- Full name Bobby Madritsch
- Born 02/28/1976 in Oak Lawn, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Point Park (Pa.)
- Debut 07/21/2004
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Baseball America's Independent League Player of the Year in 2002, when he set a Northern League record with 153 strikeouts in 125 innings, Madritsch made a triumphant return to Organized Baseball in 2003. A Native American who's a member of the Lakota Nation, he won the Rookie-level Pioneer League strikeout crown after signing with the Reds as a sixth round pick in 1998. But he hurt his shoulder the following year, had surgery and got released by Cincinnati in the spring of 2001. He spent two years bouncing around three indy leagues before the Mariners outbid several teams to sign him. Madritsch's bread and butter is a 90-95 mph fastball that he'll bust inside on hitters or beat them with upstairs. Lefthanders can't get comfortable against him because of his arm angle and effective wildness, and he gets righties out just as easily. His changeup improved a lot last year, as did his confidence in throwing it. The key for Madritsch will be finding a usable breaking ball. His slider is below-average and he might be better off with more of a cutter. He also needs better command after tying Clint Nageotte for the Texas League high in walks. Madritsch held up well all season and through the TL playoffs, where he won both his starts, including the finale. The Mariners project him as a starter and will use him in the Triple-A rotation in 2004. If he can't come up with a reliable breaking pitch, he could make a tough reliever. -
Baseball America named Madritsch its 2002 Independent Player of the Year after he went 11-4, 2.30 and set a Northern League record with 153 strikeouts in 125 innings. After the season, the Mariners beat out several teams to sign him and added him to their 40-man roster. He originally signed with the Reds as sixth-round pick in 1998 and led the Rookie-level Pioneer League in strikeouts during his first pro summer. But after hurting his shoulder and having surgery, he missed all of 1999 and most of 2000 before the Reds released him the following spring. Madritsch's best pitch is a 92-94 mph fastball that has inconsistent life. He doesn't spin his curveball particularly well and his changeup still has a ways to go. Seattle plans on using him as a starter, though if he can't refine his secondary pitches he could settle for being a hard-throwing lefty reliever.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
After tying for the minor league lead with 17 wins in 2003, Travis Blackley was the big-name lefty in the Tacoma rotation. But Madritsch outpitched him in the PCL and made a far more positive impression in the majors, where Blackley nibbled and got hammered. Madritsch went 6-3, 3.27 in 15 outings, turning in eight quality starts in 11 tries. Though he has a consistent low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 mph, the pitch that makes Madritsch is his plus changeup. Though he slows down his delivery when he throws it, the changeup fools hitters and keeps righthanders at bay. They hit just .186 against him in the PCL, .220 in the big leagues. Madritsch's arm action is long in the back, which has hampered him in his attempts to develop a breaking ball. His curve is a 35 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. He compensates with his fastball-changeup combo and his moxie, which helped him persevere through a shoulder injury early in his career and a two-year detour in independent ball.