P.J. Dean
| IP | 77 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 2.571 |
| WHIP | 1.039 |
| BB/9 | 3.156 |
| SO/9 | 7.013 |
- Full name Philip J. Dean
- Born 10/27/1988 in New Caney, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School New Caney
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Drafted in the 7th round (220th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2007 (signed for $120,000).
View Draft Report
Like fellow Oklahoma recruit Blake Beavan, righthander P.J. Dean may not make it to the Sooners. He's projectable at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, and his present stuff already is pretty good, highlighted by an 88-92 mph fastball and a hard breaking ball. His command and mechanics need work, and scouts have questions about his makeup, so he could fall out of the first five rounds.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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An Oklahoma signee, Dean was all but packed for Norman when the Nationals swooped in with a $120,000 bonus for the seventh-rounder in 2007. That aggressiveness paid off 17 months later, when Washington sent him with second basemen Emilio Bonifacio and Jake Smolinski to get arbitration-eligible Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham from the Marlins. Dean has a lean, projectable frame, and he already has added strength and velocity after just one full pro season. He dominated more experienced competition in the New York-Penn League in 2008, permitting opponents to bat just .169. His fastball, which sat at 88-91 mph during his first pro summer, parked at 91-92 mph and topped out at 94 last year. His heater features plus life and could add still more velocity as he fills out. Dean also features a hard curve and an improved changeup he uses against both lefties and righties. Fastball command remains a bit of an issue, but he has excellent feel for pitching. He should start 2009 in low Class A, where he'll be tested by the tight confines of Greensboro's NewBridge Bank Park. -
The Nationals bought Dean out of a commitment to Oklahoma with a $120,000 bonus as a seventh-round pick in June. He made a positive first impression in his debut before hitting a wall late in the summer. Washington compares his lean, athletic body and clean arm action to Collin Balester's, and like a younger Balester, Dean needs to get stronger. But he already operates at 89-91 mph and touches 92 with his lively fastball, and there's plenty of room for projection. He throws his fastball and his hard, sharp curveball for strikes, and he flashes a promising changeup. There were questions about Dean's makeup in high school, but he's young and simply needs to mature. His command isn't bad for his age, but it will have to improve as he moves up the ladder. Dean figures to start the year in extended spring training and then advance to Vermont. He could blossom into a mid-rotation starter as he matures physically and mentally.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Like Barnese, Dean is a 19-year-old righthander who dominated older competition, allowing no more than one earned run in eight of his 10 starts. After he worked in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball last year in his pro debut, his velocity jumped in his first full season, sitting at 91-92 and touching 93-94. The life on his fastball makes it an above-average offering, and he could add more velocity as he fills out his 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame. Dean complements his fastball with a pair of average secondary pitches: a hard curveball, and an improved changeup with good fade that he uses against both lefthanders and righthanders. He has a very good feel for pitching but needs to improve his fastball command, as he has a tendency to leave it up in the zone. He's a quality athlete who fields his position well.
