• Full name Kyle Jordan Drabek
  • Born 12/08/1987 in Victoria, TX
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School The Woodlands
  • Debut 09/15/2010
  • Drafted in the 1st round (18th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 (signed for $1,550,000).
    View Draft Report
    There may not be a more gifted player than Drabek in this draft, but he also comes with makeup concerns. On the mound, he shows better stuff than his father, former Cy Young Award winner Doug. Though he's 5-foot-11, he has the arm speed to deliver 94-95 mph fastballs and top out at 97. His best pitch may be his 78-82 mph spike curveball, which is all but unhittable. The lone knock on the pitch is that he relies on it too much. "He has as good an arm as anyone," an American League scouting director said. "When his fastball and curve are on, he has the best two-pitch combination in the draft." Drabek has a decent slider and feel for a changeup, though he rarely needs to use either at this point. He finishes a bit upright in his delivery, but his mechanics are otherwise sound and the ball comes out of his hand easily. He could also make a case for being the best high school position player in the draft, as he's a comparable hitter to New Jersey's Bill Rowell and would have a better shot at playing shortstop as a pro. Yet some teams are backing away from Drabek. He's high-strung on the field, and there are off-field issues as well, but he'll still go in the middle of the first round.

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Best Tools List

  • Rated Best Curveball in the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011
  • Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Eastern League in 2010
  • Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Eastern League in 2010
  • Rated Best Curveball in the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010
  • Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Florida State League in 2009
  • Rated Best Curveball in the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009
  • Rated Best Curveball in the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008
  • Rated Best Curveball in the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007

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