Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
March 25, 2002

Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Angels' pitching prospect packing pure power
March 31, 2002

It is the rare pitcher who can hit triple figures on the radar guns. Those who do generally have trouble getting the ball across the plate. But if those pitchers master the command without losing a lot of the velocity, they generally have very successful major league careers.

The next power pitcher to reach the major leagues could be Anaheim's Bobby Jenks. The 21-year-old Idaho native jumped from obscurity to a top-rated prospect in only his second professional season in 2001. He started 21 games for low-A Cedar Rapids, posting a 3-7 record and a 5.27 ERA, striking out 98 batters in 99 innings while issuing 64 walks. The right-hander then made two late season starts at AA Arkansas; he won one of those starts and compiled a 3.60 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 10 innings.

His 2001 season was a significant improvement over his first season, when he went 1-7 with a 7.86 ERA at Provo in the rookie level Pioneer League.

"When I came into the organization I was real rough," Jenks said concerning his development with the Angels. He added, "They (the Angels' minor league staff) fine-tuned my mechanics and my delivery to the plate ... they helped me develop a good change-up, so that's another pitch I've got."

But most importantly, the Angels taught Jenks how to be a better pitcher and not just a thrower. In addition to the upper 90s fastball, he also throws a tough curveball.

With his encouraging performance in 2001 in the books, Jenks was sent to the Arizona Fall League last October. It was there, in front of the dozens of scouts that attend each game at Organized Baseball's annual seven-week showcase of top prospects, that Jenks turned more than just a few heads. He was the league leader in strikeouts, with a very impressive total of 49 in 31 innings. Many scouts rated Jenks as the best pitching prospect in the AFL last season.

Bobby Jenks In addition to raising his prospect profile, Jenks' time in Arizona had another benefit. "That just gave me more confidence in my stuff, when I can get those good hitters out," Jenks said. "In the Fall League, you're playing against some of the best players in all the organizations. When you can get those kind of hitters out, it gives you the confidence to go out and say, 'Here it is, go ahead and hit it.'"

His catcher and teammate on the Peoria Javelinas, Seattle prospect Ryan Christianson, was equally impressed, naming the 6-3, 225 pound Jenks as one of the best pitchers he's ever caught.

Despite the accolades that have come his way, Jenks knows that he still has a lot of work to do before he's ready to pitch for the Angels. "I'd like to cut down on my walks from last year," said Jenks about his major goal for 2002.

Jenks also knows that he can use his reputation as a "free spirit" to his advantage. "Some days I'm on, and some days I'm off," commented Jenks on his daily mental state of mind. "When I'm off, I can be anywhere. The good thing is that if hitters have that in the back of their minds, it gives me the advantage. If they don't want to dig in, that's better than me."

Jenks hopes to return to AA in 2002, despite having skipped high-A last year. With a good season, look for this free spirit and power arm to make it to the big leagues before the end of the year.

--- Bill Mitchell