Bobby Bundy
| IP | 299 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.906 |
| WHIP | 1.488 |
| BB/9 | 3.823 |
| SO/9 | 7.615 |
- Full name Robert Joseph Bundy
- Born 01/13/1990 in Tulsa, OK
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Sperry
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Drafted in the 8th round (236th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2008 (signed for $600,000).
View Draft Report
Bundy's first-round aspirations got sidetracked when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a basketball game in December. Though his surgery usually requires a nine-month rehab, he was back on the mound with a knee brace this spring. Bundy was able to sit at 88-91 mph and touch 93 with his fastball, down 2-3 mph from last summer. He still had his trademark big-breaking curveball, which changes hitters' eye level at the plate, and he still threw strikes with ease. He has a sturdy 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame that also gives him power at the plate. Pitching with the brace forced him to smooth out his delivery, which will help him in the future. Bundy led Sperry to its second Oklahoma 3-A title in the last three years, picking up the victory and going 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the title game. He has committed to Arkansas, where he would get the opportunity to play both ways as a freshman. Whether the diminished velocity--which should return in time--drops him far enough in the draft to compromise his signability remains to be seen.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Bundy may wind up being known as Dylan's brother, but he showed last season that he's a legitimate prospect in his own right. While his younger brother--the Orioles' 2011 first-round pick and already their top prospect--has the stuff to be a star, Bobby profiles as more of a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He was a high school star in his own right in Oklahoma but fell to the eighth round of the 2008 draft after injuring his knee playing basketball. He earned his first Double-A action late last season after the best extended run of his career in high Class A. Bundy has an 88-93 mph fastball with some sink and commands it well. He throws both a slider and curveball, though neither is even average at this point, which led to problems at Bowie. The slider has more potential, but he needs to stay on top of it and locate it better. The same goes for his changeup, which is too inconsistent to be effective. He'll need to develop a better feel for his complementary pitches to find success at higher levels. Bundy earns high marks for his makeup and competitiveness. Baltimore will send him back to Double-A in 2012, hoping he can put the lessons learned there last year to good use. -
Bundy rewrote the record book at Sperry (Okla.) High, and now his brother Dylan is one of the top high school pitchers in the 2011 draft class--though he now attends Oklahoma powerhouse Owasso High. The two played together in Bobby's senior year in 2008, though Bobby missed part of the season with a knee injury sustained during basketball season. Signed for $600,000 after falling to the eighth round, he got off to a slow start in pro ball because he got out of shape after his knee injury. The Orioles moved him to bullpen to open 2010, but he pitched himself into the Delmarva rotation in May. Bundy is built to eat innings, with a strong, sturdy frame and a fastball that he can dial up to the mid-90s. He more frequently pitches at 88-92 mph with good sink. He throws both a curveball and slider, using the latter more frequently in 2010, but both pitches need to be tightened up. His changeup shows promise, flashing above-average potential. Bundy has a long arm action and will have to clean up his delivery, and he doesn't throw enough quality strikes. He'll open the 2011 season at age 21 in the Frederick rotation. -
Baltimore went over MLB's slot recommendations to sign several players in the 2008 draft, and Bundy was the biggest outlier of them all at $600,000, the largest bonus handed out in the eighth round. The Orioles regarded him as a top-three-rounds talent and paid him that way, expecting him to recover the form he showed as a high school junior, when he was regarded as one of the best pitchers in the 2008 high school class. Between baseball seasons, however, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a basketball game. He got back on the mound ahead of schedule and pitched with a knee brace last spring, leading Sperry (Okla.) High to a state title. Bundy's fastball velocity was down from its normal 92-95 mph to 88-91, and clubs worried about his signability because he had committed to Arkansas. Baltimore likes what it has seen from Bundy in limited action. He touched 93 mph in instructional league and should continue to regain his previous fastball. He also showed a bigbreaking curveball, though he'll need to be more consistent with it. He has a lot to work on, from his changeup to his command, and could remain in extended spring training before joining Aberdeen next season.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Bundy's younger brother Dylan was the best pitching prospect in the 2011 draft and one of the best high school mound prospects in recent memory. The Orioles reunited the brothers when they selected Dylan fourth overall in June and signed him to a $6 million major league contract. Bobby doesn't have his brother's overpowering stuff and has a somewhat long arm action, but he does have a solid repertoire. He does a good job of locating his 91-93 mph sinker to both sides of the pate. His curveball and slider both are fringe-average breaking balls, while his changeup is a tick below that.
