Todd Wellemeyer

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #13 prospect in 2004
  On most teams, Wellemeyer would be going to big league camp as a frontrunner to win a rotation spot. On the pitching-rich Cubs, he's not even guaranteed of finding a role as the last man in the bullpen. Wellemeyer has legitimate starter stuff. He can hit 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and achieve plenty of sink with his two-seamer. Iowa pitching coach Jerry Reuss helped him add more tilt to his slider and he gets good movement on his changeup. Wellemeyer needs to remember that location matters as much as power. He sometimes overthrows, leaving his fastball up in the strike zone and losing command. His slider and changeup also need more consistency, as big league hitters learned to sit on his fastball. If Chicago decides to keep him in relief, he could become a set-up man in time. Wellemeyer will try to crack the Cubs staff in spring training, and he'll return to Triple-A if he can't.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #10 prospect in 2003
  Wellemeyer might not have played college baseball if Bellarmine hadn't offered him a last-minute scholarship, and he didn't get much exposure until he pitched in the Coastal Plain League in 1999. Though he was raw, the Cubs picked him in the fourth round in 2000 and haven't been disappointed. He has improved each year and was an Arizona Fall League all-star after last season. Wellemeyer always has shown arm strength, and he pitches at 90-95 mph with his fastball. He upsets hitters' timing with a changeup that features splitter action. In 2002, he made significant strides with his command and his slider. One scout who saw him in the AFL compared him to Todd Stottlemyre, though not as athletic. The biggest thing Wellemeyer needs to do is maintain the consistency he started to show with his control and breaking ball. He missed a month last summer with back problems, but should be ready for spring training. Wellemeyer likely will begin 2003 in Double- A, where he pitched better last year than his ERA would indicate. Because the Cubs have so many starters, his long-term role might be as a reliever.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #18 prospect in 2002
  Wellemeyer received virtually no interest from big-time schools or major league organizations when he graduated from Louisville's Eastern High in 1997, so he planned on attending Kentucky as a full-time student. Then Bellarmine University, a local NAIA school, offered him a chance. Wellemeyer continue to fly under the radar of scouts until the summer of 1999, when he made the Coastal Plain League as an alternate, got to pitch and showed plenty of fastball. The Cubs expected Wellemeyer to struggle initially as a pro because of his small college background, and he did just that at the outset of 2001. He was working too much on his offspeed stuff and his fastball suffered, but he adjusted his approach and won his last 10 decisions. He has the tall, lanky body and loose arm that scouts love. Wellemeyer's 90-94 mph fastball explodes on hitters, and his changeup has so much life that many Midwest League opponents thought it was a splitter. His slider lags behind his other two pitches for now, though it flattened out much less often in the second half of 2001. He's still learning how to pitch and to throw strikes more consistently, but there's no question the package is there. He'll move up to high Class A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #19 prospect in 2003
  Most organizations would be grooming Todd Wellemeyer as a middle-of-the-rotation starter. But the Cubs are so rich in pitching that he may have to fit into their bullpen unless they use him in a trade. He pitched well in that role for Chicago for a month after being promoted in mid-May, but then got hammered twice and had only intermittent success after returning to the PCL. While the AL scout sees similarities to Kyle Farnsworth, Wellemeyer has enough stuff to remain a starter. He throws his four-seam fastball at 93-94 mph (95-96 when he's relieving), and his two-seamer has nasty sink. He also gets a lot of movement on his changeup and has improved his slider. Wellemeyer's problems may have started when he developed a power mentality. When he overthrows, he loses command and leaves his pitches up in the strike zone. He's better when he works on a downward plane.
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #20 prospect in 2001
  Hitters cuffed Wellemeyer around pretty good in the first half, when he used his offspeed stuff too much to the detriment of his fastball. Once he adjusted his approach, Wellemeyer won his final 10 decisions, with a 3.34 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 73 innings. By the end of the year, Wellemeyer was throwing 93-94 mph and his fastball was exploding at the plate. He also gets a lot of movement on his changeup, which runs and sinks so much that several opponents thought it was a splitter. His curveball and command, especially within the strike zone, need more consistency.
• 
  Ranked Northwest League #13 prospect in 2000
  The lanky Wellemeyer flashed one of the league's most projectable arms despite his age. His stuff was evident in a late-season combined shutout of Portland, in which he retired the first 14 batters and struck out seven in six innings. "He has an explosive fastball, but he wasn't consistent with it," Shaffer said. "He's long and lean with wide shoulders, the perfect pitcher's body. His curveball was real good, and he came over the top with it. It's just a matter of consistency and experience. He's from a small school and needs to pitch."

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  The lanky Wellemeyer flashed one of the league's most projectable arms despite his age. His stuff was evident in a late-season combined shutout of Portland, in which he retired the first 14 batters and struck out seven in six innings. "He has an explosive fastball, but he wasn't consistent with it," Shaffer said. "He's long and lean with wide shoulders, the perfect pitcher's body. His curveball was real good, and he came over the top with it. It's just a matter of consistency and experience. He's from a small school and needs to pitch."