Ray Black

Righthander Ray Black just missed the BA Top 200, thanks in part to the difficulty scouts had in seeing him. While Black has some of the hardest stuff on the East Coast this year, Pittsburgh has used him sparingly in relief, and one scout failed to catch an appearance after watching six games. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Black is a pure power guy. He can sit 94-97 mph with his fastball while mixing in an average to plus slider in the mid-80s. He doesn't always know where his pitches are going, however, and opponents were hitting .280 against him. In 18 innings, he was 1-1, 6.62 with four saves, 24 walks and 30 strikeouts, though he did have only one wild pitch and no hit batters. Black had Tommy John surgery coming out of high school and redshirted as a freshman. He also missed time with a knee injury and pitched just 17 innings in 2010. The team that buys into his stuff will bank on the idea that Black is just raw.