2014 Prospect Countdown: #36 Jake Newberry

36. Jake Newberry Right Handed Pitcher

www.milb.com

Age: 19
Position: RHP
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted in the 37th Round of the 2012 Amateur Draft
From: San Diego, CA

Landon Adams (NR): Newberry failed to make my personal countdown and to be blunt, there might not be a player in our list that I am more unfamiliar with. Looking over the former 37th round pick's results, I am particularly impressed by the .223/.319/.312 slash line that he has limited opposing hitters to over his brief career. The other items that stand out to me are Newberry's splits. For his career Newberry limits right handers to .174/.250/.262, while lefties have hit .317/.434/.402 against him. Obviously, Newberry progression is going to rely on the development of a change up that can serve as a weapon to opposite side hitters.  

Paden Bennett (NR): Newberry, the San Diego native was drafted in the 37th round of the 2012 Amateur draft.  Last year in the Appalachian League he showed good ability to strike guys out with 50 k's in just 47 innings.  However he did walk 24 in those 47 innings.  I do not see Newberry becoming a starter, I think he becomes a reliever because of his inability to locate his pitches consistently.  But hey, he is still only 19 years old it is probably way to early to make that call.  Prove me wrong Jake.

Joe Cox (26): Jake Newberry was a late round flyer pick in the 2012 amateur draft for the Royals.  In 2013 as an 18 year old Newberry pitched 47 innings in the Appalachian League.  Newberry throws in the low 90’s and with improved mechanics could see that number increase.  He has a four pitch arsenal that includes a plus change up.  With only 22 professional appearances (6 GS) under his belt, along with only pitching one season of Varsity baseball in High School, there isn’t a strong conclusion that can be made about Newberry.  In reality, including him as a top 30 prospect in the organization may be a stretch, especially if he doesn’t end up at least attempting to start in the minors.  He has not shown very good command during his professional career, but has struck out more than a batter per IP during his professional career.  Newberry will stay in the low minors again this year as a 19 year old.  I would like to see a boost in innings next season and see what he does. 

Dan Ware (NR): For the Royals, Newberry was a very young steal for the organization in the 37th round.  The 19 year old held his own last year on the bump, throwing 47 innings, while striking out 50 batters. His fastball sits around 89-91.  He also owns a 2 seamer, a solid changeup, and recently added a slider to his repertoire.  As he gains a few more years of experience with weight training and conditioning, his velocity could very well increase a few notches, which will definitely help the right hander.  Newberry will likely start off in Burlington again, or head north to Idaho Falls for 2014. 

Total Points: 5