Wilson Guzman

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #23 prospect in 2001
  Guzman has slowly worked his way up the chain in six seasons, spending two years in the Dominican Summer League and parts of three seasons at Lynchburg before moving to Double-A last summer. His patience paid off as he was the Pirates' minor league pitcher of the year in 2000. Guzman stands only 5-foot-9 but succeeds with guile. His fastball has average velocity with nice life, and he mixes it with a good changeup and decent slider. His unorthodox delivery and ability to change speeds keeps hitters off balance. He’s a strong competitor who never backs down. Guzman's stature leaves his long-term future as a starter in doubt because of potential stamina problems. Though he completed three games for Altoona last season, he was primarily a reliever in five previous pro seasons and his arm isn't used to a lot of innings. He also needs to tighten his slider to better combat lefthanders. Guzman came a long way last season and likely will get a chance in Triple-A this year. If he handles that challenge, he'll be in the majors at some point, probably as a reliever.