Brandon Workman Stats & Scouting Report

IP	329
ERA	4.021
WHIP	1.386
BB/9	4.295
SO/9	9.383

Full name Brandon Carlin Workman
Born 08/13/1988 in Arlington, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas
Debut 07/10/2013
Drafted in the 2nd round (57th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2010 (signed for $800,000).

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The Longhorns have one of the best college pitching staffs in recent memory, as evidenced by their team 2.14 ERA in mid-May--and the fact that Workman, their No. 3 starter, could be a first-round pick. The Phillies drafted him in the third round out of high school, but held firm with a $275,000 offer and wouldn't give him the $350,000 he sought. Now he could get four to five times that amount. Unable to secure a spot in the Longhorns rotation as a sophomore, Workman has been more focused and efficient this spring. His best pitch is a knockout curveball, and he pairs it with a 90-92 mph fastball that peaks at 96. He has developed a high-80s cutter as a strikeout pitch against lefthanders, and he also has some feel for a changeup. His command is better than ever, and he now realizes that he's more effective when he doesn't overthrow, which causes his pitches to flatten out. Workman earned all-star honors in the Cape Cod League the last two summers, leading the league in strikeouts after his freshman season.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Most scouts viewed Workman as a future bullpen arm when he was drafted in 2010. Yet the development of his curveball and changeup in 2011 along with fearlessness about throwing strikes has forced many to reconsider. Workman opened 2013 at Double-A Portland but was in the big leagues by July, making three impressive starts before moving to the bullpen. He gained the trust of manager John Farrell to the point of pitching the eighth inning of the final game of the World Series. Workman's delivery has always shown sufficient effort to raise questions about his ability to start, but his professional track record suggests he has no problems repeating his motion or sustaining power through 100 pitches. He's the most consistent strike-thrower in the Red Sox system, with a career 4.0 SO/BB ratio in the minors. As a starter, Workman sits at 92-94 mph with an average curve that can get swings and misses, a cutter that elicits groundballs and an occasional changeup. As a reliever, he typically sticks to his fastball and curve. He's willing to challenge opponents with his four-seamer, sometimes proving vulnerable to homers but getting swings and misses as well. Workman represents a big league-ready reliever (with closer potential) or depth starting option. Needs at the big league level likely will dictate 2014 big league role.
Workman receives less hype than comparable Red Sox prospects, but he's accustomed to getting overshadowed. Though he was a second-round pick in 2010, he spent that spring as Texas' No. 3 starter. He signed for $800,000, but that was just the sixth-highest bonus in Boston's draft class. He generated little attention when the Red Sox eased him into pro ball in 2011, and not much more when he won their minor league pitcher of the year award in 2012. Workman doesn't have the sexiest stuff, but he does a good job of locating a vast array of pitches where he wants. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph into the late innings and reaches 96. His heater has nice life and he throws it on a steep downhill plane, and his command of the pitch improved after Boston made that a priority for his first pro season. His No. 2 option is a pitch that varies between a true slider and an 85-88 mph cutter, and both versions are effective. Workman also has an average curveball and changeup, not to mention the best mound presence in the system. There's some stiffness in his delivery, which leads some scouts to project him as a reliever, but he repeats it well and pounds the strike zone. The Red Sox see him as a workhorse No. 3 starter and expect him to reach Triple-A during 2013.
For a player who signed for $800,000, Workman had a relatively anonymous pro debut last year. The Red Sox kept him on tight pitch counts during the first half of the season in low Class A, and he seemed to get stronger when they turned him loose in July and August. Workman likes to pitch off his 91-94 mph fastball, which can reach 96 and features tail, run and steep downhill plane. He can hold his velocity deep into starts. He has a solid curveball, though he eschewed it in favor of a cutter during his final season of college at Texas. The Red Sox took the cutter away from Workman early in 2011 to make him focus on his curve, then gave it back to him in the second half. His cutter runs up to 84 mph and gets swings and misses from lefthanders. He also has a changeup that has some sink and grades as average when he maintains his arm speed. He throws strikes but needs to improve his command of his fastball, which gets hittable when he leaves it up in the zone. Workman has the stuff, control and body to profile as a starter, though some scouts envision him as late-inning reliever and maybe even a closer. The Red Sox will keep him in the rotation for now, and he could reach Double-A at some point in 2012.
The Phillies drafted Workman in the third round out of high school in 2007, but he wanted $350,000 and they wouldn't move past $275,000. Though he earned all-star honors in consecutive summers in the Cape Cod League, he didn't become a full-time starter at Texas until last spring, when he ranked fifth in NCAA Division I with 12 victories. Some teams considered him with their first-round pick before mild signability concerns dropped him to the Red Sox in the second round. He signed for $800,000 at the Aug. 16 deadline. Workman pitches off a 91-94 mph fastball that peaks at 96 and creates swings and misses with its late life. His curveball had been his best pitch for much of his college career, but it now takes a back seat to a high-80s cutter that he uses as a strikeout pitch against lefthanders. He improved his changeup as well as his command in 2010, learning that it doesn't pay to overthrow. If Workman performs well in spring training, he could begin his pro career in high Class A next April.

Minor League Top Prospects

One of three members of Boston?s 2010 draft class on this list, Workman uses a slender frame and a max-effort delivery to produce an 89-93 mph heater with sink and run. He complements it with an over-the-top curveball that projects as a 60 pitch on the 20-80 scale. His fastball played up in relief after a big league promotion, at times sitting in the 93-95 mph range. Workman also has a good feel for a changeup, which rates as an average pitch going forward. That, plus his willingness to pitch inside, could be the key to him fulfilling his future as a No. 3 or No. 4 major league starter. As far as strikes against him, Workman?s fastball sometimes flattens out, and he finishes his delivery by spinning over a stiff front leg. Even with those flaws, he has proved he can succeed in a set-up role.