Chuck Kegley

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #23 prospect in 2002
  After his pro debut in 2000, Kegley ranked sixth on this list and was considered to have the best arm in the system. But not only did Kegley have to return to the Florida State League for a second year after a poor spring training, he also had an alarming drop in his velocity. His fastball never came close to reaching its previous peak of 97 mph. Kegley pitched at 87-91 during the season and had trouble locating any of his pitches. The Blue Jays say his delivery got out of whack and Kegley had it completely remade after he was pulled from the rotation in August. A medical exam found some shoulder weakness and he worked hard to regain strength. The good news was that he was back to throwing 94 mph in instructional league. Toronto hopes an offseason of hard work and getting acclimated to his new mechanics will allow Kegley to become a power reliever. His 2002 assignment will depend on what kind of spring he has. He can't afford a repeat of 2001.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #6 prospect in 2001
  The Brewers drafted Kegley out of a Florida high school in 1998 and retained his rights as a draft-and-follow when he went to junior college. They offered him $500,000 to sign the following spring, but he resisted and went back into the draft. The Blue Jays took him and signed him for $515,000. Kegley has the best arm in the system, throwing an explosive 92-97 mph fastball. Opponents batted just .240 against him in his first season and rarely got good swings even in fastball counts. He also throws a power slider. Kegley has problems controlling his fastball, though he impressed Jays officials during instructional league with his improvement toward a balance between throwing hard and throwing strikes. He needs innings and experience, which accounts for his low strikeout total. His changeup improved during the season, but it's still his third pitch. Kegley is the only Jays pitching prospect who projects as a possible No. 1 starter on the basis of his raw stuff. He could return to Dunedin, but a good spring may vault him to Tennessee.