Josh Geer Stats & Scouting Report

IP	129
ERA	5.302
WHIP	1.372
BB/9	2.233
SO/9	4.884

Full name Joshua Brent Geer
Born 06/02/1983 in Dallas, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Rice
Debut 08/30/2008
Drafted in the 3rd round (98th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2005 (signed for $395,000).

View Draft Report

Rice may have lost three of the top eight picks in the 2004 draft off last year's pitching staff (Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend), but this year's edition is doing just fine, thank you. The Owls' team ERA (3.18) still ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders, and Geer has stepped into the No.1 spot in the rotation. He doesn't have the same power stuff as his predecessors, but he commands the strike zone with four pitches. He has an 87-89 mph fastball that tops out at 92, a plus changeup (his best pitch), a hard slider and a softer curveball. He often works backward, using his offspeed pitches to set up his hard stuff. Geer showed more velocity in junior college and during the fall, and he struggled a little down the stretch when he didn't establish his fastball enough. He wasn't drafted last year out of Navarro (Texas) Junior College after turning down the Devil Rays as a 19th-round draft-and-follow from 2003--teams decided they couldn't buy him away from Rice--but he should go in the third to fifth round this time around.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Geer became the staff ace for Rice in 2004, one year after the Owls' big three of Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend were drafted in the top eight picks. Though he doesn't have big velocity or stuff, Geer has impressed the Padres with his competitive, strike-throwing nature and steady improvement. His talents were on full display in September, when he made five major league starts and surrendered no more than two runs in any of them. A mild elbow ligament strain forced him to miss his final start, but he'll be ready for spring training. At his best, Geer features pinpoint control of a three-pitch mix, headlined by a sneaky two-seam fastball that he spots at will. He sits at 86-88 mph with good sink and keeps batters off balance with a plus changeup. In the past, he threw a slurvy breaking ball, but he tightened it into average slider last season. Because he's not overpowering, Geer has to spot all of his pitches down in the zone. With two usable offspeed pitches, he found success last year by pitching backward, helping his modest fastball velocity play up. He has pitched 162, 177 and 194 innings in the last three seasons, so durability never has been a concern. Geer is a strong candidate to nail down a spot in San Diego's rotation in spring training.
After Rice lost Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft, Geer transferred from Navarro (Texas) JC and led the Owls with 12 victories. He has continued his winning ways in the minors, going 34-14 in 21⁄2 pro seasons and taking home Texas League pitcher of the year honors in 2007 for his league-leading 16 wins and 3.20 ERA. Double-A hitters were unable to solve Geer, though his overall stuff grades as average at best. His changeup is a plus pitch and he can touch 92 mph with his fastball, but he predominantly throws 86-88 mph sinkers. He flawlessly repeats his delivery and began registering more low-90s readings in 2007 than he had in either of his first two pro seasons. Geer's slurvy curveball is usable, but he might be better served with a cutter or slider instead. Though he has no wipeout pitch, he's a competitor and strike thrower who offers a little deception and a whole lot of pitchability. He might be a fit at the back end of a rotation, and he has nothing left to prove in Double-A.
The Devil Rays made Geer a 19th-round pick in 2003 following his freshman year at Navarro (Texas) Junior College, but couldn't sign him as a draft-and-follow in 2004 and he headed on to Rice. The Owls were rebuilding arguably the best rotation in college history-- Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend led Rice to a 2003 national title and went in the top eight picks in the 2004 draft--and Geer became the ace, leading them in wins and innings. His polished four-pitch arsenal attracted the Padres, who signed him for $395,000 as a third-round pick. He works consistently in the zone with an 86-90 mph sinker. He throws both a slider and curve, and his best pitch is a deceptive changeup. Geer sat out several weeks before signing, and as a result his velocity was down and his breaking stuff wasn't nearly as sharp in his debut. Scouts are concerned they haven't seen his velocity consistently sit in the low 90s since he was at Navarro. Geer doesn't have overpowering stuff and lacks a true out pitch. He didn't miss many bats as a pro, and he may need to scrap one of his breaking pitches in order to refine the other. His slider has more promise. San Diego hopes Geer just needed the offseason to regain his stuff with rest, and will return in 2006 poised to move quickly through the system. He'll begin the year in Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

He wasn't the prettiest or the most overpowering pitcher in the league this year, but Geer was the most effective, leading the TL in wins (16) and ERA (3.20) and easily taking the league's pitcher of the year award while helping San Antonio to the league title. Geer isn't overpowering, but he pounds the strike zone and moves the ball around masterfully. He attacks hitters with two- and four-seam fastballs, a plus changeup and a plus curveball, all of which come with the same arm speed and from the same window. He changes speeds and pitches to contact, which keeps his pitch counts low and allowed him to pile up 177 total innings (including one July start in Triple-A), which ranked fifth in the minors. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter who will have to hit his spots and keep the ball down. "You just have to put the radar gun away when he's on the mound," Clark said. "He just competes and makes pitches."