An undrafted indie ball reclamation project, Drew Rucinski hardly has the profile of prospect, but after a stellar minor league campaign and a cup of coffee in the Show, he is definitely a guy that should be on everyone’s radar.
Drew Rucinski
10 words or less: Angels unearth independent ball pitcher. Exceeds expectations. Actually good.
Position: SP Born: 12/30/1988
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 190
2014 Rank: Unranked
2014 Season Stats
[table id=38 /]
PITCHING
Fastball – B. Rucinski has what anyone would consider a “decent” fastball. It typically sits 92-93 and in short spurts he can touch 95 with consistency. However, what puts Drew’s fastball solidly in the “above average” range is Rucisnki’s delivery in which he hides the ball behind his body with a unique sort of shoulder/back torque. This allows the ball to jump up on RHB and keeps any hitters from identifying what pitch is coming.
Off-speed Pitches – C. Rucinski does a pretty good job mixing in a slider, curve and change up pretty consistently into his arsenal. The slider is slightly above average and he can locate it within the zone. The change up and curve are both change of pace pitches but can’t be described as anything special. If he’s a starter, you’ll see a few per game but he’s more of a two-pitch specialist at this point.
Control – B. One thing Jerry Dipoto has stressed since coming over from Arizona as the GM is to acquire strike throwing pitchers. The over-coined term “pounding the zone” is precisely what Rucinski does. While his K/9 are pretty solid, part of his future success in the majors is dependent upon him forcing the opposition to swing at pitches they don’t want to. So I wouldn’t expect him to be a high strikeout pitcher in the bigs.
Command – B. When a pitcher doesn’t have the mid-90’s heat, they need to rely on deception, varying pitch selection and spotting pitches where they need. Rucinski has all of these. His command is precisely why we think he could be a major leaguer because he can use three off-speed pitches in the strike zone to support his “plus” fastball.
Mechanics – D. Rucinski may already profile better as a swing-man or middle reliever, but what helps support this belief is his delivery. The aforementioned shoulder torque just looks like it puts a ton stress on his shoulder. No way you could ever predict injury or deterioration of stuff, but it’s difficult to envision Rucinski pitching 200 innings a year with his delivery.
OVERALL
Performance – B. Rucinski’s performance in Double-A was nothing short of inspiring given that he could’ve given up so many times. Like when he wasn’t drafted and opted for an obscure Independent Ball team, or once he was signed, he was cut and opted to return to to the obscure Indy ball squad. But he persevered, caught the eye of the Angels scouts and worked his way to AA and eventually to the majors. If he can replicate it in the tough Salt Lake City environment, Rucinski has the stuff and a shot at being the next Shoemaker.
Projection – D. Drew is what he is at this point. He won’t be adding more ticks on his fastball, his off-speed pitches likely won’t add extra snap to them. We could see him develop more of a cut-fastball or a better feel for his change up which could increase his effectiveness, but as is he already looks like a fringe major league starter or middle reliever and swing-man.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2016. He’s already made an appearance in the major leagues. But if we’re wondering when he may carve out an everyday role with the Angels, It would seem like late next season at the earliest. First he has to battle the PCL, and then he has to leapfrog a couple of other starter/relievers in the system.
Grade as a Prospect – C. Drew will be 26 years old before Opening Day next season, which is very old for a prospect, but his work speaks for itself.
2014 in Review*
After a brief stint with the 66ers in 2013, the Halos jumped Rucinski to Double-A in 2014. Nobody really took note of it because he was just an indie ball guy who was presumably around to fill out the roster. Only Rucinski pitched well and just kept on pitching well. He pitched so well that by the end of the year he was added to the Angels 40-man roster and got a few call ups to do a little mop up work.
Yes, he had the advantage of pitching in the pitcher’s haven of Dickey-Stephens Park. That can make someone look pretty good, and it did for Drew (2.45 FIP at home), but he held his own on the road (3.25 FIP on the road). That isn’t nearly a big enough gap to think that he is just a product of a spacious ballpark.
If there is a concern with Rucinski, it is that he is a bit hittable. That is just a side effect of being a guy that pounds the strike zone like he does. Keep in mind though that he carried a .325 BABIP against in Arkansas. That’s a high BABIP and should come back down, but there just isn’t enough evidence of past performance to know for sure.
Looking Ahead*
Rucinski is part of the suddenly lengthy list of starting pitchers on the Angels depth chart. He’s not even all that far down the list. With recent news that Garrett Richards will likely be out the first few weeks of the 2015 season, Rucinski figures to be in the mix to fill in for him. He’ll be competing against more promising pitchers like Nick Tropeano and Jose Alvarez, but he should get a fair look. Even if he loses out, he’ll be on the short list for spot start duty. Considering what his ZiPS projection looks like, using Rucinski in the rotation isn’t the worst idea.
*As we do every year, the scouting reports and grades are provided by Scotty Allen while Garrett Wilson provides the 2014 in Review and Looking Ahead sections.
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