Calvin Chipperfield

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #23 prospect in 2001
  Because Chipperfield isn't tall and doesn't throw very hard, he's the type of righthander scouts often take one look at before they pack up their radar guns and head home. But his 2000 performance was too good to be ignored. He led the Midwest League in ERA and shutouts (three) while fanning more than a batter an inning and limiting opponents to a .186 average. His fastball usually is in the 87 mph range, so he has little margin for error. But he has excellent command and a curveball that he uses effectively as a strikeout pitch. A native of Australia, Chipperfield will be 23 this season, so he likely will be pushed to Double-A. That would be a huge step from low Class A, and a level where hitters aren't nearly as prone to chase curveballs out of the strike zone. The 2001 season figures to go a long way in determining whether Chipperfield has enough savvy to compensate for his physical shortcomings.