Madison Younginer

Younginer, 20, was used as a starter at Short-Season Lowell, but did not get a lot of innings after being used primarily as a reliever in high school. His fastball reaches the mid-90s, but he needs to command it better and find consistency in his release point. He's likely to open the 2011 season for Low-A Greenville, where he'll work on finding more consistency in his delivery, harnessing his fastball command (reducing walks) and honing his secondary offerings.

Younginer, 19, is raw and needs to iron out his mechanics, but he brings an impressive array of pitches. He has a mid-90s fastball (that tops out at 97mph) with a two-seamer that has downward action. Younginer also features a mid-70s curveball and is developing a changeup. He tries to overpower hitters with his velocity, but needs to harness his command. Having pitched primarily as a reliever in his senior year in high school, he's going to need some tutoring as a starter and innings. We expect a start at extended spring training followed by a move to Short-Season Lowell.