Frankie De La Cruz

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Miami Marlins #23 prospect in 2009
  Acquired from the Tigers as part of the haul from the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade, de la Cruz made it to the majors for a spot start in late May but flopped badly when he returned as a reliever. He spent the bulk of 2008 in the Triple-A rotation but still profiles as a reliever. De la Cruz's fastball clocks in at 94-96 mph and tops out at 98, but it tends to straighten out when he overthrows. His plus changeup has outstanding sink that makes it a swing-and-miss pitch, but hitters tended to avoid it during his brief exposure to the majors. Once de la Cruz finds a reliable breaking ball he could become a useful part of the big league bullpen, but that remains a work in progress. Last year, he didn't show much feel for a hard curveball that had shown the makings of a plus pitch in the past. The Marlins tried to tighten it up into a slider but he resisted their requests to use it in games. De la Cruz has a wonderful personality and solid work ethic, but it's unclear whether he'll get the most out of his big fastball. Incidentally, he prefers his given name but teammates and coaches have come to call him "Frankie," a tradition that began in Tigers camp with manager Jim Leyland.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #18 prospect in 2008
  Another piece in the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade with the Tigers, de la Cruz has spent the last three years shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. He opened 2007 as a starter in Double-A, moved up to Triple-A as a reliever and made six relief appearances for Detroit. Though he's short, de la Cruz has a big-time arm and averages 92-94 mph with his fastball, which peaks at 96. He also has an 82-85 mph changeup with terrific sinking action that takes it out of the strike zone. His third pitch is a hard curveball that is a plus pitch at times and sometimes gets confused with a slider. He also throws a cutter, and his repertoire is deep enough for him to remain a starter. But de la Cruz' command is below-average and his pitch selection can be poor, and he might just be better off working in relief and letting the ball fly. The Marlins will try to determine his best role during big league camp, where he'll get a fair chance to make the club.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #6 prospect in 2007
  Though he's short and stocky, de la Cruz has one of the biggest fastballs in the organization. He shuttled between starting and relieving in Double- A in 2006, and he was able to harness his energy more when he was in the rotation. He earned a promotion to Toledo for the Triple-A playoffs. At its best, his fastball compares favorably to those of Justin Verlander or Joel Zumaya. De la Cruz usually pitches in the mid- to high 90s and has reached 100 mph. His hard curveball is a genuine knee-buckler. Issues with control and command have put de la Cruz behind other young pitchers in the system, though he improved in those areas as a starter. His long-term role is in question because he was more effective as a reliever in 2005. His changeup can throw hitters off balance when they try to sit on his power stuff, but he doesn't have much confidence in the pitch. De la Cruz should be in Toledo this season and reach the big leagues in 2008. Though there's room in the bullpen, the Tigers may not want to jeopardize the progress he has made as a starter.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #15 prospect in 2006
  While he's not as big as Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Humberto Sanchez and most of the other hard throwers in the system, de la Cruz may have the hardest fastball of the group. He has hit 100 mph out of the bullpen. The Tigers wanted him to try to broaden his repertoire in 2005, and as he moved up to high Class A, he also moved into the rotation. Roving pitching instructor Jon Matlack wanted de la Cruz to get as much work as possible, and he used the additional innings to work on his secondary pitches. De la Cruz throws both a curveball and a changeup, and while they're solid at times, he hasn't shown he can command either pitch. He can throw his fastball for strikes and that has worked for him as a reliever, a role he returned to after 10 starts at Lakeland. He posted a 5.13 ERA in the rotation, compared to 2.11 out of the bullpen last year. De la Cruz, who pitched for Estrellas in the Dominican League over the winter, was added to the 40-man roster and will advance to Double-A for 2006, most likely as a reliever. If one of his secondary pitches improves, his projection would upgrade from setup man to closer.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #9 prospect in 2005
  West Michigan won the low Class A Midwest League championship without a can't-miss prospect on the playoff roster. De la Cruz has the best future among the Whitecaps and emerged as their closer in June. He faded in August, however, and served as a set-up man in the postseason. De la Cruz routinely blows his heater in the high 90s and occasionally touches triple digits on the radar gun. In one outing, he hit or topped 100 mph with four straight pitches. His control is good for someone this young who throws this hard. His strikeout totals aren't high because de la Cruz essentially operates with one pitch. He lacks deception in his delivery, in part because he has a small build and his pitches arrive on a flat plane. His fastball is straight and his curveball hasn't progressed as quickly as expected. The Tigers desperately need bullpen help, and de la Cruz made a positive first impression on big league manager Alan Trammell in instructional league. They could rush him, but he needs to develop a second pitch and will work on that in high Class A in 2005.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #22 prospect in 2004
  De la Cruz has pitched well the last two years in the Gulf Coast League but has been hammered in brief stints in the New York-Penn League. He enjoyed being thrust into the closer's role in 2003, excelling thanks to his fastball. He hits 96 mph consistently and made strides last season in terms of getting ahead in the count with his heater. He also has a good feel for pitching and the competitive nature needed to finish games. De la Cruz has the makings of a good breaking ball, though it has only intermittent success at this early stage of his development. He needs to refine his secondary pitches and his command. Because he's short, he's at a disadvantage because his fastball comes at hitters on a flat plane. He showed enough last year that he may begin 2004 in low Class A.