The Blue Jays select Ricky Romero, LHP, Cal St Fullerton with the 6th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
Round 1: Ricky Romero, LHP, Cal St Fullerton
6'1", 195 lbs -
20 years, 7 months
Year Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 125.0 2.95 9.5 2.4 0.4 2004 155.0 3.37 7.3 2.4 0.5 2003 56.1 3.20 7.4 2.9 0.6
Brewer Fan.net: Like so many left-handed pitchers, Romero shows ability to change speeds and hit his spots. Unlike so many lefties, he does so while throwing in the low-90s with a hammer curveball. He has a very loose and easy arm action in which the ball explodes off of his whip-like delivery. All of his pitches show very good movement and he has good control but a smaller stature.
MLB.com: Fluid, easy delivery. Has two kinds of fastball: a slider-like cutter and a nasty sinker that drops late. Can change speeds on 12-6 curveball. Features a sharp slider. Very intense on the mound, keeps hitters off-balance. Potential front-end starter.
BA: Romero has three solid, major league-ready pitches that he can throw for strikes almost at will, including a fastball that sits at 90-91 mph and touches 93-94. He also has an excellent curveball and a better feel for a changeup this year after he reduced his reliance on his curve. But Romero gets his highest grades for his makeup, temperament and competitive zeal. He is an excellent student of the game who understands the science of pitching, and is a master at controlling the tempo of a game.
Year ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 240 0.400 0.466 0.717 32 43 2004 203 0.305 0.373 0.448 23 29 2003 203 0.266 0.371 0.468 28 47
BA: Pettway lost about 20 pounds, regaining some athleticism and more importantly some bat speed. He became perhaps the best hitter in the Southeastern Conference. Pettway takes confident swings at his pitch, as he remains patient and lashes line drives from gap to gap with a level, consistent swing. Once a third baseman, his footwork leaves a return to that position questionable, making right field his most likely destination.
Mississippi ProfileYear ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 234 0.363 0.434 0.714 25 26 2004 293 0.341 0.383 0.577 15 46 2003 263 0.350 0.387 0.616 14 39
MLB.com: Medium frame, mature body. Wide shoulders. Similar to Joe Randa. Compact swing. Bat speed and swing plane to hit for avg. Pull power. Gets bat head on the ball. Instincts in OF. Accurate throws. Great make-up.
BA: OF Ryan Patterson went undrafted in 2004 and turned down free-agent offers after leading the Cape Cod League with a .327 batting average. A center fielder this season, he'll have to move to a corner as a pro. He has 49 homers in three seasons with the Tigers, but some scouts wonder if his power will translate to wood bats.
LSU ProfileYear Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 67.1 3.07 10.5 2.4 0.9 2004 59.0 5.80 8.7 3.1 1.2 2003 60.0 4.05 7.1 2.4 0.5
BA: Eric Fowler was a member of the rotation all season and has solid-average stuff. Fowler's velocity improved from the mid-80s to the upper 80s this season. His slider comes and goes, and when it's on he can be a strikeout pitcher. He hasn't responded well to past moves to the bullpen, though that's what scouts consider his better future role.
Mississippi ProfileYear ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 224 0.339 0.402 0.558 20 38 2004 226 0.274 0.321 0.438 12 65 2003 200 0.295 0.338 0.490 11 47
BA: Bell's improved as a receiver, though he's still below-average. He's adequate blocking balls, and Coach Slater has entrusted him to call many of the pitches for the Tigers staff. The tools that made him a high pick out of high school are still there-his arm is at least a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and he has plus raw power. He's become a more consistent hitter this season with a better-defined overall role.
Auburn ProfileYear Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 64.1 3.78 8.3 1.8 0.7 2004 44.2 5.24 11.0 3.1 0.8 2003 37 2.19 10.2 2.9 0.2
BA: Ray looked like a possible first-round pick based on his performance as a set-up man in the Cape Cod League last summer. Ray bounced back in April after a slow start, showing the same 90-93 mph fastball with late, explosive life he had on the Cape. He also flashed a plus curveball and an effective changeup. There's deceptive strength in his long, lean frame and he throws with little effort, so there's no reason he can't start as a pro.
Texas A&M ProfileYear ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 171 0.333 0.457 0.632 42 28 2004 229 0.354 0.462 0.629 43 47 2003 147 0.367 0.416 0.653 13 27 2002 85 0.271 0.293 0.482 3 19
BA:OF Jacob Butler led Nevada with a .340 average. He's a below-average defender, but should be a good senior sign on his bat alone.
Nevada-Reno ProfileYear Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 76.2 4.23 7.8 1.7 0.6 2004 Redshirt 2003 30.2 4.11 7.5 4.8 0.0
BA:On the right day, Phillips can look like a first- or second-rounder. He can carry the 90-93 mph velocity on his fastball into the late innings, throw a mid-80s slider and even mix in a forkball. But his heater is a bit straight and he's inconsistent. Phillips missed part of 2003 and all of 2004 recovering from labrum surgery, a red flag for some clubs. But with his two hard pitches and ability to pitch well with emotion, he profiles well as a late-inning reliever.
Oakland ProfileYear Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 60.0 2.10 9.5 1.7 0.2 2004 61.0 3.39 8.0 2.5 0.1 2003 60.1 4.18 7.2 4.5 0.6 2002 49.0 5.33 7.9 3.3 1.3
BA: While he's smaller than twin brother Jeremy (Indians first round pick), the biggest difference between the two is merely that one is lefthanded and the other righthanded. Josh may have a better slider than Jeremy. He repeats his delivery so well on the pitch that it resembles a fastball coming out of his hand. His 86-90 mph fastball also has good late movement. Sowers is polished, with his brother's same intelligent approach to pitching.
Yale ProfileRound 11: Wesley Stone, SS, A.B. Miller HS, Rialto, Calif.
Round 12: Billy Carnline, RHP, Texas Tech
Year Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 78 4.27 7.2 4.2 0.7
Round 13: Anthony Hatch, 3B, Nicholls State
Year ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 107 0.393 0.438 0.664 10 9 2004 195 0.379 0.448 0.585 23 28
Round 14: Sean Stidfole, RHP, Penn State
Year Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 78.2 4.58 8.5 3.0 0.5 2004 30 3.9 6.3 5.7 2003 13.2 13.17 9.5 9.5
Round 15: Sean Shoffit, 2B, Cosumnes River (Calif.) JC
Round 16: Kyle Bohm, C, Michigan
Year ABs Ave Obp Slg BB K 2005 206 0.388 0.454 0.510 25 16 2004 216 0.352 0.463 0.523 42 23
Round 17: Tyler Norrick, LHP, Southern Illinois
Year Inn ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 2005 80.2 3.24 10.0 3.1 0.2 2004 17.2 2.04 7.3 8.4 0.0 2003 34 4.24 7.4 5.0 0.5
Round 18: Rob Hogue, LHP, St. Joseph HS, Edmonton, Alberta CN
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