best pitch remains his slider. It's back to where it was in 2004, with tilt, devastating late break and power. He throws his slider at 87-88 mph. Miller finally has come to grips with the fact that velocity isn't everything, and his ability to consistently command his offspeed stuff has him back on the fast track again. The further Miller gets away from injury, the stronger he's become. His delivery is free and easy, so there's no reason his health should be an issue down the road. He has excellent makeup, and he learned more about attacking lefthanders this season from Akron pitching coach Scott Radinsky. Miller dominated lefties, as they hit just .198 against him with twice as many groundouts as flyouts. Though his changeup grew leaps and bounds in 2006, Miller still is learning when and how to use it. His mechanics with the pitch are solid, but he still tends to want to blow hitters away with his fastball or slider. He also can do a better job of locating it. While Miller works quickly to home plate, he still needs to refine his pickoff move to hold runners more effectively. He sometimes rushes his delivery, leading to erratic command of his fastball up in the zone. Intimidating on the mound, he can let his emotions get the better of him at times in pressure situations. There isn't much left for Miller to prove in the minors. He'll battle for a big league rotation spot out of spring training, but likely will start the year at Triple-A Buffalo under manager Torey Lovullo and pitching coach Greg Hibbard--the same duo who brought him along during his breakout year in 2004. It's only a matter of time before Miller makes an impact in the major leagues.
Miller came into 2005 off a strong first full season, which he finished by not allowing an earned run in 14 innings and touching 101 mph with his explosive fastball during the high Class A Carolina League playoffs. There were whispers during spring training that he could reach Cleveland in 2005 after starting the year at Double-A Akron, paying quick dividends on the 2003 supplemental first-round pick received for the loss of Jim Thome to free agency. But those ambitious plans were put on hold two weeks into spring training when Miller was shut down with a strained ligament in his elbow after long-tossing. He didn't require surgery but lost nearly three months of development time. Miller sat out for three weeks before throwing bullpen sessions in extended spring training. He joined short-season Mahoning Valley at the end of June and was greeted rudely by opposing hitters, who touched him for a .405 average. He never gained confidence in his secondary pitches and continued to struggle after moving up to high Class A Kinston. He pitched better in the Arizona Fall League than his 5.68 ERA would indicate. When he's healthy, Miller has all the components of a frontline major league starter. Garnering comparisons to Kevin Brown and Bret Saberhagen, he features a heavy 92-97 mph fastball with great life and armside movement. Though he sat at 91-93 mph for much of 2005, his velocity increased as the season wore on. He complements his fastball with a hard-biting, 87-88 mph slider than can dominate lefties and righties alike. His changeup showed significant improvement when he used it. He has an advanced feel for pitching, combining those instincts with power stuff and moxie. Managers and scouts rave about his makeup. The health of Miller's elbow is a major concern, but he stayed healthy and didn't experience any further problems after his three-month layoff. His mechanics are usually free and easy, so they shouldn't cause him difficulty in the future. Miller's problems on the mound last year can be traced to his secondary pitches. While his slider still had its usual velocity, he lacked the command he showed with the pitch in 2004. He lacked confidence in his changeup, so hitters sat on his fastball. His ability to locate his slider and changeup improved late in the season. With all the time off, Miller developed a hitch in his delivery, dropping his lead arm. That caused him to lower his arm angle, affecting his leverage and deception, but he smoothed out the problem toward the end of the year. Though he earns points for his poise and his work ethic, Miller did get frustrated at times when things didn't go his way. Miller isn't quite on the same path he was a year ago, when he was regarded as one of the premier pitching prospects in the game. But he still has a huge ceiling and might not be much more than a season away from joining the Indians. They say he's 100 percent healthy and ready for a full season in 2006. Barring any setbacks, he'll head to Double-A to start the year and could take off from there.
Teams shied away from high school righthanders in the first round of the 2003 draft, with only Jeff Allison (Marlins, No. 16 overall) and Chad Billingsley (Dodgers, No. 24) getting picked. Miller went with the top pick of the supplemental first round, and he and Billingsley quickly have established themselves as two of the top pitching prospects in the game. A sore shoulder and strict pitch counts limited Miller in his pro debut, though he was still an easy choice as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. In 2004, his first full season, Miller elevated himself to the top of an organization strong in pitching prospects, particularly righthanders. After being promoted to high Class A Kinston, he dominated Carolina League hitters and won both his playoff starts, striking out 14 while not allowing an earned run in 12 innings. Miller didn't just seem to get stronger as the season wore on. His routine exit physical found that his rotator cuff actually had gotten stronger; something GM Mark Shapiro called "nothing short of freakish" and attributed to Miller's outstanding work ethic. Miller has all the components to develop into a frontline starter in the big leagues. Cleveland brass believes he's ahead of former Indians phenoms Jaret Wright and Bartolo Colon at the same stage of development. Miller's arsenal begins with a heavy, boring fastball that sits anywhere from 92-97 mph and occasionally threatens triple digits. His latebreaking 87-88 mph slider has blossomed into a deadly out pitch. The power break on his slider eats up lefthanders, who batted at a .221 clip against him in 2004. Miller possesses a rare combination of power, intelligence and feel for a teenager. He has an almost photographic memory in terms of recalling pitch sequences, which has helped him make adjustments from inning to inning and start to start. Miller spent extra time with coaches to break down hitters on days before his turn in the rotation. His makeup and aptitude are off the charts. Like many young power pitchers, Miller was able to overpower hitters with his two-pitch attack, but the Indians had to force him to throw his changeup more often to increase its depth and effectiveness as a third option. He made impressive strides with the changeup after working with Kinston pitching coach Greg Hibbard and continued to show improvement in instructional league. He needs to build more confidence in the pitch as he continues to move through the system. Miller has earned comparisons to two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen for his explosive fastball-slider combination as well as his moxie. Miller is on the fast track and will begin 2005 at Double-A Akron. He could reach Cleveland the following year, and it might not be much longer before he's leading the big league rotation.
The Indians used eight first-round picks on pitchers in the previous six years. Seven of those arms came from the high school ranks, including Miller, who surged into the first round with a strong finish last spring. Though a sore shoulder and strict pitch counts limited him in his pro debut, he still ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. Miller is mature for a high schooler and has a projectable power pitcher's frame. Some scouts have compared him to two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen. Miller throws strikes with a heavy, boring 90-95 mph fastball. He also has a plus slider that has touched 87 mph. Miller didn't need his changeup in high school, so the development of that pitch has lagged. At 6-foot-5 he needs to work on keeping his mechanics together and consistently repeating his delivery. His shoulder isn't a long-term concern but still raised a red flag. Miller was at his best by instructional league last fall, showing no signs of shoulder trouble. He'll move into the rotation at low Class A Lake County this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Continuing his trend of pitching exceptionally well one season only to spend most of the following year on the shelf, Miller dominated the IL in April and May and succumbed to injury afterward. He struggled with soreness in the top joint of his middle finger in mid-May and with elbow inflammation in late July. Those who saw Miller early in the year came away as impressed as ever. Seeing him early was key: Miller started just three IL games after June 25 and went 1-2, 9.64. When he was right, Miller showed easy 93-95 mph velocity on his four-seam fastball--and he touched 98--as well as his trademark low-90s sinker that bores in on righthanders. His high-80s slider with sharp, biting action and average changeup played up because of his fastball command and life, leaving batters with no choice but to sit on the fastball or the slider. After injuries struck, Miller lost the feel for his two-seamer and changeup, in particular, and he got hit around.
After missing three months with an elbow strain and putting up uninspiring numbers in 2005, Miller answered any questions this season. He struck out seven over six shutout innings in his first start and re-established himself as one of the game's best pitching prospect. The EL pitcher of the year, he led the league in wins (15) while ranking second in ERA (2.75) and third in strikeouts (157 in a career-high 154 innings). Miller has above-average command of his mid-90s fastball, and can reach back for 98-mph heat. His slider has modest break, but comes in as fast as 88 mph. He improved his changeup to where it grades as an average third pitch, and also added a two-seam fastball to his repertoire. "He became a better pitcher this season," said Altoona manager Tim Leiper, whose club faced Miller eight times. "He had better fastball command and his secondary stuff became better. His arm strength has really come back."
Miller joined Kinston in July after spending a brief stint in the short-season New York-Penn League, regaining arm strength after straining his elbow in spring training. While he wasn't the same pitcher who topped out at 101 mph in the CL playoffs in 2004, his primary goal was to get back to 100 percent. He was getting close, topping out at 96 in his final two regular-season starts after sitting at 91-94 for most of the summer. Miller struggled in his return to the league, but velocity wasn't the main culprit. He lacked the usual bite on his 87-88 mph slider, which had late diving action away from righthanders in the past. His changeup also needs work, as the Indians have focused on using it in specific situations while limiting the number he throws.
In a year dominated by high-ceiling position players, Miller made his mark with power pitching. The hardest thrower among Sally League starters, Miller regularly registered 96-97 mph on the radar gun, sitting in the 94-95 range with excellent life down in the strike zone. His hard slider and heavy heater made him especially tough on lefthanders, who batted just .221 with no home runs in 104 at-bats against him. "He was the elite arm in this league," Lakewood manager P.J. Forbes said. "We hammered him in one game when he didn't locate his stuff, but the next time we saw him he was dirty. His fastball and slider were more than plus."
Miller is a classic example of how insignificant statistics can be in the lower minors. The 31st overall pick in June, he didn't win a game in 10 starts. But he impressed opponents with his nasty slider and a sinking fastball that sat at 90-92 mph. He also kept hitters off balance with one of the Appy League's better changeups, which has excellent depth and consistency. "His composure on the mound is unbelievable," Odor said. "He looks like a major league veteran out there. His demeanor, his approach and his work ethic are as good as you'll see anywhere. He's a bulldog. His focus while making every pitch is incredible." Scouts love Miller's projectable body (6-foot-4, 180 pounds) and his feel for pitching. With added strength, experience and maturity, his easy delivery should allow him to add velocity to his fastball. "He's going to be in the big leagues very quickly," Pulaski manager Paul Elliott said. "Everything is so nice and loose, and he has a great feel for his offspeed stuff."