Brandon Maurer

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #6 prospect in 2013
  Maurer missed the Area Code Games before his senior high school season because of strep throat, but he got plenty of looks that spring pitching in the rotation at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High with Gerrit Cole. Signed for $150,000, Maurer had elbow problems in 2010 and shoulder woes in 2011, though he avoided surgery. Healthy in 2012, he nearly doubled his career high with 138 innings and the Mariners named him their most improved minor leaguer. Maurer, who was added to the team's 40-man roster this winter, has an athletic frame and shows the potential for four solid pitches. His two best weapons are his 93-95 mph fastball (which tops out at 97) and a swing-and-miss slider. He sharpened his curveball and improved his ability to throw it for strikes in 2012. He also developed better feel for his changeup and the confidence to throw it 12-15 times a game. He shows above-average control but still needs to learn when to expand the strike zone and entice hitters to chase. The key to his health was his commitment to conditioning in the offseason, as he moved to Arizona for the winter to work out at the Mariners' training complex. Maurer's emergence gives Seattle yet another pitching prospect with frontline potential and he'll open 2013 in Triple-A.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #21 prospect in 2012
  A case of strep throat caused Maurer to miss the 2007 Area Code Games before his senior year, but he got plenty of looks pitching in the same Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High rotation as Gerrit Cole. While Cole went in the first round of the 2008 draft--and would go No. 1 overall in 2011 after three years at UCLA--Maurer slipped to the 23rd round, where the Mariners bought him out of a Long Beach State commitment with a $150,000 bonus. He has filled out nicely since then and still has a springy, loose body. Maurer's fastball sits at 91-94 mph and gets as high as 97. He mixes in a solid slider with plus potential and shows feel for a changeup and a curveball that could both be average in time. He pounds the strike zone with all of his pitches, showing average control and working with an extremely quick tempo. Maurer has pitched just 185 innings in four pro seasons because he has had trouble staying healthy. A sore elbow limited him to 15 innings in 2010, and a shoulder strain held him to 79 frames last year. The good news is that he has avoided surgery, and to his credit, he moved to the Phoenix area this offseason so he can workout at the Mariners' spring training facility. Though he still throws with some effort, Maurer has smoothed out his delivery since signing. If he can stay healthy and get stretched out, the best-case scenario is that he becomes a No. 2 starter. If he can't handle bigger workloads, he still could be valuable as a late-inning reliever. He'll probably open the season in high Class A.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Maurer missed the Area Code Games before his senior high school season because of strep throat, but he got plenty of looks in the spring pitching in the rotation at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High with Gerrit Cole. Signed for $150,000, Maurer had elbow problems in 2010 and shoulder woes in 2011, though he avoided surgery. Healthy in 2012, he nearly doubled his career high with 138 innings and the Mariners named him their most improved minor leaguer. Scouting Report: Maurer has an athletic frame and shows the potential for four solid pitches. His two best weapons are his 93-95 mph fastball (which tops out at 97) and a swing-and-miss slider. He sharpened his curveball and improved his ability to throw it for strikes in 2012. He also developed better feel for this changeup and the confidence to throw it 12-15 times a game. Maurer shows above-average control but still needs to learn when to expand the strike zone and entice hitters to chase. The key to his health was his commitment to conditioning in the offseason, as he moved to Arizona for the winter to work out at the Mariners' training complex. The Future: The increased workload and success of the 2012 season gave Maurer a confidence boost and gave Seattle yet another pitching prospect with frontline potential. He'll open 2013 in Triple-A.