Brandon Magee
| IP | 443 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.287 |
| WHIP | 1.44 |
| BB/9 | 3.393 |
| SO/9 | 4.409 |
- Full name Brandon M. Magee
- Born 07/26/1983 in Sheboygan, WI
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Bradley
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Drafted in the 4th round (120th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006 (signed for $155,000).
View Draft Report
One of the more attractive senior signs in the 2006 draft, Magee could have gone in the eighth to 12th round a year ago if scouts had had a better feel for his signability. The extra year has helped him. He has gotten stronger and his stuff has improved. His fastball is up a tick to 89-94 mph with good life down in the zone and his slider is up to 81-84 mph with increased bite. He's commanding his pitches better as well. Magee also employs a changeup, and on his best days all three of his pitches will be average or better. He's just five strikeouts short of Bradley's career record of 262, which has stood since 1957. Magee's long, lean 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame continues to draw comparisons to Matt Clement's, though scouts don't care for his maximum-effort delivery. He's one of the oldest players in the draft, as he'll turn 23 in late July. A team looking for a senior discount without sacrificing much in the way of talent could take him as early as the fourth or fifth round.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Magee began his college career as Bradley's closer but blossomed into a starter and finished with 260 strikeouts, one shy of the school record. He became one of the top senior signs in the 2006 draft, nabbing a $155,000 bonus in the fourth round. After a modest pro debut in 2006, Magee jumped to high Class A and dug himself into a hole, going 0-2, 9.56 in April. Once he stopped overthrowing, he reduced his ERA to 3.91 by season's end and ranked third in the Florida State League with 157 innings. The key for Magee is extension out in front, which is crucial to adding sink and movement to his 91-93 mph fastball down in the zone. He uses his above-average slider as an out pitch. Magee has shown modest aptitude for a changeup, and he's learning to command a cutter to give him a third weapon. Many scouts see him as a reliever because of his sinker/slider repertoire, lack of a reliable third pitch and the effort in his delivery. At best, he profiles as a back-end starter on a good team. Keeping the ball down and getting innings will be Magee's main goals as he moves to Double-A in 2008. -
Magee began his college career as Bradley's closer but blossomed into a starter and finished with 260 strikeouts, one shy of the school record. He would have gone between the eighth and 12th round as a junior in 2005 had his signability not been cloudy. He became one of the top senior signs in 2006, turning pro for $155,000 in the fourth round. Added strength allowed the tall, lean Magee to increase and hold his fastball velocity in the low 90s as a senior. He gets well above-average sink on his two-seamer, can dial it up to 94 when needed and delivers it on a steep downward plane from a high three-quarters delivery. He posted a strong 2.1 ground/fly ratio in his debut. Magee's plus slider was his bread-and-butter pitch in college and is the best in the system. Magee's slider was so good that he used it too much in college, and the Jays tried to get him to de-emphasize it somewhat and mix in more changeups. He also showed a tendency to keep his back foot locked to the rubber after delivering a pitch, and made a slight mechanical adjustment to correct it. There's some effort in his delivery, and some scouts believe he's better suited to be a reliever. The Jays believe Magee's ceiling, as a No. 3 starter, rivals that of any pitcher they've drafted in the past five years. Because he's already 23, he likely will be challenged with an Opening Day assignment to high Class A.
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Slider in the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007
