Aaron Miller

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #27 prospect in 2013
  The Rockies drafted Miller as an outfielder in the 11th round out of high school in 2006, but he didn't sign and headed to Baylor, where he continued to focus on hitting through his first two years. He got back on the mound as a junior and landed an $889,200 bonus as the Dodgers' top pick in the 2009 draft. He has battled injuries since signing, most notably a torn muscle in his abdomen that required surgery in 2011, but got through the full season healthy last year, encouraging club officials. The discouraging news is that the 91-94 mph velocity he featured in college hasn't come back. His velocity varied last season, as he could pitch at 90-92 mph with tailing action at times, while at others his fastball sat at 86-89. He has a pair of average secondary pitches in his slider and changeup. Los Angeles hopes he'll recover some of his velocity, but Miller has had to make do with becoming more reliant on command and pitchability. He has a good pitcher's frame, his arm works well and he does show a feel for pitching, but with his current stuff his command will have to become above average if he's going to pitch in the majors. His ceiling may not be more than a back-of-the-rotation starter at this point, and the Dodgers didn't bother to protect him on their 40-man roster this offseason. He's likely to return to the Chattanooga rotation to open 2013.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #16 prospect in 2012
  Miller and Shawn Tolleson were part of the same Baylor recruiting class, which Baseball America ranked as college baseball's best in 2006. At that point, Miller was more highly regarded as a hitter and the Rockies drafted him as an outfielder in the 11th round. Miller spent most of his first two college seasons in the outfield before becoming a two-way player in 2009, when he pitched his way into the sandwich round. He signed for $889,200 bonus as the Dodgers' top pick that June. Miller had a strong first full season in 2010, despite his fastball dropping to 87-91 mph, but injuries prevented him from building on it. He didn't make his first start until late May and tried to pitch through pain with what turned out to be a sports hernia that wasn't diagnosed until late in the season. His fastball fell another tick to 86-90 mph and he also had trouble finishing his delivery and spinning his slider. In the past, Miller has shown the makings of a mid-rotation starter with a low- 90s fastball and a slider with true plus potential. He also has displayed feel for a changeup with sink. Not surprisingly for an inexperienced pitcher, he needs to do a better job of maintaining his arm slot and commanding his pitches. Miller didn't have surgery until late in the year, so Los Angeles will assess his progress in spring training. He would have pitched in Double-A last year if healthy and will head there once he's back at full strength.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #13 prospect in 2011
  Though he was also a highly rated pitching prospect in high school, Miller was drafted as an outfielder by the Rockies in the 11th round in 2006 and played outfield almost exclusively during his first two years at Baylor. He became a two-way player as a junior and pitched his way into the sandwich round, earning an $889,200 bonus as the Dodgers' top 2009 pick. Miller would have won the California League ERA title last year if he had enough innings there to qualify, but he got a six-start trial at Double-A at midseason before being sent back to Inland Empire. Miller was able to hit 93-94 mph when he signed, but his velocity dipped into the 87-91 range last year. Los Angeles wasn't too surprised, given the rigors of his first full season after pitching so little in college. Miller shows good command of both his fastball and his above-average changeup. He has a slider that flashes above-average potential at times but is inconsistent, flattening out when he has trouble maintaining his arm slot. He has an easy delivery but can be too slow and deliberate at times. Miller handled his demotion with the right attitude, and while he's raw for his age, he is working hard to catch up. The Dodgers believe he can be a mid-rotation starter. After getting a taste of Double-A in 2010, he'll get another opportunity there to start 2011.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #3 prospect in 2010
  Highly regarded as a right fielder coming out of high school, Miller resisted pitching as a Baylor freshman but became a full-fledged two-way player as a junior last spring. Though he batted .310 with 12 homers, he was more impressive as a power lefthander and pitched his way into the supplemental first round. He signed for $889,200, finished his first pro summer by starring in the Midwest League playoffs and pitched briefly in the Arizona Fall League. Miller routinely pitches at 91-95 mph, and he could pick up velocity now that he's a full-time pitcher. His hard, 82-83 mph slider is tough on lefthanders. He's an outstanding athlete who fields his position well and has a good pickoff move despite his lack of experience. Command was an issue in college, but he has cleaned up his mechanics and started to throw strikes more consistently. More than anything, Miller just needs to accumulate innings and continue getting used to being a pitcher. He needs to fine-tune his changeup in order to remain a starter, and he can make further refinements to his command. If Miller can master a changeup, he could be a No. 2 starter. If not, his stuff would play well in a late-innings relief role. He'll open 2010 in high Class A and should move quickly, possibly reaching Los Angeles toward the end of 2011.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked California League #8 prospect in 2010
  Miller breezed through the first half of the Cal League season before earning a promotion to Double-A in mid-June. He lasted just six starts at Chattanooga, going 1-4, 7.04 before returning to Inland Empire. When at his best, Miller works with a low-90s fastball that touches 95 mph and he locates it to both sides of the plate. He also has a power slider that he's still learning to command as well as a changeup that has some sink but needs refinement. He's still polishing his control and command as well. Though Miller was effective when he rejoined the 66ers, his fastball velocity dropped to 88-92 mph. That wasn't completely unexpected, however, because he was a two-way player at Baylor and 2010 was his first full year as a pitcher. He threw a career-high 125 innings in the minors, up from 87 in 2009.

• December, 2010 Scouting Report
  Though he was also a highly rated pitching prospect in high school, Miller was drafted as an outfielder by the Rockies in the 11th round in 2006 and played outfield almost exclusively during his first two years at Baylor. He became a two-way player as a junior and pitched his way into the sandwich round, earning an $889,200 bonus as the Dodgers' top 2009 pick. Miller would have won the California League ERA title last year if he had enough innings there to qualify, but he got a six-start trial at Double-A at midseason before being sent back to Inland Empire. Miller was able to hit 93-94 mph when he signed, but his velocity dipped into the 87-91 range last year. Los Angeles wasn't too surprised, given the rigors of his first full season after pitching so little in college. Miller shows good command of both his fastball and his above-average changeup. He has a slider that flashes above-average potential at times but is inconsistent, flattening out when he has trouble maintaining his arm slot. He has an easy delivery but can be too slow and deliberate at times. Miller handled his demotion with the right attitude, and while he's raw for his age, he is working hard to catch up. The Dodgers believe he can be a mid-rotation starter. After getting a taste of Double-A in 2010, he'll get another opportunity there to start 2011.