Aaron Laffey

Aaron Laffey- Left-handed Pitcher
Age: 22 Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 Bats: Left Throws: Left

	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	BB9	K9	WHIP
2007 Akr/Buf/Cle	17	6	3.34	31	30	0	180.7	172	67	9	42	124	2.09	6.18	1.18
Career	42	24	3.38	113	95	3	583.0	547	219	28	192	402	2.96	6.21	1.27

History: The Indians drafted Laffey in the 16th round of the 2003 Draft out of high school (Cumberland, MD), and he had committed to playing college baseball with Virginia Tech before signing with the Indians in July of 2003. Laffey made his professional debut in Burlington that year, and in nine games he went 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA and limited batters to a .183 batting average against (BAA) while striking out 46 batters in 34 innings pitched. Laffey jumped onto the prospect scene in 2006 after he combined to go 12-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 29 appearances (23 starts) at Kinston and Akron in 2006. Laffey also impressed in limited time with the Indians late in the season last year, going 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts.

Strengths & Opportunities: Laffey is a pitcher who oozes confidence on the mound, and has a fastball that consistently clocks in around 87-89 MPH and has excellent movement. His fastball has very good, heavy sink, he commands it well, and he compliments it with an above average slider and a good changeup. He does not have overpowering stuff so he has to trust his ability to work hitters to his strengths, which is his command, changing speeds and pitching to contact to get them to pound the ball into the ground (2.81 G/F in 2007 and 2.55 G/F in 2006). He is aggressive on the mound, and goes right after hitters and attacks them.

His backdoor slurvy breaking ball is about as good as they get, and was something that came along well for him last year. The development of his breaking ball got him over the hump and became a put away pitch, and as a result his strikeouts per nine innings totals increased from 4.9/9 in 2006 to 6.8/9 in 2007. When he is on, the backdoor breaking ball is an un-hittable pitch as it is a matter of whether he is going to get the call with it, and if so there is nothing a hitter is going to do with it. If he is commanding it, it is big enough that it starts out of the zone and lands just in it. Laffey also handled the emotions of transitioning up and down from Buffalo to Cleveland exceptionally well last year, which shows his off the charts makeup and confidence. He fields his position arguably as well as any pitcher in baseball.

The development of Laffey's changeup and him being able to throw to opposite arm side were other big reasons he developed into one of the Indians best pitching prospects last year. In the past, Laffey had problems improving his mechanics and developing his changeup, which many felt would make him a lefty specialist down the road. A pitcher with his stuff, size and groundball rate may be better suited in the bullpen, but the Indians plan to keep him as a starter (for now). His durability and consistency project him as a solid #3 or #4 starter who eats innings in the big leagues.

When you look at Laffey's minor league resume, he has been consistent every year putting up an ERA somewhere between the mid-twos and mid-threes at every stop and every year except for one stop in half a season at Lake County in 2004. Laffey was called up last year to Buffalo in late May because of promotions and injuries to the Buffalo staff, and what looked like a short cup of coffee in Buffalo turned into a permanent stay after he impressed Indians officials, and he eventually moved up to Cleveland. In six starts at Akron before his callup to Buffalo, Laffey was 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA. He struggled in his first three Buffalo starts going 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA, but suddenly things all came together as he put up one of the most dominating months ever seen from a starting pitcher in the Indians farm system. In six June starts, Laffey went 6-0 with a 0.87 ERA and set a Buffalo Bisons record by winning six games in one month. From June 2nd on, in 13 starts Laffey was 9-0 with a 1.92 ERA, and became the first Buffalo starting pitcher in history to win nine consecutive decisions.

Outlook: Laffey transformed into a new pitcher and minor league sensation seemingly overnight last year. Last season was the first time Laffey started a season in the starting rotation, as in previous years he started the year in the bullpen and eventually earned his way into a starting spot. This is no longer the case as he will battle Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers in spring training for the #5 starter spot in Cleveland, and if he does not win it will be part of a strong and deep Buffalo starting rotation to start 2008.

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