Prospect Countdown: #15 Donnie Joseph

15. Donnie Joseph Left Handed Pitcher

milb.com

Age: 25
Position: LHP
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft
From: San Marcos, TX



Paden Bennett (16):  Donnie Joseph is a filthy lefty who is more than capable of getting that big strikeout when you need it.  Every bullpen in the majors is looking for lefties, whether that be in the bullpen or as a starter.  Donnie Joseph in 3 seasons in AA pitched 95 innings and struck out 119 batters.  If he can have a good spring training he could be in the bullpen and be a factor this season.

Joe Cox (18): Donnie Joseph was a part of the trade last season that sent Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds.  Joseph is a 6-3 hard throwing left handed relief pitcher that has never made a single start in professional baseball since being drafted in 2009.  We probably would have seen Joseph in a Royals uniform last September if he were more productive in Omaha, but he lacked command after pitching spectacularly between AA and AAA in the Reds organization.  As a whole, Joseph struck out 87 batters in 69 minor league innings.  After only allowing 17 batters in 52 innings with the Reds organization he walked 13 in his first 17 innings in Omaha.  Joseph is a valuable asset being a lefty that should be able to be a productive major league bullpen piece.  While KC does not lack big arms in the pen, his service time and skills give the Royals a lot of flexibility in the case that they decide to trade a bullpen arm or in the case of an injury.

Damion Mandalas (20):  At the time of the Jonathan Broxton trade, most viewed JC Sulbaran as the more intriguing prospect. However, there were also several people that at the day of the trade they would have rather had Donnie Joseph in their bullpen than Broxton. Joseph combines a plus 91-96 mph fastball with a dominating slider and has K-ed over 1.1 batters per inning throughout his Minor League career. Due to his minor league options, Joseph will have to continue to dominate this Spring in order to break camp with the big league club. Even if he doesn't break camp, it is safe to say that he has taken a good first step towards playing an integral role in the Kansas City pen moving forward.

Dan Ware (20):  I would have to say most of us, if not all of us, were delighted to see the arrival of Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for the man who gave us all panic attacks, Jonathon Broxton.  Needless to say, the ol switcheroo gave us some fresh air.  Joseph, 25, comes to Kansas City with a low 90's fastball and a plus slider, which makes him a viable candidate for the pen this season, if he impresses during the Spring, which so far, I would say that he's done just that: 2 IP, 6 batters faced, 6 K's.  While playing in three separate leagues last season at both Double-A and Triple-A, he amassed a 9-3 record, a 2.33 era in 55 games, 87 K's to 30 BB in 69 IP.  I think it's a no-brainer that if he continues to flourish throughout ST, he'll likely be in Kansas City on Opening day, although starting off in Omaha isn't a bad thing.

Total Points: 50