- Full name Josh Thigpen
- Born
- Profile Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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An all-Alabama performer in baseball, basketball and football in high school, Thigpen is one of the system's better athletes. He joined the Reds in a December cost-cutting trade that sent Todd Walker to the Red Sox. In 2002, Thigpen developed a knot in the back of his shoulder that sidelined him sporadically and relegated him to the bullpen and strict pitch counts for much of the year. He came on in the final month, with a 1.08 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a .143 opponent average in 25 innings. Thigpen's fastball sits at 93 mph and is capable of reaching 96. His solid-average curveball returned by the end of the season. While he's very much a work in progress, his athleticism should enable him to repeat his delivery and develop command. Thigpen has spent relatively little time pitching, dividing himself among three sports in high school and working a total of 125 innings in three pro seasons. As a result he's raw. His changeup and control are rudimentary, and he lacks touch. If Thigpen can make the transition from two-pitch thrower to three-pitch pitcher, he can be a frontline starter. He'll begin 2003 in high Class A. -
Scouting director Wayne Britton quickly identified Freddy Sanchez and Thigpen as the sleepers of his 2000 draft class, and both players made him look good last year. An all-Alabama performer in baseball, football and basketball in high school, Thigpen teamed with Manny Delcarmen and Phil Dumatrait to form an imposing front three in the GCL rotation. Thigpen has big-time velocity and plenty of projection. He already touches 96 mph with a nice, easy arm action, and he should reach that level more often once he fills out his 6-foot-4 frame. GCL hitters batted just .152 against him. Thigpen throws strikes and flashes an average curveball. The Red Sox praise his makeup as well. There's a lot to like about Thipgen, and there's also a lot he needs to work on. He needs to get more consistent with his curve, improve his changeup and fine-tune his command. With just 42 innings of pro experience, he still has much to learn. After two years in the GCL, Thigpen will be reunited with Delcarmen and Dumatrait in low Class A this season. It will be a good test for all three of them.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Red Sox surged to the Western Division title on the strength of a pitching staff that featured Boston's top two picks in the 2000 draft (Phil Dumatrait and Manny Delcarmen) and Thigpen, a 16th-rounder. The big righthander pitched aggressively with a fastball that was clocked as high as 96 mph. He's also a talented athlete who was all-state in baseball, basketball and football as an Alabama high schooler. "He's got great velocity, arm action and makeup," Reds manager Edgar Caceres said. "And he's going to get bigger."
Scouting Reports
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The Red Sox surged to the Western Division title on the strength of a pitching staff that featured Boston's top two picks in the 2000 draft (Phil Dumatrait and Manny Delcarmen) and Thigpen, a 16th-rounder. The big righthander pitched aggressively with a fastball that was clocked as high as 96 mph. He's also a talented athlete who was all-state in baseball, basketball and football as an Alabama high schooler. "He's got great velocity, arm action and makeup," Reds manager Edgar Caceres said. "And he's going to get bigger."