Jason Adam

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #9 prospect in 2014
  Adam's durability with solid stuff had been his calling card through much of his pro career, but then he regained the plus velocity that intrigued the Royals when they signed him for $800,000 out of the fifth round in 2010. His overall numbers look bad for 2013, but he was solid at Double-A Northwest Arkansas after a brutal April when he posted a 12.84 ERA. He went 8-9, 3.93 for the rest of the year. Adam's fastball gained a full grade in 2013 as he went from sitting 90-92 mph, touching 94, to sitting 92-94 and touching 97. His improved stuff came from better tempo and incorporating his legs into his delivery. He also added an average slider midway through the season, finding that it generated swings and misses better than his fringy curveball. His changeup also is fringy because he can't consistently throw it with the same arm speed as his fastball. Either the curveball or changeup will have to improve to give him something to better combat lefthanded hitters. Adam heads to spring training in 2014 with at least a chance to earn a spot on the Triple-A Omaha roster. Whether he breaks with Omaha or not, he should be ready to compete for a big league job in 2015.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #8 prospect in 2013
  A native of suburban Kansas City who had played at Kauffman Stadium while in high school, Adam lasted five rounds in the 2010 draft because of his up-and-down senior season and commitment to Missouri. Signed for a well above-slot $800,000, he opened eyes by touching 98 mph in instructional league shortly after signing. He hasn't shown the same velocity during his two pro seasons. Adam usually works at 90-92 mph and occasionally hits 94 with his fastball. While he has had some success, the Royals aren't ready to give up on finding that lost velocity. They believe he needs to return to the bigger hip turn and higher leg kick he showed in high school, instead of the more tall-and-fall delivery he has used as a pro. He had trouble repeating his high school mechanics, so returning to them could detract from his command, which has been better than expected. Adam's below-average curveball needs more bite, though he controls it well. His changeup is also below-average because he struggles to maintain his usual arm speed. Adam will make the jump to Double-A at age 21. How he performs in 2013 will shed light on whether he can be a No. 2 or 3 starter, or more of a back-of-the-rotation option.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #8 prospect in 2012
  The Royals have a renewed emphasis to scout, draft and sign players in their area, such as Adam, whose high school sits 22 miles from Kauffmann Stadium. His inconsistent senior season and commitment to Missouri helped drop him to the fifth round of the 2010 draft, where Kansas City pounced and signed him for $800,000. The Royals sent him to low Class A for his 2011 pro debut, and while he had an up-and-down year, he finished with 5⅔ scoreless innings in the deciding game of the Midwest League quarterfinals. After showing a 95-96 mph fastball during instructional league in 2010, Adam didn't have the same velocity while enduring the grind of starting every fifth day. He pitched at 88-93 mph for much of the season. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus pitch and he locates it well for a 20-year-old, but it lost some of its bite when his velocity dropped. Adam's changeup eventually could give him a third average-or-better pitch. He was glacially slow to the plate at the start of the season and while he improved, he has to get quicker after giving up 27 steals in 30 attempts. Adam didn't dominate in his pro debut, but he did make every start after arriving in Kane County in mid-May. He's a potential No. 3 starter and headed to high Class A.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #11 prospect in 2011
  After they watched Kansas City product Shawn Marcum pitch in the big leagues against them, the Royals intensified their efforts to ensure that they scouted local players more comprehensively than anyone else. That work paid off with Adam, a member of the Royals' elite team that practiced regularly and played occasionally at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City also scouted every one of his starts for Blue Valley Northwest High in Overland Park, Kan., which wasn't hard considering the school sits 22 miles from the Kauffman Stadium. Despite his solid commitment to Missouri, the Royals took him in the fifth round last June and signed him at the Aug. 16 deadline for a well-above-slot $800,000. Adam signed too late to play in an official game, but he made an impression by consistently sitting at 94-95 mph and touching 98 with his fastball during instructional league. He also has a potential plus curveball that he commands well for a high school draftee. As with most hard-throwing young pitchers, his changeup is more of an idea than a useable pitch at this point. Kansas City tweaked his mechanics slightly, eliminating a Derek Lowesque side step to get Adam more over the rubber at the beginning of his windup. They Royals usually hold their young pitchers in extended spring training during April, but he could move quicker because he's used to cold weather. He's advanced enough to make his pro debut in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #18 prospect in 2014
  Adam struggled on the mound for a second straight season in the TL before the Royals traded him to the Twins in August for outfielder Josh Willingham. The Royals believed Adam's stuff was better than the results. He throws four pitches but none stand out as above-average. His fastball ticked up in velocity to 94 mph after he shifted from the third-base side of the rubber to the first-base side, with one league observer noting he changed from a thrower to a pitcher. The shift on the rubber also added some movement to his slider, though some observers believe his curve is the better secondary pitch. He's still fine-tuning his changeup. The Royals, in need of long relief on the big league club, put Adam in the bullpen late in the season before sending him to Minnesota. He's a workhorse who competes and wants to improve.
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  Ranked Texas League #8 prospect in 2013
  Talk about a turnaround. With a second-half surge, Adam?s season practically mirrored that of the big league Royals, who added intrigue to the American League wild-card race down the stretch. Even better, his emergence stabilized a farm system that a year ago lost pitching prospects Mike Montgomery and Jake Odorizzi in the James Shields trade and high-upside lefties Danny Duffy and John Lamb to Tommy John surgery. Adam told the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader that he made a slight mechanical adjustment after a forgettable April (12.84 ERA) and then thrived, winning eight of his final 12 decisions. His heavy fastball sat consistently 92-95 mph as he proved not to be predictable in fastball counts, eventually mixing in a biting, high-70s curveball that profiles as a plus pitch. His changeup improved in working with Northwest Arkansas pitching coach Jim Brower. Asked what really changed for Adam, Naturals manager Brian Poldberg said that simply adopting a mentality that he could have success benefitted the big righthander.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: A native of suburban Kansas City who had played at Kauffman Stadium while in high school, Adam lasted five rounds in the 2010 draft because of his up-and-down senior season and commitment to Missouri. Signed for a well above-slot $800,000, he opened eyes by touching 98 mph in instructional league shortly after signing. He hasn't shown the same velocity during his two pro seasons. Scouting Report: Adam usually works at 90-92 mph and occasionally hits 94 with his fastball. While he has had some success, the Royals aren't ready to give up on finding that lost velocity. They believe he needs to return to the bigger hip turn and higher leg kick he showed in high school, instead of the more tall-and-fall delivery he has used as a pro. He had trouble repeating his high school mechanics, so returning to them could detract from his command, which has been better than expected. Adam's below-average curveball needs more bite, though he controls it well. His changeup is also below-average because he struggles to maintain his usual arm speed. The Future: Adam will make the jump to Double-A at age 21. How he performs in 2013 will shed light on whether he can be a No. 2 or 3 starter, or more of a back-of-the-rotation option.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: The Royals have a renewed emphasis to scout, draft and sign players in their area, such as Adam, whose high school sits 22 miles from Kauffmann Stadium. His inconsistent senior season and commitment to Missouri helped drop him to the fifth round of the 2010 draft, where Kansas City pounced and signed him for $800,000. The Royals sent Adam to low Class A for his 2011 pro debut, and while he had an up-and-down year, he allowed just two unearned runs over 5 2⁄3 innings in the deciding game of the Midwest League quarterfinals. Scouting Report: After showing a 95-96 mph fastball during instructional league in 2010, Adam didn't have the same velocity while enduring the grind of starting every fifth day. He pitched at 88-93 for much of the season. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus pitch, and he locates it well for a 20-year-old, but the pitch lost some of its bite when his velocity dropped. Adam's changeup eventually could give him a third average-or-better pitch. He was glacially slow to the plate at the start of the season, but while he improved, he has to get quicker after giving up 27 steals in 30 attempts. The Future: Adam didn't dominate in his pro debut, but he did make every start after arriving in Kane County. He's a potential No. 3 starter and headed to high Class A.