- Full name Alex Farfan
- Born 01/06/1983 in
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Farfan has bulked up his frame since signing as a wiry 6-foot-3, 175-pounder. With more muscle, better conditioning and a permanent move to the bullpen, he added velocity to his fastball. Farfan now touches 97 mph and is regularly timed at 93-96 mph. He also features a hard slider, which is occasionally a plus pitch. But for all his stuff, he hasn't missed many bats because his command and control need to improve. The Reds are fine-tuning his delivery to address those weaknesses. Farfan, who has a full arm swing in the back, tends to throw across his body. He also must learn to use his front side better in his delivery to create leverage and improve his downhill plane. Farfan has the best arm in the system and the stuff to close games but is learning how to harness it. He'll pitch at high Class A this year. -
Farfan garnered attention last summer when he moved to the bullpen during his U.S. debut and lit up radar guns with 96-97 mph readings. General manager Jim Bowden included him among the organization's top up-and-coming arms. Right now, however, Farfan is little more than an arm-strength guy. He threw in the low 80s when he signed in June 2000 and since has added 25 pounds to his projectable frame. His primary objective in instructional league was to work on his secondary pitches. He is trying to develop a consistent arm speed and grip on his changeup and slider. Farfan was one of 55 pitchers invited to the Reds' minor league advanced development program in February to get a head start on spring training. He could skip a level and begin 2003 in low Class A.
