Clayton Blackburn

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #23 prospect in 2017
  A Marlins supplemental first-round pick in 2013, Krook was the second-highest drafted player that year to not sign. A post-draft physical revealed injury concerns that caused Miami to drop its bonus offer. So Krook went to Oregon and was on his way to a dominating freshman year when he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound as a junior his control deserted him. Krook has been unable to consistently repeat his release point since he returned from surgery. He spins off to third base too often and fails to stay online to the plate. But his 93-94 mph fastball has some of the best sink and life evaluators have ever seen. The pitch has been compared with Orioles closer Zach Britton's turbo sinker. One evaluator described it as having split-finger action. When Krook is locating his fastball, he succeeds with that one pitch. He actually flashes a plus curveball and a usable changeup as well, but he has thrown so few strikes that they rarely make an appearance. Krook's control has been bottom-of-the-scale for the past year, but he retains a ceiling of power reliever or possibly mid-rotation starter based on his incredible fastball. He will jump to low Class A Augusta in 2017.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #8 prospect in 2016
  In the best high school pitching class in Oklahoma history, Blackburn seemed like an afterthought. But while 2011 first-rounders Archie Bradley and Dylan Bundy have struggled with injuries, Blackburn, the 16th-rounder who signed for $150,000, just keeps getting better. He bounced back from a spring-training shoulder injury in 2015 to record a 2.85 ERA at Triple-A Sacramento that led the Pacific Coast League. Blackburn repeated his delivery much better in 2015 after getting into better shape. He lacks a true plus pitch but is around the zone with all his offerings. His low-90s fastball plays up because he can sink and run it with excellent location. He has switched from the loopy, slow curve he threw early in his career to a tighter, much harder slider that flashes above-average now, thanks to it breaks late. He also mixes in an average changeup and an occasional average cutter. Blackburn keeps the ball in the park and allowed just six home runs in 2015, when he recorded a 1.6 groundout-to-airout ratio that ranked third among PCL pitchers with at least 100 innings. He is pitch efficient and fields his position well. Blackburn is ready to compete for a spot in the big league rotation. His pitchability gives him a chance to be a solid No. 4 starter.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #5 prospect in 2015
  A high school draftee who has always pitched like a veteran, even when he was a teenager, Blackburn was a $150,000 late-round find for the Giants, as he spurned Oklahoma for pro ball. He's a 6-foot-2, thick-bodied righthander who will have to watch his weight, and he battled pulled oblique injuries in 2014, but otherwise his weight has proven no hinderance to his clean, easy delivery. Probably the best compliment for Blackburn is that he throws every pitch with a purpose. He'll show hitters a below-average curveball pretty regularly, but it serves its purpose: misdirection. He'll flip a fringy breaking ball up early in the count for a get-me-over strike when hitters aren't looking for it, then he'll snap a plus breaking ball for strike three later in the at-bat. He also adds and subtracts off his fastball. Blackburn tosses a sinking two-seam fastball at 86 mph down in the zone in a near unhittable location, followed by a 92-94 fastball that looks harder because everything before it was softer. Blackburn is a rare minor leaguer with above-average command. His sinking fastball is an average offering, but his changeup and curveball both play as above-average and his hard cutter/slider is average. Blackburn, who got some extra work in the Arizona Fall League, projects as a No. 4 starter who could exceed that projection because of his feel and command. He's ready for Triple-A Sacramento.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #10 prospect in 2014
  The Giants bought Blackburn out of his commitment to Oklahoma for $150,000, then watched him pitch with the maturity and finesse of a college senior. He led the low Class A South Atlantic League in WHIP (1.02) and strikeouts (143) in 2012 but struggled to replicate his success at high Class A San Jose in 2013. In one nine-start stretch in May and June, he allowed 33 earned runs in 49 innings. Blackburn struggled with command for the first time, and several nagging injuries probably were to blame for inconsistent mechanics and pitches that rode up in the zone. He's a big-bodied presence on the mound in the mold of Rick Reuschel and when healthy, his command of four pitches draws comparisons with a young Joe Blanton. He's a better athlete than his size would indicate, though coaches have to stay on him about his conditioning work. Blackburn can pitch at 89-93 mph with his fastball but is more comfortable sitting 87-90 with the ability to throw his curve, changeup and slider for strikes in any count. His curveball has some power at up to 77 mph and earns some plus grades. Although Blackburn had some growing pains, he still had a near-4.0 SO/BB ratio and finished strong, particularly after taking a perfect game into the seventh inning on July 25 at Lancaster. He profiles as a rotation workhorse and heads to Double-A in 2014.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #6 prospect in 2013
  Blackburn was ready to start his pro career and the Giants knew it, so they positioned themselves to get one of the biggest steals out of the 2011 draft. His commitment to Oklahoma dropped him to the 16th round, where San Francisco signed him for $150,000. After he posted a 1.08 ERA in the Rookie-level Arizona League during his pro debut, the Giants had no hesitation sending him to low Class A in 2012. At age 19, he led the South Atlantic League in strikeouts (143), K-BB ratio (7.9) and WHIP (1.02). Blackburn has a stocky build reminiscent of Brad Penny, but with less steam on his fastball. Blackburn tops out at 92 mph but pitches at 87-89. He has advanced feel for a curveball and slider that he can shape to fit any situation. He also has an inconsistent changeup. Blackburn will make his curve a little harder when he needs a strikeout, but he's more interested in pitching to contract. His mound presence, command and ability to set up hitters are uncanny for a pitcher his age. His body doesn't have much projection remaining and he'll have to work harder to stay in good shape. He doesn't have enough pure stuff to project as a staff ace, but Blackburn can be a solid mid-rotation option. He'll open 2013 in San Jose, where he won a California League playoff opener with seven strong innings last September.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #21 prospect in 2012
  Blackburn got a bit overlooked last spring as Oklahoma had its deepest crop of high school pitching ever. The Sooner State produced two top-seven picks in Dylan Bundy (Orioles) and Archie Bradley (Diamondbacks), as well as three other prep arms who went in the first five rounds. The Giants liked Blackburn's feel for pitching and had an accurate read on his signability despite what many teams believed was an unshakable commitment to Oklahoma. Sure enough, he inked a $150,000 deal and immediately went to work in the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he put together a scintillating pro debut. Blackburn throws his low-90s sinker to both sides of the plate and shows good feel for spinning a curveball and locating his changeup. He has the makings of a slider, too. He has a precocious ability to throw strikes and to take something off his fastball at times to control opponents' bat speed. His pitches have good life down in the zone, as evidenced by his 3.1 groundout/airout ratio in the AZL. Blackburn has a sturdy build and doesn't look particularly athletic, but his high three-quarters delivery is sound and repeatable. He'll have to work on his conditioning in order to maintain his stamina through a full season. Blackburn should be able to handle an assignment to low Class A in 2011. He's a potential No. 3 or 4 starter who's already making area scout Daniel Murray and Midwest supervisor Arnold Brathwaite look smart.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #20 prospect in 2013
  The Giants believed in Blackburn?s advanced feel for pitching when they signed him out of the 16th round of the 2011 draft. He?s performed as advertised, putting up a 2.87 cumulative ERA through his first three pro years. Blackburn may already be close to his ceiling, but he looks like a solid bet to be a back-of-the-rotation arm. ?He knows what kind of pitcher he is and doesn?t try to be somebody he?s not,? San Jose pitching coach Mike Couchee said. ?He?s got three pitches?sometimes four pitches when he?s using his slider?that he can throw for strikes in any count.? Blackburn has an outstanding feel for reading hitters? swings and manipulating the ball as necessary. He pitches with an 88-92 mph fastball and can reach 93 when needed. His curveball is his best secondary pitch, and he has a workable slider he can mix in. He gets good sinking action on his changeup but doesn?t have a consistent feel for it yet. Blackburn also earns raves as a fast worker who repeats his delivery, and he?s capable of making small mechanical adjustments on his own within an at-bat if he feels something?s gotten out of line.
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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #4 prospect in 2011
  The lone draft pick among the AZL's top 11 prospects, Blackburn was overshadowed in a deep crop of Oklahoma high school pitching talent that included two of the top seven picks in Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley and three other arms selected in the first five rounds. Most big league teams expected Blackburn to honor his commitment to the University of Oklahoma, but the Giants signed him for $150,000 after he fell to the 16th round. Blackburn throws four pitches for strikes--he walked just three batters in 33 innings--and induces plenty of groundballs. From an arm slot slightly higher than three quarters, he throws his 91-93 mph fastball to both sides of the plate and spins a nice curveball. He also throws a slider and has good action and location on his changeup. Though he's only 18, there's not a lot of physical projection left for Blackburn. That limits his ceiling to No. 3 starter, but he also has a high floor. "He has as good of maturity as I've seen in a professional prospect at that age," AZL Giants pitching coach Mike Caldwell said.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  A high school draftee who has always pitched like a veteran, even when he was a teenager, Blackburn was a $150,000 late-round find for the Giants, as he spurned Oklahoma for pro ball. He's a 6-foot-2, thick-bodied righthander who will have to watch his weight, and he battled pulled oblique injuries in 2014, but otherwise his weight has proven no hinderance to his clean, easy delivery. Probably the best compliment for Blackburn is that he throws every pitch with a purpose. He'll show hitters a below-average curveball pretty regularly, but it serves its purpose: misdirection. He'll flip a fringy breaking ball up early in the count for a get-me-over strike when hitters aren't looking for it, then he'll snap a plus breaking ball for strike three later in the at-bat. He also adds and subtracts off his fastball. Blackburn tosses a sinking two-seam fastball at 86 mph down in the zone in a near unhittable location, followed by a 92-94 fastball that looks harder because everything before it was softer. Blackburn is a rare minor leaguer with above-average command. His sinking fastball is an average offering, but his changeup and curveball both play as above-average and his hard cutter/slider is average. Blackburn, who got some extra work in the Arizona Fall League, projects as a No. 4 starter who could exceed that projection because of his feel and command. He's ready for Triple-A Sacramento.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Blackburn was ready to start his pro career; the Giants knew it and positioned themselves to get one of the biggest steals of the 2011 draft. His commitment to Oklahoma dropped him to the 16th round, where San Francisco signed him for $150,000. After he posted a 1.08 ERA in the Rookie-level Arizona League, the Giants eagerly sent him to low Class A in 2012. At age 19, he led the South Atlantic League in strikeouts (143), K-BB ratio (7.9) and WHIP (1.02). Scouting Report: Blackburn has a stocky build reminiscent of Brad Penny, but with less steam on his fastball. Blackburn tops out at 92 mph but pitches at 87-89. He has advanced feel for a curveball and slider that he can shape to fit any situation. He also has an inconsistent changeup. Blackburn will make his curve a little harder when he needs a strikeout, but he's more interested in pitching to contract. His mound presence, command and ability to set up hitters are uncanny for a pitcher his age. His body doesn't have much projection remaining and he'll have to work harder to stay in good shape. The Future: He doesn't have enough pure stuff to project as a staff ace, but Blackburn can be a solid mid-rotation option. He'll open 2013 in San Jose, where he won a California League playoff opener with seven strong innings last September.