Tony Watson Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Anthony Michael Watson
Born 05/30/1985 in Sioux City, IA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 224 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Nebraska
Debut 06/08/2011
Drafted in the 9th round (278th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007 (signed for $85,000).

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One of the top draft-eligible sophomores in last year's draft class, Watson lasted until the Orioles took him in the 17th round because of worries about his signability. He turned down a six-figure offer after a solid summer in the Cape Cod League, and his stuff has gone backward a little this spring. His fastball has sat at 86-88 mph, down from 88-89 a year ago, and he hasn't touched the low 90s as often. He has added 13 pounds and now carries 223 on his 6-foot-4 build, so the drop in velocity is surprising. Watson still can paint the corners of the plate, in part because he's athletic and repeats his delivery. His plus changeup is his top pitch, but he hasn't thrown his slurvy slider much, and that offering still needs consistency. Watson was Iowa's top high school pitching prospect in 2003, when he threw three no-hitters and set a state record with a 0.10 ERA. But he tore his labrum before he got to colllege and redshirted during his first year at Nebraska. Coming back from major shoulder surgery earns him points for makeup. Despite his downturn as a 22-year-old junior, he still should go in the first five rounds.

Top Rankings

Watson posted a microscopic 0.10 ERA and won the Bob Feller Award as the top prep pitcher in Iowa as a high school senior. But he also tore the labrum in his shoulder, so he turned down the Marlins as a 23rd-round pick and headed to Nebraska, where he redshirted in 2004. Draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2006, he turned down a six-figure offer from the Orioles in the 17th round and then regressed last spring, signing for $85,000 as a ninth-rounder. Watson has a good feel for pitching, and he knows how to work both sides of the plate and mix his pitches. His fastball sat at 86-88 mph in 2007, a tick or two down from the previous year, and he has lost some velocity since having his labrum repaired. But it plays up because of a changeup that drops off the table. He also has a slurvy breaking ball that has its moments. Watson has to be fine with his control in order to succeed and may run into problems when he faces more advanced hitters. He'll begin this season in low Class A, where he ended 2007 on a good note, and a promotion could be on the docket at some point during the summer.