Josh Sharpless

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #18 prospect in 2008
  Former Pirates scout and baseball-operations direction Jon Mercurio discovered Sharpless as local college senior playing at the NCAA Division III level in the North Coast Athletic Conference. He pitched just 19 innings as a senior while battling mononucleosis, and Mercurio signed him for $1,500 as a 24th-rounder. Sharpless ascended through the system and was nearly unhittable in his first four pro years by using a big-breaking slider and a 90-mph fastball that got on hitters quickly because of his straight overhand delivery. That earned him a promotion to the major leagues, and he pitched well for the Pirates in the final two months of the 2006 season. However, he struggled with mechanical changes former pitching coach Jim Colborn made with his delivery last spring, lost the release point on his slider and struggled to throw strikes throughout 2007 as he lost confidence. A change in regimes in Pittsburgh should help as Sharpless tries to regain his old form, though he will likely begin 2008 in Triple-A after not getting a September callup.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #6 prospect in 2007
  Sharpless was lightly recruited by colleges out of high school in suburban Pittsburgh, and he pitched just 19 innings as a senior after getting mononucleosis. He spent four years at Division III Allegheny (Pa.) before signing for $1,500 as a 24th-rounder. He returned home twice in 2006, first for the Futures Game in July and then when the Pirates called him up in August. Sharpless put up video-game numbers in the minors (2.20 ERA, 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings) and succeeded in the majors because hitters have such a difficult time picking up his pitches. He throws straight over the top, and his outstanding slider breaks so big and so late that batters have almost no time to react. His 92 mph fastball occasionally hits 95 and looks faster because of his long wingspan. He has struggled with his control at times, most notably after his big league callup. However, Sharpless began throwing more strikes after Pirates pitching coach Jim Colborn made a mechanical adjustment late in 2006. He's not athletic and doesn't field his position well. Sharpless has a good chance of winning a middle-relief job in Pittsburgh during spring training. If can find the strike zone consistently, he has the ability to eventually become a set-up man and perhaps even a closer.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #17 prospect in 2006
  Sharpless has proven to be quite a find for Pittsburgh since signing as a 24th-round pick out of nearby Allegheny College, an NCAA Division III school. He has averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings as a pro and held opponents to a .107 batting average last year before missing the final two months with a strained elbow. Sharpless has an outstanding slider that is hard and breaks late, leaving hitters to flail at it. His fastball is usually in the 88-91 mph range but looks faster because he throws it from straight over the top. He's still somewhat raw and lost valuable development time because of his elbow, but he pitched pain-free in instructional league. He's not athletic and struggles to repeat his delivery at times. Sharpless doesn't have a whole lot left to prove in the minors beyond his health. Spring training will determine whether he begins 2006 in Double-A or Triple-A, and he very well could make his Pittsburgh debut later in the year.