Drafted in the 13th round (392nd overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2005.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
No Reds pitcher made a bigger leap in 2009 than Ondrusek, who went from being a starting pitcher fighting for a minor league roster spot to a reliever on the cusp of a big league job. Thanks to his 6-foot-7 frame, he always has seemed to be right on top of hitters, but before last season his assortment of pitches never really worked. In spring training, the Reds found that his mediocre 87-91 mph fastball as a starter became a 92-94 mph heater that touches 96 out of the bullpen. More important, he also perfected a cut fastball that quickly turned him into an entirely different pitcher. After he had struggled trying to mix his pitches in the past, Cincinnati had him focus on throwing fastballs and cutters. While his cutter has only a little late movement, it's enough to ensure plenty of weak contact. Ondrusek allowed only one home run in 72 innings and got nearly two groundouts for every flyout. Though 2009 was the first time he spent any appreciable time above Class A, Ondrusek did enough to earn a spot on the 40-man roster. He'll head to spring training with a chance to earn a spot in Cincinnati's bullpen.
Download our app
Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone