Waldis Joaquin Stats & Scouting Report

IP	21
ERA	5.571
WHIP	1.857
BB/9	7.286
SO/9	7.286

Full name Waldis Joaquin
Born 12/25/1986 in La Vega, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 08/04/2009

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Scouts sat on the edge of their seats as Joaquin threw consistent 96-97 mph gas in Cactus League games last spring. His stuff was good enough to overcome command issues in Double-A and earn him big league callups in August and September. Three years earlier, he had missed the entire 2006 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Joaquin just rares back and throws the ball, usually sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball. He's wild in the strike zone and lacks the location to set up hitters inside and out, something he'll have to address to miss bats in the big leagues. His hard slider has plus action, and he's working to add a power two-seam fastball to his repertoire. Joaquin got so predictable in his patterns--first-pitch fastball, followed by a slider--that Connecticut manager Dave Machemer had him watch tape of closers such as Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Papelbon to see how they worked hitters. Joaquin's pure stuff could allow him to force his way into the San Francisco bullpen if he throws enough strikes in spring training. His inconsistency likely will make him more of a sixth- or seventhinning option than a future set-up man or closer.
Joaquin had Tommy John surgery in his past, his delivery looks stiff and he takes longer than most pitchers to work himself into shape in the spring. But by the end of each year, he's usually throwing some of the nastiest stuff in the system. Joaquin did it again in 2008, looking uninspired for long stretches in Augusta but throwing gas for San Jose in the California League playoffs. He hit 97 mph in a dominant performance against Stockton, and he can sit at 93-95 when he's at the top of his game. Joaquin's slider is a plus pitch and his changeup is effective enough that club officials haven't ruled out developing him as a starter. He would have to improve his control, though, and his quickest route to the big leagues is in short relief. If he's paired with a catcher who prods him to throw inside, he has a chance to dominate at any level. Joaquin loses focus if he isn't challenged, so the Giants could assign him to Double-A or higher if he shows determination this spring.
Joaquin missed all of 2006 after Tommy John surgery, but upon returning to the mound he didn't take long to show the Giants that he still had his electric stuff. On Sept. 9, Joaquin threw six shutout innings, allowed just two hits and struck out seven as Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City in a Northwest League playoff game. And he did it all with a strict limit of 70 pitches. Joaquin made 15 appearances for the Volcanoes during the regular season and showed improvement each time out. By the end, he was throwing an easy 95-mph fastball along with a power slider--the stuff that made him such an intriguing prospect two years earlier. San Francisco believes Joaquin could become a frontline starter, though like most young pitchers, he's prone to overthrowing and flying open with his shoulder. Like many Tommy John survivors, he struggled with command in his first season back. His changeup has a long ways to go as well. Though it'll be a few years before he would arrive in the majors, the Giants are ecstatic at the progress Joaquin made in 2007 and want to see how he holds up in full-season ball this year.
After Joaquin posted a 1.61 ERA in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2004, the Giants highly anticipated his U.S. debut. They weren't disappointed, as he helped their Rookie-level Arizona League affiliate win a championship. Joaquin has an electric arm and one of the highest ceilings in the organization. His lightning arm speed yields consistent mid-90s fastballs, and in his final outing of the year he hit 98 eight times while striking out eight of the 10 batters he faced. He also throws a hard slider that reaches the upper 80s and has some depth, though it needs more consistency. Giants officials try to temper expectations for Joaquin by pointing out that he's still much more of a thrower than a pitcher at this point. His arm action and delivery need plenty of work to become more fluid and reduce the effort he puts into each pitch. Like all teenagers, he needs experience, and his changeup is very rudimentary. Joaquin is raw enough that a jump to full-season ball this year might be asking too much. If he makes significant progress with his offseason drills and throwing program, however, he could make the leap to low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

A Dominican making his U.S. debut, Joaquin worked in a tandem-starter system for the Giants, alternating between starting and relieving. He was brilliant in his final outing of the year, touching 98 mph eight times and striking out eight of the 10 batters he faced. "He's just learning to pitch," Giants manager Bert Hunter said. "But he's got a very live arm and the ball jumps out of his hand." In addition to his fastball, which was a steady 95 mph most of the year, Joaquin threw his slider at 88-89, giving him two above-average pitches. He still has a lot to learn about pitching, however, particularly in terms of developing a changeup.