Samuel Deduno Stats & Scouting Report

IP	314.0
ERA	4.39
WHIP	1.452
BB/9	4.4
SO/9	6.6

Full name Samuel Deduno
Born 07/02/1983 in La Romana, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Liceo Gaston Frenando
Debut 08/27/2010

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Deduno hit another speed bump in his development during the 2010 season, suffering a stress fracture in his right elbow that forced him to sit out three months. He made four starts prior to the injury and then two more after returning to the active roster and before being promoted to the big leagues. That came after he missed the entire 2008 season following Tommy John surgery. Deduno worked out of the bullpen with the Rockies in September, which is his most likely destination in the big leagues. He has a fastball that will sit at 88-93 mph and a hard curveball, but he's still working on the changeup he needs to get lefthanders out. Deduno, who won the pitching triple crown in the Double-A Texas League in 2009, can dominate hitters when he throws strikes, but he still doesn't throw consistent quality strikes. Basic control has been an issue throughout his career, and at 27, Deduno may be best suited as a long reliever or set-up man.
Deduno missed the 2008 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he returned looking better than ever. He won the Double-A Texas League pitching triple crown, going 12-4, 2.57 with 123 strikeouts in 133 innings. He finished so strong at Tulsa that the Rockies cleared him to pitch in his native Dominican Republic during the winter. Deduno has a quality fastball that sits at 92-93 mph, as well as a power curveball. He's still working on a changeup, which will be important for him to control lefthanded hitters. He has leverage in his delivery that gives him a good downhill plane and helps him keep the ball down in the zone. He allowed just three homers last season. The key for Deduno will be command. He almost won a quadruple crown in the Texas League, finishing second with 72 walks, and he has averaged 5.0 walks per nine innings as a pro. Deduno can be a solid major league starter if he sharpens his command and develops a changeup. His two strikeout pitches should make him a good bullpen arm regardless. He'll move to Triple-A in 2010, and could get a big league callup.
Deduno was the Pioneer League pitcher of the year in 2005, his first season in the United States. He's a legitimate strikeout pitcher but is challenged to throw strikes at times. He topped the Cal League in walks last season and led the minors with 34 wild pitches, and his control was really an issue in the second half. After walking 36 in 76 first-half innings, including just five in four June starts, he issued 56 free passes in his final 70 innings. He tends to lose his release point and subsequently his feel for the strike zone. Deduno doesn't overpower hitters. His fastball is a steady 91-92 mph but has excellent sinking action. He uses a power curveball, which has earned 70 grades from some scouts, as his strikeout pitch. Deduno shows signs of developing a changeup but isn't comfortable throwing the pitch. A good athlete, Deduno has quick feet that help him hold runners. He will get another year in high Class A while he tries to gain consistency in his mechanics. He projects as a middle reliever.
Deduno had an encouraging U.S. debut in 2004 and won his first five starts in 2005, then fell prey to inconsistency. Minor shoulder soreness sidelined him for much of May and June, and he lost eight of his final 11 decisions. Upon returning from the disabled list, he developed some bad habits with his mechanics. He started separating his hands too early, throwing off his timing and affecting his command and pitch quality. He got to the point where the only pitch he had confidence in throwing for strikes was his curveball. Deduno did make adjustments and got back on track in the Rockies' Dominican instructional league program. Besides his hard curveball, he also has a plus fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and has good cutting action. He can dominate hitters, averaging 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings over the past two seasons. To remain a starter, Deduno will have to make significant improvement to his changeup. He also needs to stop worrying about being too fine with his pitches and just let his natural stuff work for him. If he doesn't begin 2006 in high Class A, he should get there later in the season.
In his first year in the United States, Deduno was named Pioneer League pitcher of the year after leading the league in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings (13.9). His best pitch is a fastball that has natural cutting action and regularly registers at 90-91 mph, topping out at 93. He also throws a hard curveball that overmatched Pioneer Leaguers. His changeup isn't nearly as advanced as the rest of his repertoire, but it does show potential. Deduno struggled early in the summer, but responded when Casper manager P.J. Carey challenged him. Besides improving his changeup, he needs to do a better job of throwing strikes, maintaining his focus and showing mound presence. Deduno was a bit old for Rookie ball and will get a sterner test in low Class A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

After getting rocked in Tulsa in 2007 and missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery, Deduno returned to the TL and won the league's pitcher of the year award and pitching triple crown. He led the league in wins (12), ERA (2.57) and strikeouts (123 in 133 innings). Deduno features a power arsenal, with a 90-94 mph fastball that cuts and runs, as well as a curveball that was a plus pitch at times. His changeup also shows promise. Nothing he throws is straight, and his .202 opponent average was easily the best in the league. The life on his pitches sometimes works to his detriment, however. Catchers, umpires and even Deduno himself don't always know which way his pitches are going, and he often finds himself pitching out of trouble. He was just three walks away from leading the TL in that category, and he'll have to sharpen his command to succeed in the big leagues.
Deduno continued to be an enigma, finishing second in the Cal League to teammate Morales with 167 strikeouts, but also leading the minors with 34 wild pitches and finishing fourth in the minors with 92 walks. Clearly, command is his bugaboo, but when he's on, he's nasty. His best pitch is a sometimes plus-plus power curveball, and he also showed an above-average 92-94 mph fastball with so much movement that his catchers would sometimes struggle to catch it cleanly. "That breaking ball is devastating, but I don't know what to think of this guy," a National League scout said. "The breaking ball is unhittable when he commands it, but after two or three innings, he couldn't find the release point. He was lights out for three innings both times I saw him, then was an absolute thrower." Right now, Deduno is essentially a two-pitch guy who profiles as a potential dominant reliver if he can harness his stuff. He has a little feel for his changeup, but it has a long way to go if he's to remain a starter.
Deduno turned a corner in his second pro season. He developed his curveball and learned how to set hitters up, easily leading the PL in strikeouts (118 in 76 innings) and strikeout per nine innings (13.9). He also was named the league's pitcher of the year. "He gave us fits," Rupp said. "He's not a big guy but he knows how to pitch. Nothing he does is overpowering but he mixes his pitches well and he has good offspeed stuff. He continually keeps hitters off balance." Deduno gets ahead of hitters with his low-90s fastball and hard-biting curveball that he'll throw in any count. Not only did hitters struggle to make contact against him, they rarely hit him hard when they did put balls in play.