Jake Esteves Stats & Scouting Report

Top Rankings

After ranking second on the organization's prospect list last year, Esteves didn't pitch at all in 2000. He came up lame in spring training with shoulder problems and doctors diagnosed a torn labrum, which necessitated major surgery. The Giants fingered an old injury that gradually worsened for the tear, which required extensive rehabilitation. Esteves wasn't ready for instructional league, and the organization left him off the 40-man roster with its fingers crossed that no one would take a pitcher with two major injuries in the past. (Esteves missed the 1997 college season with personal and elbow problems.) The gamble proved successful. He'll go to spring training with no expectations. If he comes close to his pre-injury form, San Francisco plans to end his days as a starter and make him a short reliever, either a set-up man or closer. He'll have to regain both his stuff and the confident, aggressive mentality that helps him challenge hitters with a 92-95 sinking fastball and a late-breaking slider. In the bullpen, Esteves will rely more on those pitches than on his changeup, which had developed nicely in 1999, and he may junk his curveball. But that all depends on how healthy he is in the spring.

Another stiff adversary of hitters, Esteves ranked among the ERA leaders when a promotion called. He won six games for San Jose and eight more at Double-A Shreveport. Esteves' control, four-pitch repertoire and maturity make him a candidate for the Giants rotation in 2000. In San Jose, he showed he could induce groundball outs with a devastating sinker--his best pitch--while overpowering big hitters with high fastballs. He also flashed strong fielding skills, a tribute to his athleticism. "It's the sum of all the pitches that make a good pitcher and because of that, he's got a lot going for him," Sakata said. "That feel for pitching was advanced for someone at this level. He was the best pitcher in the league when he left."