Dan Denham
| IP | 999 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.748 |
| WHIP | 1.489 |
| BB/9 | 3.802 |
| SO/9 | 6.306 |
- Full name Daniel Christopher Denham
- Born 12/24/1982 in Antioch, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Deer Valley
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Drafted in the 1st round (17th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2001 (signed for $1,860,000).
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Armed with a 94-96 mph fastball, Denham has emerged as the cream of the crop in Northern California, not to mention as one of the top high school pitchers in nation. In addition to maintaining his low- to mid-90s velocity deep into games, he has a hard-biting curveball that's among the best in the country. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander is noted for his competitiveness on the mound. He manages to throw on a downward plane with good command, though he'll catch the middle of the plate too frequently. Denham is part of Pepperdine's strong recruiting class, but reportedly prefers to start his pro career.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Denham was the first of four Indians first-rounders in 2001, signing for a $1.86 million bonus. Cleveland also signed Denham's younger brother Jason as an outfielder in the 13th round of the 2004 draft. Dan's development path has been frustrating at times, but he shows enough for scouts and club officials to maintain high expectations for his future. On his way up the ladder, Denham has needed to repeat each full-season level along the way. He had a tendency to overthrow early in his pro career, but he has good body control and a clean, compact delivery now. His fastball typically is clocked in the low 90s and peaked at 94 last season. Improving his cut fastball once again has elevated his prospect status. He still lacks deception, however, which was one of the main problems in Triple-A. With the addition of his cutter, Denham's arsenal of an above-average fastball, average curveball and slider is that much more dangerous. His changeup isn't effective, which could mean he'll wind up in the bullpen. He'll head back to Buffalo for 2006. -
Denham was the top pick in Cleveland's pitching-rich 2001 draft class, signing for what was then a club-record $1.86 million bonus. His brother Jason, who also attends Deer Valley High, is an outfielder who attended the Area Code Games last summer and will be eligible for the 2004 draft. While Dan's development has been slow, the Indians remain high on him. His only extended success came when he repeated low Class A last year, and he tailed off following a promotion. He went 3-0, 1.49 in his final six starts for Kinston. When he first signed, Denham tended to overthrow, but he has settled down and learned to pitch at 90- 93 mph with his fastball. He's durable and competitive. His reworked delivery is strong and compact, though it can get mechanical and lacks deception. Denham did a better job of throwing strikes last year, but still needs to refine his curveball, slider and changeup. He also can improve at locating his fastball on both sides of the plate. Denham will return to high Class A to start 2004. -
Denham's $1.86 million bonus in 2001 was the largest the Indians gave a draft pick until Jeremy Guthrie received $3 million last year. Though his numbers weren't overwhelming, Denham had a huge year in 2002 in terms of acclimating himself to the pro game. He went through some challenging times and grew mentally. There are still some mechanical issues he needs to address in order to repeat his delivery. He's not all over the place but he needs to improve his command. His fastball ranges from 91-93 mph, with occasional bursts to 94. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup. He must refine his changeup to develop a weapon against lefthanders, who hit .314 against him last year. Denham also needs to make continued mental adjustments, such as learning how to take errors made behind him in stride. He'll move up a level to high Class A this year. -
Denham was the first of five high school pitchers the Indians selected in the first four rounds of the 2001 draft. He signed in time to make eight starts at Rookie-level Burlington, and while his numbers there weren't great, he still impressed managers enough to be rated the Appalachian League's best pitching prospect. He has great natural ability and arm strength. He threw 95 mph in high school, with plus life and sink on his fastball, and showed a power breaking ball. He's also developing a changeup. All three of his pitches have a chance to be well above average. He's very athletic and has shown a lot of intensity plus the ability to make adjustments. Denham has no major shortcomings. He lacks experience, but that will take care of itself. He's also a little inconsistent with his delivery, which is normal for a pitcher his age. He'll follow a similar course to the one the Indians used with the last California high school pitcher they drafted in the first round: C.C. Sabathia. In his second year, Sabathia started six games at short-season Mahoning Valley before moving to Columbus. Denham likely will head straight to low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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His teammate J.D. Martin received most of the media attention this season, yet managers were most impressed with Denham. Though he's not as polished as Martin, Denham was drafted ahead of him in the first round and displayed the league's best combination of raw power and pitching prowess. He owns a live, explosive arm with an easy delivery that doesn't require maximum effort to produce dominating results. Every manager liked how smoothly the ball came out of his hand before exploding on its way to the plate. After clocking as high as 98 mph prior to the draft, Denham's fastball displayed a comfort zone in the 92-95 mph range. He also showed the ability to reach back for a little extra heat in tough situations. "He is a pure power pitcher who is working on his command," Burlington manager Rouglas Odor said. "He is a little wild right now, but he also can throw his curveball and changeup. He has all the tools to be a great one."
