Andrew Bailey
| IP | 274 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.12 |
| WHIP | 1.106 |
| BB/9 | 2.989 |
| SO/9 | 9.066 |
- Full name Andrew Scott Bailey
- Born 05/31/1984 in Voorhees, NJ
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Wagner
- Debut 04/06/2009
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Drafted in the 6th round (188th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2006 (signed for $135,000).
View Draft Report
New York's most intriguing college player is Wagner righthander Andrew Bailey, whose workload this spring was limited because he was recovering from his May 2005 Tommy John surgery. Prior to breaking down last year, Bailey had garnered fifth- to 10th-round interest thanks to his power arm, and his velocity has climbed back to the 92-93 mph range, touching 94 now and then. Bailey relies on a heavy fastball with good boring action, and his curveball has good depth, but he tends to leave both pitches over the middle of the plate too much and has seemed tentative with his curve and changeup since returning from his injury. Scouts still have concerns about Bailey's violent delivery and tendency to overthrow, but he has enough arm strength and tenacity on the mound to make him stand out in a weak New York crop.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The A's considered drafting Bailey in 2005 until he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. His stuff bounced back the next spring, when Oakland nabbed him in the sixth round. He progressed nicely as a starter until he got to Double-A in 2008, then flourished when he shifted to a relief role in late June. Coming out of the bullpen, he posted a 0.92 ERA (compared to 6.18 in the Midland rotation) and a 41-11 K-BB ratio in 39 innings (compared to a 69-45 K-BB in 71 innings). He carried over his bullpen success to the Arizona Fall League, where he had a 1.29 ERA and a 16-1 K-BB mark in 14 innings. Bailey now is in position to win a role in the A's bullpen in 2009, perhaps even to start the season. His success comes from the outstanding cutting action he gets on his 88-95 mph fastball, which he throws to both sides of the plate. It eats up both lefthanders and righthanders. Bailey scrapped the two-seamer he had been working with as a starter and focused more on his cutting fastball, which he complements with a hard curveball and an occasional changeup. He throws across his body, which puts some excess strain on his arm but also helps create the natural movement on his fastball. -
The A's nearly drafted Bailey in 2005 before he was shut down with an elbow injury and needed Tommy John surgery. When he returned and showed his normal low-90s fastball the next spring, Oakland popped him in the sixth round and signed him for $135,000. In his first full pro season, he averaged 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings and made a one-game cameo in Triple-A. Strong and physical, Bailey goes right after hitters with his 90-93 mph fastball, topping out at 95. He's shown the ability to cut it, sink it or run it when he wants, with 60 command on the 20-80 scouting scale. He also features a power spike curveball that he'll throw in any count. Nearly three years removed from surgery, he has worked hard to improve his durability and to maintain his velocity and the sharpness of his curveball late into games. Bailey's changeup still needs major improvement so he'll have a useful weapon against lefthanders. He slows down his arm speed too much when he throws the changeup, and he had trouble commanding it in 2007. His delivery isn't ideal, as he still throws somewhat across his body and struggles with finding his release point at times. Bailey will work on developing his changeup in Double-A. If he can't, he'll be destined for the bullpen. But if he can, he'll profile as a durable innings-eater. -
Bailey was another strong arm with an atypical background whom the A's added in the 2006. He's a raw Northeasterner who was having a fine college career, racking up impressive strikeout totals, when he had Tommy John surgery in May 2005. The A's were scouting him and might have drafted him in 2005 if they had been able to get him crosschecked prior to the surgery. Bailey returned to the mound in time to build momentum for the 2006 draft and recover his fastball velocity. Signed for $135,000, he has been able to overpower righthanders with his fastball so far. His heater has life, particularly with its arm-side run, and he isn't afraid to pitch inside with it. The pitch sits in the low 90s and touches 93 mph, and he uses it aggressively. His ERA would have ranked second in the Northwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. His curveball and changeup came and went in his pro debut, and maintaining consistency with those pitches--difficult to project because of his less-than-smooth delivery and mechanics--will be the key to whether he can remain in a rotation. Bailey will have a chance to earn a spot in the high Class A rotation out of spring training.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Bailey had Tommy John surgery while in college but has made up for lost time, succeeding at two Class A levels in his first full season in 2007 and throwing in eight innings of one-run ball in a Triple-A cameo. A thick workhorse built along the lines of Joe Blanton and Brad Penny, Bailey has a chance to have three average-or-better pitches. Bailey continued to wrack up strikeouts in his second professional season with a low-90s fastball made even more explosive by its late life. Bailey hides the ball well with a deceptive delivery and likes to work up in the zone with the fastball and complement it with an effective 12-to-6 curveball that still has room to be tighter. Bailey has an 89-93 mph fastball and its heavy sink and boring action make it even tougher on hitter. He has a hard 12-to-6 curveball and a changeup that's deceptive despite being a bit too firm at 85-87 mph. There's some effort and head tilt in his delivery, which makes it difficult for him to hold his stuff into the late innings, which could make him a setup man. -
Bailey's workload at Wagner this spring was limited as he recovered from May 2005 Tommy John surgery, but the Athletics saw enough power stuff to draft him in the sixth round. He was very impressive in his pro debut despite his 2-5 record, and he would have ranked second in the NWL in ERA if he hadn't fallen three innings shy of qualifying. With a big, physical frame that invites comparisons to Joe Blanton, Bailey could develop into a workhorse as he gets further away from his surgery. His heavy sinker bores in on righthanders at 91-93 mph and touches 94-95. He also has a solid-average 11-to-5 curveball with good rotation and depth, and a developing changeup that could become an average pitch if he learns to command it more consistently. Bailey has an aggressive approach but remains more of a thrower than a pitcher. He struggles to repeat his arm path and delivery, which has a lot of moving parts, making it difficult for him to command the strike zone and execute his pitches. He sometimes gets distracted and tries to pitch too quickly with speedsters on the basepaths.
