Ken Giles Stats & Scouting Report

IP	38.2
ERA	6.28
WHIP	1.37
BB/9	5.12
SO/9	13.5

Full name Kenneth Robert Giles
Born 09/20/1990 in Albuquerque, NM
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 197 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Yavapai JC
Debut 06/12/2014
Drafted in the 7th round (241st overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 (signed for $250,000).

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Coming into the season, Yavapai JC righthander Kenny Giles was a one-trick pony. Giles, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, did not pitch as a high school senior because of elbow tendinitis and threw just 11 innings for New Mexico JC last year. He entered the year as just a thrower, having shown arm strength but little control or secondary pitches in the past. He turned a corner this spring, though, sitting 92-96 mph and touching 99. His fastball can get straight, but he has commanded it well and worked to improve his tempo on the mound. Giles also developed a splitter and has shown an 87-88 mph slider in bullpens and competitive batting practice sessions. Teams know he's raw, but his arm strength could land him as high as the third round. He is committed to Arizona, though scouts expect him to sign.

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A classic reliever if there ever were one, Giles was drafted out of a New Mexico high school by the Marlins in 2009 but didn't sign, then attended New Mexico JC for a year, then took off at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC in 2011, moving up 37 rounds and signing for $250,000. He has the power arsenal that profiles well for the back of the bullpen. When healthy, Giles brings his heat in the upper-90s with ease and couples it with a tight, mid-80s slider. The fastball, which was clocked as high as 101 mph in the Arizona Fall League, does have a tendency to be a little flat, and he has been much more hittable than someone with that kind of velocity should be. Because major league hitters can catch up with any velocity, Giles must hone his control to make the pitch play to its potential. In a year that was supposed to present his first real test, Giles missed a significant chunk of the season with an oblique strain that he later reinjured. He has the stuff to be successful, but he needs to stay in his delivery and harness his adrenaline to throw more strikes. He'll head to Double-A Reading to begin 2014 and should be on the fast track toward the major league pen.
Giles didn't pitch much as an amateur, missing his high school senior season with elbow tendinitis and throwing 11 innings for New Mexico JC in 2010. He struck out 67 in 38 innings as a sophomore at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, and the Phillies saw enough arm strength to take him in the seventh round and sign him for $250,000. He reached high Class A in his first full season while striking out 12.2 batters per nine innings across two levels. Giles lights up radar guns with a 94-98 mph fastball that routinely touches triple digits, making it a plus-plus offering despite modest life. There's some effort in his delivery, and he runs into trouble with command and control when he overthrows. He's much better off when he allows his lower half to get out in front and his arm to follow. His slider grades as solid and has plus potential, and it drastically improved after Philadelphia shelved his curveball and splitter. He could add back the extra secondary offerings down the line, but his future is in the bullpen and he has an effective two-pitch combo. Scouts like Giles' intense demeanor, which evokes Jonathan Papelbon, and he could move quickly after opening 2013 in Double-A.