Jeremy Sowers Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

IP	400
ERA	5.175
WHIP	1.44
BB/9	2.97
SO/9	3.915

Full name Jeremy Bryan Sowers
Born 05/17/1983 in St. Clairsville, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Vanderbilt
Debut 06/25/2006
Drafted in the 1st round (6th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2004 (signed for $2,475,000).

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After three years, Sowers and the draft meet again, and he's ready to sign this time. The Reds picked Sowers 20th overall in 2001 out of Louisville's Ballard High but made little attempt to sign him, and he honored his Vanderbilt commitment. Sowers has been the Commodores' No. 1 starter for three seasons, and Southeastern Conference teams have tried to attack him by swinging early in the count. It's the best approach against this slender, efficient strike-throwing machine. Sowers pounds the zone with four pitches: an accurate, active fastball he throws anywhere from 85-91 mph, a solid-average slider and curveball, and a changeup with good movement that he uses sparingly. His consistency and makeup impress scouts nearly as much as his stuff and command. Sowers' twin brother Josh pitches at Yale with similar pitches and command from the right side.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Growing up, Sowers was more into chess than sports, and that may be the best metaphor for his approach to pitching--a strategic match of wits. A two-time first-round pick who turned down the Reds out of high school before signing for $2.475 million as the sixth pick in 2004, he finished his first pro season in Triple-A Buffalo. The Indians gave him their Bob Feller Award as their minor league pitcher of the year. Sowers doesn't overpower hitters with his 88-92 mph fastball, so he relies on his intelligence to gain an edge to keep them guessing. He locates his fastball to all four quadrants of the strike zone, and shows excellent command of both his short slider and his changeup. He scrapped his curveball in favor of the slider, which features a more cutter-like action. Though Sowers locates his changeup well, it lacks depth at times and his arm speed is inconsistent. He needs to do a better job of repeating his arm slot with his slider, as he tends to arch his back, throwing off its overall effectiveness and late bite. Several Tribe officials felt Sowers could have won in the big leagues last year, and they view him as a future 15-20 game winner in the mold of John Tudor. Sowers probably will return to Triple-A to begin 2006, but he could be the first starter Cleveland summons from the minors.
Sowers became the 12th player to be selected in the first round of two June drafts. The Reds took him 20th overall in 2001 with little or no intention of signing him, and he went sixth in 2004, making him the highest-drafted Vanderbilt player ever. He held out all summer before signing for $2.475 million. His twin brother Josh is a righthander/infielder at Yale. Sowers commands the zone with four pitches and goes right after hitters with an aggressive approach. He adds and subtracts from his fastball while mixing in a plus curveball, a cutter-type slider and a changeup. His fastball features good arm-side movement and sink from a deceptive three-quarters delivery. He can't overpower hitters with the 85-91 mph velocity on his fastball. He must further refine his changeup to put the finishing touches on his arsenal. While both of his breaking balls show tight, downward rotation, they can become more consistent. The most polished lefthander in the 2004 draft, Sowers should move swiftly up the ladder. He'll make his pro debut in high Class A and could make it to Cleveland as early as 2006.

Minor League Top Prospects

Sowers has pitched as advertised since the Indians made him the sixth overall pick in 2004, mastering each of his minor league assignments in half a season. He made his major league debut this year and threw consecutive shutouts in July. Nothing Sowers throws is overpowering, but his command makes each of his pitches play up and he has a knack for preventing batters from squaring the ball up. He throws his 86-91 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, and though it has below-average life, he can get it in under the hands of righthanders. Sowers gets outs against righties with his plus changeup, his most improved pitch this year. To attack lefties, he locates his average slider.
Sowers pitched at three levels in his debut season as a pro, opening at high Class A before cruising through two months in the EL and making his final start of the regular season in Triple-A. He went a combined 14-4, 2.37, lowering his ERA at each stop His polished repertoire is far from powerful but nonetheless effective because of pinpoint control and his advanced feel for pitching. He attacks the strike zone and adds and subtracts off his entire repertoire, which includes 86-90 mph two- and four-seam fastballs, a curveball, a slider and a changeup. "He had the best command in the league," an AL scout said. "His changeup just fell off the table. It looked like he was throwing to his children. He's Tom Glavine."
Growing up, Sowers and his twin brother Josh (who pitches in the Blue Jays system) were more into chess than sports. That may be the best metaphor for his approach to pitching--a match of wits. Sowers was brilliant in his pro debut, tormenting hitters with his smarts and excellent command of the zone with four pitches. Winston-Salem manager Chris Cron referred to him as a "comfortable loafer," and "sneaky" may be the best adjective to describe him. While most quality lefthanders get likened to Tom Glavine, Sowers is more like John Tudor, setting hitters up with pinpoint location of his secondary pitches and then blowing an average fastball by them. His best pitch is his curveball, and he also throws an 89-91 mph fastball, a slider with cutter action and a changeup. "He's just so polished," Cron said. "He just commands all his pitches well and finds a way to get it done. Sometimes you don't know how he did it, but by that time you're walking back to the dugout shaking your head."