Boston's 2004 Gulf Coast League entry had two righthanders, Jesus Delgado and Olivo Astacio, who can throw in the mid-90s. James doesn't have that kind of velocity, but he's a much more advanced pitcher and a better prospect, not to mention the GCL club's pitcher of the year. He also won a one-game playoff against the Mets with 5 2/3 strong innings, putting the Red Sox into the GCL finals. A cousin of Kelvim Escobar, James already shows the ability to repeat his delivery, allowing him to find the strike zone consistently. He's still young and needs to fill out his skinny frame, but once he matures physically he should have three average to plus pitches. He has solid velocity on his fastball, which ranges from 89-93 mph, and throws a curveball and changeup. He's probably headed to Lowell in 2004, though James is precocious enough to make a push for low Class A.
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