Damien Magnifico
| IP | 3 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6 |
| WHIP | 2.333 |
| BB/9 | 15 |
| SO/9 | 3 |
- Full name Damien Jack Magnifico
- Born 05/24/1991 in Dallas, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Oklahoma
- Debut 08/16/2016
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Drafted in the 5th round (185th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 (signed for $285,000).
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There may not be a pitcher in the entire draft who lights up radar guns as consistently as Magnifico, who regularly hits 100 mph. He reached triple digits 22 times in an April 10 start against Arkansas, working at 96-97 in the ninth and popping a 99 mph heater on his 103rd and final pitch. The question is what else he will bring to the table. His fastball lacks life and opponents see it and hit it well. He had just 27 strikeouts and a .282 opponent average through his first 43 innings this spring. Six-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Magnifico has made adjustments this spring. He'll flash a two-seam fastball with less velocity and more sink, and he's made progress with a cutter/slider, though it still grades as a well below-average pitch. He'll mix in a changeup, but it doesn't keep hitters off his fastball. A fifth-round pick by the Mets out of high school in 2009, Magnifico redshirted at Howard (Texas) JC in 2010 while battling a stress fracture in his elbow that required the insertion of screws. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he has more leverage than most college prospects.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Brewers shifted Magnifico to the bullpen after two years at high Class A Brevard County, when he posted a combined 1.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In his new role, he converted 20 of 22 save opportunities and allowed a .210 opponent average. Magnifico threw 100 mph coming out of college but didn't always know where the ball was going. He learned to dial his fastball down a bit, and with refined mechanics he throws it mostly in the mid-90s now. His two-seamer has good sink and Magnifico mitigates his low strikeout numbers with an extreme groundball rate. His No. 2 pitch is a hard slider he throws in the mid- 80s, and he rarely throws his fringe changeup as a reliever. Competitive and aggressive, he thrived with games on the line and got better as the season progressed. Magnifico has below-average control when his delivery gets out of whack, and he doesn't have a reliable out pitch against lefthanded batters, which was exposed in the Arizona Fall League. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Magnifico will continue his development as the closer at Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2016. -
It's one thing to be able to throw 100 mph. It's another to control it. Magnifico had trouble doing both when he was drafted out of Oklahoma in the fifth round in 2012, so he learned to dial it back a bit and trade strikeouts for better control. Magnifico, whose mechanics have been retooled considerably, still reaches the high 90s but now mostly sits around 95 mph with his fastball. His two-seamer has good sinking action when he stays on top of it, and he mixes in an improved slider. His third pitch is a changeup that needs work but is more consistent than in the past. Magnifico commanded his pitches better and found a steady routine that worked for him until he came down with arm fatigue in August. He lowered his walk rate from 4.6 per nine innings in 2013 to 3.2 in 2014. His strikeout rate also dropped to 5.7 per nine as he pitched more often to contact. Most scouts see Magnifico's future role as a late-inning reliever, and he could switch roles in 2015 at Double-A Biloxi. -
Not many pitchers can throw a legitimate 100 mph fastball. Magnifico is one of them, but it's no secret as to why he lasted until the fifth round of the 2012 draft. His secondary pitches were almost non-existent at Oklahoma, and because his fastball is straight, it often got hit. Magnifico has made progress with his 83-87 mph slider in pro ball and also throws a changeup, but too often he throws them from a lower arm slot. His two-seamer has plus sinking action when he stays on top of the pitch and takes a little off the velocity. Magnifico has had elbow issues in the past, so it's imperative that he stays on top of his mechanics. His max-effort delivery may not be an innocent bystander in his injury history. Magnifico had success at low Class A Wisconsin in 2013, making the Midwest League all-star team, so the Brewers bumped him up high Class A Brevard County, where opponents batted .311 against him. Command has been an issue, as attested by his walk rate of 4.6 per nine innings at the two stops. The Brewers have used Magnfico as a starter to allow him to accumulate innings and work on his secondary pitches, but his blazing fastball and poor control mark him as a prime relief candidate.
Draft Prospects
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There may not be a pitcher in the entire draft who lights up radar guns as consistently as Magnifico, who regularly hits 100 mph. He reached triple digits 22 times in an April 10 start against Arkansas, working at 96-97 in the ninth and popping a 99 mph heater on his 103rd and final pitch. The question is what else he will bring to the table. His fastball lacks life and opponents see it and hit it well. He had just 27 strikeouts and a .282 opponent average through his first 43 innings this spring. Six-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Magnifico has made adjustments this spring. He'll flash a two-seam fastball with less velocity and more sink, and he's made progress with a cutter/slider, though it still grades as a well below-average pitch. He'll mix in a changeup, but it doesn't keep hitters off his fastball. A fifth-round pick by the Mets out of high school in 2009, Magnifico redshirted at Howard (Texas) JC in 2010 while battling a stress fracture in his elbow that required the insertion of screws. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he has more leverage than most college prospects.
