Branden Pinder Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Branden H. Pinder
Born 01/26/1989 in Corona, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Long Beach State
Debut 04/15/2015
Drafted in the 16th round (509th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2011.

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Righthander Branden Pinder (3-5, 5.37) had a rough spring, but at his best he gets good sink on an 88-91 mph fastball that bumps 92. He adds and subtracts from a three-quarters breaking ball that ranges from the mid-70s to the low 80s, and his changeup is decent, but he sometimes struggles to stay on top of his stuff. He has a low three-quarters slot and a crossfire, rotational delivery, and he profiles as a middle reliever.

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Pinder attended Santa Ana (Calif.) JC for two seasons before transferring to Long Beach State, where he struggled for most of the next two years. The Yankees took him as a senior sign in the 16th round last June and were delighted to find they had landed a hard-throwing reliever for $60,000. Slipped into a bullpen role after starting in college, Pinder picked up velocity and attacked hitters confidently with two pitches. His fastball, a fairly pedestrian 88-91 mph offering at Long Beach State, jumped to 93-94 mph consistently in pro ball. It helped set up his slider, which shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch. Pinder varies the spin on his breaking ball, sometimes favoring a sweepier slider and at other times adding some depth. Both versions found the strike zone and eluded bats all summer. Pinder used a changeup in college but figures to stay with his twopitch mix in his new role. He should see high Class A at some point in 2012.

After pitching mostly at 88-91 mph and posting a 5.29 ERA as a starter at Long Beach State this spring, Pinder was downright overpowering as Staten Island's closer. He streamlined his repertoire in a relief role, attacking hitters with a lively 93-94 mph fastball that topped out at 96. Pinder backed up his heater with an effective slider that is short and quick and times and has more sweep and tilt at others. He has a strong, durable build and gets good extension out front in his delivery, making his ball jump on hitters. "The game was over when he came in," Donnelly said. "He has a big league arm and big league stuff. We saw him too much."