Clayton Blackburn and 10 Minor League Pitchers with Sick K/BB Stats

Chicks dig the long ball.

But baseball fans also dig that popping sound; that distinct, Randy Johnson-like snap that makes men proud to be men and gives women hot flashes.

Yet as many fans who have watched wild flamethrowers cost their team games know, it is one thing to fire a baseball through the side of a barn.

But it is entirely another to throw a baseball through the side of a barn and impress the horses.   

That said, in this article I showcase 10 pitching prospects across all minor league levels with sick strikeout-to-walk stats. Some of these pitchers have gaudy (4.00-plus) K/BB ratios. Other hurlers may not have huge ratios but are nonetheless nasty (3.00-plus).

To put the K/BB ratio in perspective, Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale leads the MLB with a 4.17 K/BB ratio, per ESPN stats. Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander trails Sale with a 4.09 ratio.

Please note this list of control freaks is not all encompassing. Some flamethrowers may not even lead their respective minor league levels in punchouts. Regardless, you would be wise to take the following prospects with you to a milk-bottle knockdown at the county fair.

Stats are courtesy of MILB.com and are current through August 23.

Rookie

Severino Gonzalez (RHP, Philadelphia Phillies)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
14	7	3	1.65	92.2	59	17	6	86	14.33	.179	0.70

Class-A Short Season

Luis Mateo (RHP, New York Mets)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
10	4	5	2.88	59.1	48	19	7	71	10.14	.215	0.93

Javier Avendano (RHP, Toronto Blue Jays)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
33	8	4	1.37	98.1	67	15	39	119	3.05	.192	1.05

His ratio is not terribly gaudy, but this guy's still been dominant.

Class-A

Clayton Blackburn (RHP, San Francisco Giants)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
21	8	3	2.55	123.1	111	35	18	137	7.61	.235	1.05

Blackburn does not turn 20 years old until January 2013. 

Justin Nicolino (LHP, Toronto Blue Jays)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
26	9	4	2.55	114.1	102	32	18	112	6.22	.241	1.04

Class-A Advanced

Burch Smith (RHP, San Diego Padres)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
23	9	5	3.63	116.2	108	47	23	126	5.48	.244	1.1

Gus Schlosser (RHP, Atlanta Braves)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
25	13	5	3.09	154.1	140	53	28	129	4.61	.245	1.09

Double-A

Chris Heston (RHP, San Francisco Giants)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
22	9	5	2.08	130.0	108	30	33	120	3.64	.229	1.0

Seth Maness (RHP, St. Louis Cardinals)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
24	13	4	3.03	157.2	159	53	10	109	10.90	.253	1.06

Triple-A

Adam Wilk (LHP, Detroit Tigers)

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	RATIO	AVG	WHIP
22	6	11	2.86	138.2	127	59	25	117	4.68	.225	1.02

Total strikeouts/walks for all 10 pitchers combined: 1,123/222. This is a 5.06 combined ratio.

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