James Simmons, rhp, Athletics
B-T: R-R.
Ht: 6-4. Wt.: 215.
Birthdate: 9/29/1986.
School: UC Riverside
Class: Jr.
Previously Drafted: Never drafted.
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B-T: R-R.Ht: 6-4. Wt.: 215.
Birthdate: 9/29/1986.
School: UC Riverside
Class: Jr.
Previously Drafted: Never drafted.
| THROUGH THE YEARS IN BASEBALL AMERICA |
| 2007 |
• Aaron Fitt wrote a feature story on Simmons' rise to dominance at UC Riverside  .• Simmons ranked seventh in a talented class of California prospects .• Simmons had a strong outing against Cal State Fullerton in April in a showdown vs. Wes Roemer. • In our midseason update, Simmons ranked No. 20 on our list of the Top 50 College Prospects .• One National League scouting director called Simmons one of the best pitchers on the West Coast. • Simmons struck out 15 in a four-hit, complete-game shutout against San Francisco ace Aaron Poreda. • On our Top 50 College Junior Prospects board , Simmons ranked No. 19 on the list.• Simmons was a preseason third-team All-America pitcher and ranked second among Big West prospects . |
| 2006 |
| • In our sneak peak at the 2007 draft , Simmons ranked No. 37 on our list. • After pitching in the Cape Cod League, Simmons was the eighth-best prospect from that league . |
| 2004 |
| • We ranked Simmons as the No. 96 prospect in Southern California during his senior year at Norco High School. |
| SCOUTING REPORT |
| Simmons was a high school teammate of San Diego's Josh Romanski, a sophomore lefty and the Toreros' No. 2 starter. Simmons has been UC Riverside's ace since his freshman season in 2005, when he won at Oregon State but was academically ineligible at midseason. He followed a good sophomore season by dominating the Cape Cod League last summer, posting a 1.18 ERA. Simmons has worn the label of ace even more comfortably as a junior, winning a much-hyped duel with Cal State Fullerton rival Wes Roemer in late April, when he pumped up his fastball to 93 mph. Usually, Simmons sits at 89-90 mph, but he commands the fastball better than anyone else in college baseball in 2007. Scouts give him 60 or even 70 grades (on the 20-80 scale) for his command. He pitches off the fastball, both a sinking two-seamer and firmer four-seamer, and works all quadrants of the strike zone. Some scouts don't like his secondary pitches as anything but fringe-average, but his slider and particularly his changeup find some takers. His slow curveball needs significant improvement. His toughness and above-average makeup endear him to all scouts. Simmons will go as high in the draft--and as far as a pro--as his fastball command takes him. |
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