Prospect Countdown: #9 Jason Adam

9. Jason Adam Right Handed Pitcher

www.milb.com

Age: 21
Position: RHP
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 219
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2010 Amateur Draft
From: Overland Park, KS



Paden Bennett (9):  Jason Adam doesn't have fantastic stuff, but he does have great control.  Control can take you a long way in baseball, just ask guys like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.  Jason Adam is only 21 years old and has had success in A ball to the tune of a 3.53 era in 158 innings pitched along with only 18 walks last season.  Those numbers are impressive.  I really like Jason Adam and I see his upside as high as a number 2 starter if he can continue to throw strikes.  I hope to see Adam in NWA this season.

Joe Cox (14): Jason Adam is a local Kansas City prospect acquired in the fifth round of the 2010 draft.  Adam does not feature dominating stuff, but he does have good command of his pitches and should have three average to above average pitches in his fastball, curveball and changeup.  Adam was pretty impressive in high A last year over 27 starts.  Adam ended the year with a 3.53 ERA while walking only 36 batters and striking out 123 over 158 innings.  He did give up 18 home runs and his ERA outdid his 4.05 FIP.  The 6’4, 225 pound Adam has the potential to be a workhouse at the major league level as a 3 or 4 starter and has one of the highest floors of all the top prospects in the system.

Damion Mandalas (10):  As Joe touched on, Adam has a relatively safe floor for a 21 year old that has yet to throw an inning over A ball. At this point Adam's stuff probably limits him to the upside of a 3 or 4 starter. However, the if Adam can tap back into the velocity that he showed off in 2010 instructs, his ceiling would rise. Adam should start 2013 in Northwest Arkansas, where he will work to tap into more velocity, gain consistency in his speed to the plate, and improve against the running game.

Dan Ware (8):   Adam has been able to prove in his first 2 seasons as a pro that he has the capability to pitch deep into the season and get you innings.  The numbers from 2012 for Jason were solid: 158 innings in 27 starts which averages out to be close to 6 innings a start, which I'll take.  His 3.53 ERA was well below the Carolina league average of 4.00 and his K/BB ratio was solid as well.  His struggle last season was trying to keep the flyballs inside the park, giving up 18 HR and posting a high HR/OFB%.

Jason has a 93-97 fastball, a curve that can definitely turn into a good plus pitch, and a changeup that has the potential of being an above average off-speed pitch.  Going more in-depth, Adam's delivery to the plate is very slow and in 2010, he allowed 27 stolen bases in 30 chances for 90% SB rate, which verifies that his approach to the plate is somewhat stagnant.  Last season in Wilmington, he dropped that rate substantially, allowing 21 stolen bases in 30 chances for a 70% rate.  Aside from his delivery, Jason is very talented and works extremely hard and if he impresses this spring, he'll most likely start off with Northwest Arkansas, which you will not hear me complain about at all.

Total Points: 83