2010 MLB Draft Candidates: Chris Sale – Starting Pitcher

Full Name : Christopher Sale
College : Florida Gulf Coast University – Jr.
D.O.B. : 3/30/89 (21 years old)
Height : 6’6 ft.
Weight : 183 lbs.
Throws : Left
Position : SP

Stats :

Year	W-L	ERA	G/GS	IP	SO	BB	H	HR
2008	2-0	3.47	21/1	36.1	43	10	36	2
2009	7-4	2.72	14/12	89.1	104	27	83	7
2010	11-0	2.01	17/15	103.0	146	12	83	6

Accolades :
Freshman All A-Sun team
All-Atlantic First Team honors
A-Sun player of the week on Mar. 30 (2009)
BFC Outstanding Pitcher Award for the 2009 Cape Cod Baseball League Season
Named top prospect in Cape Cod League (Baseball America)
Louisville Slugger Preseason Second Team All-American honors (Collegiate Baseball)

Previously Drafted : 21st Round by the Colorado Rockies
Mock Draft : Top 10 Pick

Repertoire : Sinking 90-92 mph fastball
80-83 mph changeup
75-85 mph slider/curve/slurve

Video :

Summary :

If he is available at the Mets’s pick and they insist on taking a collegiate player this is the guy I want them to take.  People have projected him to get taken all the way from number 4 to number 13, which I think really demonstrates the varying opinions on Sale.  He has great stuff, with a great pitchers body, and great result but there are legitimate reasons for injury concern.  His arm slot doesn’t worry me, but some of his timing mechanisms do.  The inverted-W is definitely there and he does turn over his pitching forearm late, but I still really like him despite that.  The man does lead all of division I college pitchers in strikeouts and walks no one.

His fastball has great natural sink and produces a lot of ground balls, his changeup is viewed by many as an out pitch already, and the deception in his slurve also leads many to believe it will continue to be an effective pitch.  His combination of stuff and command gives him a shot to become a top of the rotation starter at the next level.  Hopefully the injury concerns scare enough people off early on that he is able to slide down to the Mets because I think at pick #7 he is good value and worth the risk of an injury.