Brad Brach Stats & Scouting Report

IP	552
ERA	3.554
WHIP	1.339
BB/9	4.304
SO/9	9.603

Full name Brad Brach
Born 04/12/1986 in Freehold, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Monmouth
Debut 08/31/2011
Drafted in the 42nd round (1,275th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2008.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Brach's amazing journey from a 42nd-round pick who signed for $1,000 to a dominating minor league closer culminated in an Aug. 31 callup to San Diego. He set a California League record with 41 saves in 2010 and has converted 112 of 120 save chances (93 percent) in the minors with a sparkling 7.3 K-BB ratio. Brach works quickly and pitches from a three-quarters arm slot, pumping a heavy 92-93 mph fastball that reaches 95. His velocity has climbed dramatically since 2009, when he sat mostly at 88-90 with Fort Wayne. Brach throws across his body and short-arms the ball from the extreme third-base side of the rubber, providing a difficult look for righthanders. Batters from both sides of the plate saw Brach well in the big leagues, where he got touched for a .300 average. To remedy his problems he'll need to improve the quality of his short, low-80s slider or his splitter. Unless he can better his performance versus lefties, Brach probably fits best in middle relief.
A nondescript starter for Monmouth for four years, Brach signed for $1,000 as a 42nd-round pick in 2008. Installed as closer for the Padres' Arizona League club in his debut, Brach embarked on an incredible three-year run during which he's saved 78-of-83 opportunities, while pitching to a 1.90 ERA and a ridiculous 7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Brach set a California League record with 41 saves in 2010, while also placing second among relievers in opponent average (.207) and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.1). He's done it all using almost exclusively a 92-94 mph fastball with tailing action. Fearless, Brach works quickly and attacks the bottom half of the strike zone. His velocity has climbed steadily each season, up from the high 80s in 2009 to a peak of 96 mph last season. Brach has no real go-to secondary pitch. He shows a good splitter in bullpen sessions, but his slider is generic. At 24, Brach was considerably older than the average Cal League player last season, and he didn't exactly overpower batters in the Arizona Fall League, striking out just four over 13 innings. He'll be tested in Double-A in 2011.