- Full name Sam Walton
- Born
- Profile Throws: L
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Walton has taken slow steps since the Mariners drafted him four years ago, spending two seasons in the Rookie-level Arizona League and two seasons at short-season Everett. He has a nice frame for a pitcher and throws hard for a lefthander, which explains the fascination and the patience. In his first three seasons he walked nearly a batter per inning. Walton finally showed control last summer, but was limited to 31 innings by biceps tendinitis that cost him the last month of the season. In addition to his hard fastball, Walton throws a curve and changeup. He still has a long road ahead of him, but with the paucity of hard-throwing lefthanders in the big leagues, Seattle will be patient.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Reaction to Walton was wildly mixed around the league. A seventh-round pick in 1997, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder was in his second year in the league. He made just six starts, missing the last month with biceps tendinitis. But he overpowered hitters with a fastball that ranked with Krawiec and Torres as the best among the league's lefties. Many managers didn't recall anything special about Walton, but two saw good velocity and an athletic body. "I put him down as a guy," one league manager said. "He was low-to-mid 90s against us, which is excellent for a lefty."
Scouting Reports
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Reaction to Walton was wildly mixed around the league. A seventh-round pick in 1997, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder was in his second year in the league. He made just six starts, missing the last month with biceps tendinitis. But he overpowered hitters with a fastball that ranked with Krawiec and Torres as the best among the league's lefties. Many managers didn't recall anything special about Walton, but two saw good velocity and an athletic body. "I put him down as a guy," one league manager said. "He was low-to-mid 90s against us, which is excellent for a lefty."