Steve Sparks

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #22 prospect in 2001
  Two players named Steve Sparks pitched in the major leagues last season. The better-known Steve Sparks is a knuckleballer who has played with Milwaukee, Anaheim and Detroit. This one is the total opposite, a hard thrower with little finesse. He's a prototypical power pitcher, a big guy who can throw his fastball as high as 96-97 mph. Sparks rarely topped 87 mph at South Alabama and has added velocity as a professional by making mechanical adjustments and building arm strength. He also throws a hard slider. Sparks has yet to gain command of his fastball/slider combination. He had an especially hard time throwing strikes in his brief major league stint last summer and may have to take a little off his fastball to get it over the plate. He never has been able to master a changeup, which held him back as a starter. The Pirates have decided Sparks is better suited for relief, and he'll work out of the bullpen this season, either in Triple-A or Double-A depending on how he performs in spring training. The potential is there for Sparks to be a late-inning reliever if he consistently throws strikes.