Today: TB Prospect Matt Walker
Matt Walker is a tall righthander working in a Tampa Bay Rays system already rich with pitching prospects. Drafted out of Central HS (Louisiana) back in 2004's 10th round, the now-23 year old projects as a power reliever, though he also has starting experience.
Working the entire 2006 season at A Michigan, Walker made 15 starts, posting a 3.18 ERA and striking out 68 batters in 82 innings of work while holding all opponents to a measly .223 average.
| Yr | Tm | Age | Lvl | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | K/9 | WHIP |
| 2005 | Princeton | 18 | R | 2 | 3 | 5.31 | 13 | 12 | 57.2 | 63 | 39 | 34 | 2 | 22 | 71 | 11.08 | 1.47 |
| 2005 | Hudson Valley | 18 | A- | 0 | 0 | 10.81 | 1 | 1 | 3.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 13.51 | 2.70 |
| 2006 | SW Michigan | 19 | A | 5 | 5 | 3.18 | 15 | 15 | 82.0 | 66 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 41 | 68 | 7.46 | 1.30 |
| 2007 | Vero Beach | 20 | A+ | 4 | 9 | 5.55 | 31 | 15 | 95.2 | 96 | 75 | 59 | 8 | 82 | 76 | 7.15 | 1.86 |
| 2008 | Vero Beach | 21 | A+ | 4 | 7 | 4.86 | 22 | 9 | 66.2 | 66 | 41 | 36 | 8 | 47 | 48 | 6.48 | 1.69 |
His 2007 season was shattered by personal issues, but he has no physical or mental impairments, which means he should be fine for 2008. When at his best, Walker mixes a terrific sinking 90mph fastball with the best curve ball in the Tampa organization. The quality of his changeup is iffy, and seems to vary depending on how good his mechanics are from day to day. He's under tight supervision as the Tampa coaching staff attempts to bring some discipline to what is sometimes a sloppy delivery.
While he has a nice mix of pitches for a starting gig, his struggles with command and the Rays' deep pool of existing starters mean that he's more likely destined for a bullpen role. He should start 2008 in AA ball, and depending on how he handles better bats, he may be in Tampa by the end of the year.
Update: Working at high-A Vero Beach again, Walker has managed to maintain his strikeout rate while dropping his walks back to pre-2007 levels. He's made nine starts and appeared in a dozen other games in a relief role. He hasn't yet sniffed AA, though, which means he's unlikely to appear in Tampa before mid 2009 at the soonest.
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