Erik Thompson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #26 prospect in 2005
  Thompson and the Rangers admitted the obvious, as his official height dropped two inches to a more truthful 5-foot-9. Despite his size, he would rank much higher if he could stay healthy. He had Tommy John surgery as a junior-college freshman, and more recently came down with a sore shoulder that allowed him to make just one start after the all-star break last year. Thompson pounds the strike zone with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s with average movement. He also has an average changeup and a fringy slider that lacks depth because of his height and inability to stay on top of it. Thompson doesn't have a knockout pitch, as evidenced by his declining strikeout rate as he has advanced, and clearly durability is another question. However, pitchers with his combination of velocity and control--the best in the organization--are hard to find. Thompson likely is headed to the bullpen if his arm holds up. If he takes to the role, he won't be far from helping the big league club.
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #15 prospect in 2004
  Drafted in the 43rd round out of high school by the Rangers in 2000, Thompson passed on his commitment to Florida to spend two years at Pensacola Junior College. His freshman season was wiped out by Tommy John surgery. He recovered in time to get drafted by the Rangers again in 2002, and shows no ill effects from the operation. Despite his lack of size, Thompson has a power arm. As a high school sophomore, he once recorded all 21 outs in a seven-inning complete game by strikeout. He fills the zone with three pitches, including a 90-95 mph sinking fastball. His slider is a solid pitch when he stays on top of it, but he drops his arm slot, costing the pitch depth and bite. He's working on improving his changeup as well. If there's a knock on Thompson's stuff, it's that it often arrives on a flat plane, making it more hittable. He finished his first full season with 13 scoreless frames and 16 strikeouts in the California League playoffs. Thompson's command and control are so good, that his pitches should improve with experience. He's slated to join the Double-A rotation.
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #23 prospect in 2003
  The Rangers drafted Thompson in the 43rd round out of high school, but had to wait two more years to land him as a 12th-rounder out of Pensacola JC. In between, the one-time Florida recruit had Tommy John surgery. While 2002 was his first full season back from the injury, Thompson maintained an 88-93 mph fastball throughout the season and showed the ability to spot it anywhere. He's a short righthander, but he has long arms and gets life on his pitches by throwing from a low three-quarters arm angle. Thompson touched 96 mph early last spring and he's aggressive early in the count with his fastball, helping him to have incredibly low walk totals--three in 32 pro innings, one in instructional league. He also has command of a curveball that can be a plus pitch. The Rangers brought Thompson along slowly last summer after he had a heavy workload in the spring, so a jump to high Class A in 2003 wouldn't be a surprise. A bulldog on the mound, he could move quickly.