Dustin Driver
| IP | 107 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.224 |
| WHIP | 1.963 |
| BB/9 | 7.065 |
| SO/9 | 5.888 |
- Full name Dustin Charles Driver
- Born 10/11/1994 in Federal Way, WA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Wenatchee
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Drafted in the 7th round (221st overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2013 (signed for $500,000).
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While most prospects from Washington typically come from the west, Driver is from the middle of the state in Wenatchee, known as the Apple Capital of the World. Driver put himself on the map the summer before his junior year when he touched 92 mph at the Area Code Games, and he went into last summer's showcase circuit as one of the top prep pitchers in the country. This spring, though, his stock has dropped a little bit. Scouts like Driver's strong build and bulldog makeup at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and he gave up a promising football career to focus on pitching. They also like his fastball, which sits in the 90-93 mph range and has been up to 96 this spring. Some wonder if he has the stuff to be a starter in pro ball because his secondary stuff lags behind his fastball. He throws a slider, curveball and changeup, all of which are inconsistent. The slider is better than the curveball, and he showed some flashes of the changeup being a solid pitch. Though Driver has committed to UCLA, he is considered signable in the top three rounds.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Athletics have gotten precious little return on the $500,000 they invested in Driver in 2013, but his arm strength and big league body keep him on the radar. Driver never pitched in an official game in 2014 thanks to a variety of maladies. The A's felt he tried to add too much muscle during the 2013-14 offseason, which led to a series of nagging back problems, and a bad bout with the flu didn't help matters. Driver struggled in his return to game action last season at low Class A Beloit and short-season Vermont, but the A's felt better after he had a good showing in instructional league. Driver's stuff is undeniable. He works in the mid-90s with his fastball and can reach 99 mph. His secondary pitches need more development, but he can spin a tight slider and get some sink on his changeup. He just has to learn how and when to use them. The A's worked to get his drop-and-drive delivery more on-line to the plate, and he showed a better comfort level with it during the fall. He'll get another crack at Beloit in 2016. -
Driver gave up football to focus solely on pitching after his sophomore year at Wenatchee High, and he looked poised to be one of the elite high school arms in the 2013 draft class after a strong showing at the 2012 Area Code Games. His stock dropped in the spring leading up to the draft, though, and he wasn't taken until the seventh round by the Athletics. Oakland still had to spend $500,000 to keep Driver from going to UCLA, his bonus matching Ryon Healy's and Bobby Wahl's as the third-largest in the A's draft class. Driver has physicality and a short arm action that helps his plus fastball jump on hitters. His heater sits in the low 90s and touches 96-97. His secondary stuff involves plenty of projection. He has focused on a curveball as a pro, shelving his slider, and both his curve and changeup are inconsistent, flashing average. The A's worked on straightening out his delivery after signing him, treating his stint in the Rookie-level Arizona League as a sort of spring training after he'd had a seven-week layoff before signing. Driver has solid upside, but he needs a lot of innings. He'll stay in extended spring training to start 2014, followed by an assignment to short-season Vermont.
Draft Prospects
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While most prospects from Washington typically come from the west, Driver is from the middle of the state in Wenatchee, known as the Apple Capital of the World. Driver put himself on the map the summer before his junior year when he touched 92 mph at the Area Code Games, and he went into last summer's showcase circuit as one of the top prep pitchers in the country. This spring, though, his stock has dropped a little bit. Scouts like Driver's strong build and bulldog makeup at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and he gave up a promising football career to focus on pitching. They also like his fastball, which sits in the 90-93 mph range and has been up to 96 this spring. Some wonder if he has the stuff to be a starter in pro ball because his secondary stuff lags behind his fastball. He throws a slider, curveball and changeup, all of which are inconsistent. The slider is better than the curveball, and he showed some flashes of the changeup being a solid pitch. Though Driver has committed to UCLA, he is considered signable in the top three rounds.
