IP | 175 |
---|---|
ERA | 3.96 |
WHIP | 1.22 |
BB/9 | 2.93 |
SO/9 | 10.03 |
- Full name Carlos Antonio Rodón
- Born 12/10/1992 in Miami, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 255 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School North Carolina State
- Debut 04/21/2015
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Drafted in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2014 (signed for $6,582,000).
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The son of Cuban-Americans who moved to North Carolina when he was a 9-year-old, Rodon emerged as one of the state's top pitchers as a high school senior and was being crosschecked heavily when back spasms sapped his velocity and pushed him down the draft. A 16th-rounder of the Brewers in 2011, he spurned more than $500,000 to attend North Carolina State, where his velocity jumped immediately as he firmed up his body and shortened his stride. He hit 97 mph regularly in short stints to open his freshman season, with a slider that immediately became one of the best in college baseball. His slider remains the best pitch in the draft for most scouts, sitting 85-87 mph and scraping 89 at its best with two-plane depth. Multiple scouts have given Rodon's slider 80 grades on the 20-80 scale when it is on, though some say he relies on the slider too much. More concerning this year was a lack of explosiveness on his fastball for the first half of the season, when Rodon often sat 89-92, as well as below-average command, particularly to his arm side. His changeup was a solid-average pitch last summer, when he dominated Cuba to end his summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and pitched like a big leaguer. It has been inconsistent and often non-existent this spring, however. His listed 6-foot-3, 234-pound frame is an asset for some due to thick, strong legs and durability; others knock him for a lack of athleticism and projection. Rodon's confidence crosses over into cockiness at times, but his competitiveness gives him a No. 1 pitcher's mentality. A second-half revival of his fastball velocity back to the mid-90s, tied to improved direction in his delivery to home plate, had him more closely resembling the pitcher who led Division I in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine in 2013, when he led the Wolfpack to its first College World Series trip since 1967. The worst-case scenario for Rodon is a potential closer, but he's a potential frontline starter with some refinement.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Back spasms and diminished velocity helped drop Rodon to the 16th round of the 2011 draft out of Holly Springs (N.C.) High, and he went to North Carolina State after turning down the Brewers' offer of more than $500,000. His velocity jumped in college thanks to an improved strength and conditioning program and better mechanics, and he hit 97 mph regularly en route to Freshman of the Year honors. He topped himself in 2013, leading the nation in strikeouts and powering the Wolfpack back to the College World Series . A dominating stint with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team , made him the No. 1 prospect for the 2014 draft. But an inconsistent junior season and a high price tag dropped him to No. 3 overall, where the White Sox signed him for a club-record $6.582 million bonus. Rodon has one of the best sliders college baseball has seen in years, a 70-grade pitch (on the 20-80 scouting scale) he throws with power anywhere from 82-87 mph. He has feel for the pitch and can throw a harder, cut-fastball version of the pitch at up to 89 mph to get in on righthanders, or an 82-85 mph variety with serious depth and late tilt that gets swings and misses. Rodon lifted less and loosened up after signing , throwing more fastballs and changeups and fewer sliders in his 24-inning debut. The results included more 97s than he showed in the spring, when he often pitched in the 89-93 mph range. He lacks the fastball command to start at present, especially throwing strikes to his arm side . The White Sox are confident that increased flexibility will help Rodon finish out front in his delivery better, allowing him to throw the pitch for strikes. His changeup has flashed average if not a tick above, and he needs to throw it more than he did in college . Rodon's thick body and past back problems prompt scouts to question his overall athleticism, as do his spotty command, below-average defense and struggles to limit opposing basestealers. The White Sox trust their pitching development to help Rodon become a true three-pitch starter. He has an ace's swagger and mentality and needs the fastball command and reps with his changeup to make it a reality. He could begin 2015 in the Double-A Birmingham or Triple-A Charlotte rotation, then join the big league bullpen in the second half to get his feet wet and control his workload, all as a prelude for a 2016 rotation spot. Rodon has better stuff than Chris Sale at a similar stage, and if he throws more quality fastball strikes, he'll join Sale atop the Chicago rotation in short order.
Draft Prospects
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The son of Cuban-Americans who moved to North Carolina when he was a 9-year-old, Rodon emerged as one of the state's top pitchers as a high school senior and was being crosschecked heavily when back spasms sapped his velocity and pushed him down the draft. A 16th-rounder of the Brewers in 2011, he spurned more than $500,000 to attend North Carolina State, where his velocity jumped immediately as he firmed up his body and shortened his stride. He hit 97 mph regularly in short stints to open his freshman season, with a slider that immediately became one of the best in college baseball. His slider remains the best pitch in the draft for most scouts, sitting 85-87 mph and scraping 89 at its best with two-plane depth. Multiple scouts have given Rodon's slider 80 grades on the 20-80 scale when it is on, though some say he relies on the slider too much. More concerning this year was a lack of explosiveness on his fastball for the first half of the season, when Rodon often sat 89-92, as well as below-average command, particularly to his arm side. His changeup was a solid-average pitch last summer, when he dominated Cuba to end his summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and pitched like a big leaguer. It has been inconsistent and often non-existent this spring, however. His listed 6-foot-3, 234-pound frame is an asset for some due to thick, strong legs and durability; others knock him for a lack of athleticism and projection. Rodon's confidence crosses over into cockiness at times, but his competitiveness gives him a No. 1 pitcher's mentality. A second-half revival of his fastball velocity back to the mid-90s, tied to improved direction in his delivery to home plate, had him more closely resembling the pitcher who led Division I in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine in 2013, when he led the Wolfpack to its first College World Series trip since 1967. The worst-case scenario for Rodon is a potential closer, but he's a potential frontline starter with some refinement.