- Full name Rodrigo Rosario
- Born 12/14/1977 in La Romana, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 165 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 06/21/2003
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Luke Hagerty isn't the only former top pitching prospect the Marlins took a chance on in the Rule 5 draft. In the Triple-A phase of the draft, Florida grabbed Rosario, who beat the Rangers in his major league debut in June 2003, then went down with a major shoulder injury when he faced Texas again six days later. He hasn't pitched in a game since. Rosario had surgery to repair labrum and rotator-cuff tears and to shore up some instability in his shoulder, and also to fix a torn biceps tendon. Before he got hurt, he owned a lively 91-92 mph fastball, an average slider and a so-so changeup. The Marlins had reports that Rosario was throwing well this winter despite sitting out the winter season in his native Dominican Republic, so they figured he was worth the gamble. If he doesn't make a comeback, they'll only be out the $12,000 Triple-A Rule 5 draft price. -
Rosario's first two big league starts couldn't have been any different. He beat the Rangers in his big league debut, allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings. Six days later he faced Texas again, but this time a sore shoulder forced him to leave after two scoreless innings and signaled the end of his season. When Rosario had surgery in August, the damage was worse than initially believed. He had labrum and rotator-cuff tears plus instability in the shoulder, not to mention a torn biceps tendon. A healthy Rosario would have ranked third on this list, but he probably won't pitch at all in 2004. The Astros released him in November and brought him back on a minor league contract in January. Hitters have difficulty making solid contact against Rosario. Though he threw 93-95 mph in his brief major league stint, he usually sits at 91-92 mph and gets a lot more movement when he does. He doesn't have a classic slider, but when he stays on top of the pitch it works for him. He had shown an improved slider and changeup before he got hurt. Because Rosario has a slight build, his durability may always be questioned. So will his future until he returns to the mound and shows if he can recapture his ability to miss bats. -
Rosario's 2002 got off to an inauspicious start when his birthdate was revealed to be two years earlier than previously believed. That meant his breakout year at low Class A Lexington came when he was 23. Nevertheless, Rosario didn't have the same trouble Houston's other top prospects did making the jump to Double-A. Rosario throws four pitches, all of which come in at the knees or lower, and at times each can be above-average. His most trustworthy weapon is a 91-95 mph fastball with late sink and boring action. His slurvy curveball is his No. 2 pitch, and he also employs a slider and a changeup. He must get stronger after coming down with a tired arm at midseason last year. Rosario likes to vary his arm angle, but when he drops down too low his breaking stuff flattens out and misses the strike zone more often. He needs to decide on a third pitch and use it more often. Rosario didn't bounce all the way back this winter in his native Dominican Republic, where he had a 23.63 ERA in three appearances. If healthy, he'll advance to Triple-A and could reach Houston by the end of the year. -
Because he hadn't distinguished himself beyond owning a good fastball, Rosario began 2001 in the bullpen at Lexington. Moved into the rotation when Ryan Jamison strained his biceps, Rosario responded by not allowing an earned run in his first three outings and went 12-3, 1.97 as a starter. Rosario still has his nasty 91-94 mph fastball with late life. The difference is now he has learned he needs more than one pitch. His slurve has become an out pitch that buckles the knees of righthanders, and he shows good arm action on his changeup. He's all arms and legs in his delivery, making it difficult to pick up his pitches, and he has fine command. He likes to vary his arm angle to further confuse batters, though Rosario needs to recognize that doing so flattens out his breaking ball. His slurve and changeup can get better and should do so as he gains experience. High Class A would be the logical progression for Rosario, but the Astros don't have that option. If he doesn't make Double-A out of spring training, he could by the end of the season.
Minor League Top Prospects
-
Rosario might have made a difference in the NL Central race. After beating the Rangers in his first big league start in late June, he had to leave his next outing after two innings with shoulder stiffness. He had August surgery to repair partial tears of his rotator cuff and biceps tendon, and with his slight build his durability may always be in question. When healthy, Rosario is difficult to hit. He allowed PCL opponents to bat just .222, matching his career mark and .004 better than Harden's performance. His fastball dances and is more effective at 91-92 mph, while he loses movement and gets it up in the zone when he maxes out at 94-95. Rosario made good progress with his slider and changeup. His breaking ball isn't a classic, tight slider, but when he stays on top of the pitch it's just as allergic to bats as his fastball. His changeup also showed improvement.