Eric Fornataro
| IP | 9 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5 |
| WHIP | 1.333 |
| BB/9 | 1 |
| SO/9 | 3 |
- Full name Eric Anthony Fornataro
- Born 01/02/1988 in Houston, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Miami Dade CC
- Debut 04/21/2014
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Drafted in the 6th round (185th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008 (signed for $150,000).
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At 6-feet, 195 pounds, Fornataro is an undersized righthander with powerful stuff. His fastball has been up to 95 mph and consistently sits between 90-93. His mechanics are clean as is his arm action as his delivery is effortless. Fornataro's second best pitch is a late-dropping changeup. His slider is in need of work and lacks consistency.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A burly righty with an aggressive demeanor on the mound, Fornataro is a late comer to the prospect tag and arrives without the usual trappings. He was a sixth-round pick in 2008 who received a $150,000 bonus and had suitable but not sizzling early success. It all changed when he moved to the bullpen and blossomed as Springfield's surefire set-up man in 2012. Instead of trying to shoulder the innings of a starter, Fornataro was able to let loose in short bursts. The result was a fastball that jumped to elite status, sitting at 96-98 mph and hitting 99. His hard curveball has good rotation and power in the low 80s, giving him a plus second pitch, and his splitter has late drop. Fornataro still is learning to harness and use his newfound stuff, as his strikeout rate actually dipped to a pedestrian 5.5 per nine innings last season despite his jump in stuff. He keeps the ball in the park and gets plenty of groundballs when he's on. The Cardinals added Fornataro to the 40-man roster in November and think he'll contribute in the major league bullpen soon. That depends on whether he can maintain his progress in Triple-A this year.
