Brooks McNiven
| IP | 656 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.034 |
| WHIP | 1.396 |
| BB/9 | 2.209 |
| SO/9 | 4.637 |
- Full name Brooks A. McNiven
- Born 06/19/1981 in Terrace, BC, Canada
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School British Columbia
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Drafted in the 4th round (123rd overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2003 (signed for $105,000).
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Six-foot-5, 175-pound RHP Brooks McNiven assumed the role of ace from Jeff Francis at the University of British Columbia, the only four-year college in Canada that plays baseball. He posted an 8-2, 1.63 record. He has a long, loose easy arm action, and his fastball was clocked at 90-93 mph all spring despite bad mechanics. Drafted out of high school by the Blue Jays in 1999, he doesn't get his front side out, and his back leg barely leaves the rubber in his delivery. His 82-84 mph slider can be a good pitch but is inconsistent because he doesn't stay on top of it. He might be able to throw in the mid-90s if his mechanics are revamped.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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McNiven got plenty of exposure in 2002 as a college teammate of Rockies first-round pick Jeff Francis. A veteran of Canadian junior national teams, he has projection remaining despite signing as a senior. The Giants see him developing into a power sinker/slider pitcher in the middle of their rotation. McNiven's pitcher's body is one source of their optimism. He has long arms and legs and plenty of room to fill out physically. He has a loose arm and throws an easy 88-92 mph fastball from a three-quarters delivery, getting good tailing and sinking action when he keeps it down. While his delivery is smooth, San Francisco believes some adjustments (such as getting better extension on his follow-through) and physical maturity will have McNiven throwing harder in 2004. His late-biting, low-80s slider has the potential to be an out pitch. He also throws a hard curveball that serves as his changeup. McNiven's strong instructional league peformance--eight scoreless innings with seven strikeouts--could springboard him to high Class A for his first full season.
