Jared Lansford
| IP | 487 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.251 |
| WHIP | 1.419 |
| BB/9 | 3.585 |
| SO/9 | 6.376 |
- Full name Jared Tyler Lansford
- Born 10/22/1986 in Livermore, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School St Francis
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Drafted in the 2nd round (69th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2005 (signed for $525,000).
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The Lansfords have been one of the first families of baseball in the Santa Clara, Calif., area for two generations. Carney Lansford, Jared's father, played 15 seasons in the big leagues and won the 1981 American League batting title for the Red Sox. Carney's brothers, Phil (Indians, 1978) and Joe (Padres, 1979), were both first-round picks. His older son Josh, a Rangers draft pick in 2003, plays third base at Cal Poly and should be drafted again next year. Jared was expected to be a solid mid-round pick as a second baseman, but that was before his fastball was clocked at 93-94 mph. Suddenly, interest in Lansford as a pitcher took off, to a point that scouts say he could be picked as early as the second or third rounds. Lansford had pitched a lot prior to this year, but had only touched 90 and had a fringy breaking ball. Not only did his velocity spike this year, but his command, breaking ball and changeup have also been substantially better. The biggest quandary scouts have faced is that Carney wants Jared to be considered only as a position player--something every other Lansford has been--or he'll steer his son to college, either at Santa Clara or a junior college, where he would have the flexibility to both play and pitch.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Lansford is the son of Carney Lansford, who spent 15 years in the big leagues and won a World Series with the A's in 1989. The Lansford baseball lineage is distinguished, as Jared's uncles Phil (Indians, 1978) and Joe (Padres, 1979) were both first-round draft picks and his older brother Josh is a third baseman-turned-pitcher in the Cubs system. Jared is the lone member of his family to sign as a pitcher. After making the Midwest League all-star team in 2006, he pitched just four innings the following season after coming down with shoulder tendinitis. Back on the mound in 2008, Lansford moved from starting to relieving and seemed to find his niche. He works off a 91-94 mph sinker and an 82-84 mph slider that shows quick break after some improvement last year. He also has a curveball, but it's a below-average pitch that he doesn't throw much. The same is true of his changeup, which he doesn't need now that he's in the bullpen. He has some effort in his delivery, though it also creates some deception. He'll move up to Double-A in 2009. -
The son of former A's third baseman (and American League batting champion) Carney Lansford and brother of Cubs third baseman Josh, Jared had the most success of any of the prep pitchers the A's have drafted the last three years. A relative newcomer to pitching--he once was expected to join his brother as an infielder--Lansford proved a quick study, finishing his first pro season in high Class A. He was hit hard there, so the A's hope he'll make quick adjustments in 2007 in a return to Stockton. Lansford's success in 2006 hinged on his ability to keep the ball down. He works off a sinker that sits at 89-92 mph and touches 94, by far his best pitch. While he has effort in his delivery, it actually helps create deception. His slider is his second pitch, and it needs significant improvement in depth and tilt to be a swing-and-miss pitch at higher levels. His changeup is a distant third offering he doesn't trust, and he could use a split-finger fastball or cutter to give hitters a different look. The A's have hope his athletic ability will allow him to make adjustments and improve his stuff a tick, even though his frame doesn't offer classic projection. -
Lansford's father Carney played in the majors for 15 years, including 10 with Oakland, and his uncles Phil and Jose were first-round picks. Carney indicated to most teams that Jared was only interested in beginning his pro career as a position player, but the A's correctly gauged his willingness to sign as a pitcher and selected him in the second round in June. Signed for $525,000, Lansford has a low-90s fastball that can touch 94, as well as a solid breaking ball and developing changeup. He commands all of his offerings well and shows a mature understanding of his craft, not surprising for a teenager who has spent much of his life exposed to the pro game. Lansford isn't overly physical and is more of a hard worker getting the most out of good stuff than a young arm who offers a lot of projection. He's slated to join fellow 2005 draftees Craig Italiano and Vince Mazzaro in the low Class A rotation.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Lansford has a professional approach to the game, befitting a player with his bloodlines. His father Carney, a former American League batting champion, played 15 years in the big leagues, and uncles Joe and Phil were first-round picks in the 1970s. All were infielders. Primarily a position player himself in high school, Lansford was the most effective of the 10 2005 draft picks on the A's pitching staff. His fastball peaked at 94 mph, and he had a good spin on his breaking ball and an average changeup. He worked aggressively and with purpose. "He's so mature he looks like a college guy," Escalera said. "He could go to A-ball in 2006 and be in the big leagues by the time he's 20."
