Brandon Puffer
| IP | 115 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.087 |
| WHIP | 1.661 |
| BB/9 | 5.243 |
| SO/9 | 5.557 |
- Full name Brandon Duane Puffer
- Born 10/05/1975 in Downey, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Capistrano Valley
- Debut 04/17/2002
- Drafted in the 27th round (743rd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 1994.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Astros have a collection of older relievers who performed well in the upper minors and earned spots on the 40-man roster last year. Jim Mann tied for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League saves lead, while Ricky Stone was a solid swingman in Double-A. Both pitched well in brief September stints with Houston as well. Though Puffer didn't reach the majors, he has a bit more upside. After the Twins, Angels, Reds and Rockies let him go earlier in his career, he went to the independent Atlantic League before signing with the Astros in July 2000. In his first full year in the organization, he held opponents to a .181 average, the lowest among Texas League relievers. A sidearmer who hitters can't get comfortable against, Puffer picked up 3-4 mph on his fastball last year and topped out at 93 mph. He throws both two-seamers and four-seamers, so he can make the pitch sink or ride, and he enjoys working inside. He also has a sweeping slider that works versus both righthanders (they chase it out of the zone) and lefthanders (he back-doors it on them for strikes). He'll also changes speeds on his fastball versus lefties, and they give him little trouble. Puffer needs to throw more strikes and prove he can get hitters out in Triple-A. He certainly has the stuff to do so.
