Andrew Brackman Is Ready To Start Pitching…

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

He has the frame of Randy Johnson (6'10"), weighs 240 pounds, and he has a blazing fastball. He consistently throws from 92-97, and has touched 99 mph at times. He is definitely a very hyped player, but he has the potential to become a successful player at the major-league level.

Brackman attended North Carolina State University, where he split his time playing baseball and basketball. He obviously chose to be a baseball player. Even though Brackman played very well in college, he has had a history of injuries.

He had a hip injury and a sore elbow during his college career, which creates some concern. He underwent Tommy John reconstruction surgery after he was drafted, so he didn’t play at all with a Yankees minor league affiliation team.

Andrew went through a rehab assignment with the Yankees down in Tampa, FL, and he seems to be ready for the ‘09 season.

The only recent action Brackman has been involved in was when he played for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaii Winter Baseball League. He didn’t put up great numbers, but you have to give him time. He definitely has the tools. Andrew went 3-4 with a 5.56 ERA, striking out 36 batters in 34 innings.

As you can see, he is a strikeout machine. Brackman’s size is both good and bad. His height gives him a nice “downward plane” which gives the advantage to the pitcher. At the same time, his delivery and mechanics are hard to repeat.

The Yankees took a chance on him, but they obviously think highly of the guy if they gave him a deal worth $4M+. Will have to wait and see what happens…

Yankees senior vice president speaks…

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“His velocity was between 94-97 [mph], so he had no problems and he’s ready to go for Major League camp,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president of baseball operations. “His stuff is outstanding, and he’s getting a feel for his delivery and throwing strikes. But first and foremost, he was healthy and, at times, dominant.”

“The benefits are the power and deception because the ball is released closer to the plate,” Newman explained. “But the downside is you have long levers to manage, and it takes time. There aren’t many of those guys in the environment to use as test cases, but most people believe that taller guys take a little longer to get their command.”

“To watch him run, he looks like he’s 6-foot-2,” Newman said of the young man who offsets that explosive heat with a knuckle curve and a developing change up.

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