Scott Lewis

Scott Lewis - Left-handed Pitcher
Age: 24 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 Akron	7	9	3.67	27	25	0	134.7	135	55	13	34	121	2.27	8.08	1.25
Career	10	15	2.82	64	60	0	271.3	237	85	18	69	281	2.29	9.32	1.13

History: The Indians drafted Lewis in the 3rd round of the 2004 Draft out of Ohio State University. At Ohio State, Lewis was a dominant pitcher, as his sophomore season in 2003 he went 9-1 with a 1.61 ERA and struck out 127 batters in just 84 innings pitched and won Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. In 2006, with a 1.48 ERA, Lewis won the Minor League ERA Title with the best ERA in all the minors.

Strengths & Opportunities: Lewis had probably one of the most consistent years of anybody in the Indians minor league system last year, and went largely unnoticed because of it. To the casual observer, Lewis' high strikeout rate would seem to indicate he throws some serious heat; however, this is not the case. Lewis has a fastball that consistently sits around 87-89 MPH and tops out at 91 MPH, but his tremendous command of his secondary pitches along with good arm action and deception throughout his delivery makes his fastball play up and look faster. He also throws a curveball and changeup, and the power and depth he has added to his nasty 12-6 curveball has made it one of the best in the system. His changeup has developed into a plus pitch, and he gets a lot of action on his pitches in the strike zone.

Going into last season, the Indians had handled Lewis with kid gloves because of past arm issues. After his brilliant 2003 season at Ohio State and being considered as a first round possibility in the 2004 Draft, he suffered a severe arm injury that resulted in him needing Tommy John surgery. He also battled bicep tendonitis all through 2005, and ended up pitching a total of only 21 innings combined in 2004 and 2005, so he went into the 2006 season on a strict pitch count of 65 to 70 pitches an outing. Lewis made it through the 2006 season unscathed, and last year the Indians increased his pitch count where by mid-season he progressed up to a 95 pitch count. Once again, he made every turn in the rotation, kept his team in games, and did not miss a start due to any injury setbacks. Lewis was actually strong at the end of the season reaching his peak velocity on the year at 90-91 MPH in his last start.

Lewis did not figure into very many decisions the past two seasons because of his pitch count restrictions, but by easing him back into action it helped him build up arm strength. Lewis initially had problems with the small pitch counts because just as he would get into a rhythm and start to feel good he was being taken out of the game. He handled it well overall, and ever since he came off the pitch count restrictions he has pitched better. For the second straight year, Lewis managed to stay healthy all year and may have shaken the injury bug that plagued him earlier in his career. The Indians have been particularly encouraged by the absence of injury considering the aggressiveness he shows when he releases the ball.

While Lewis made it through the season without injury, he was put on the disabled list for the Eastern League playoffs with inflammation in his left elbow. He reportedly complained of some soreness in the elbow and had some tingling and numbness in his hand, and as a precaution he was shutdown for the playoffs. He is currently 100% healthy and ready for spring training, but going forward Lewis needs to continue to prove he can be a durable pitcher and stay on the field for the Indians. His curveball continues to improve and is a very good pitch, but the Indians are still trying to firm it up a bit and make it more of an out pitch. Also, Lewis does not throw hard, so he will need to depend on his excellent command and secondary pitches to get more advanced hitters out on a regular basis. Lewis also needs to continue getting better at repeating his delivery and ironing out some flaws in his delivery mechanics.

The Outlook: The key for Lewis is health. If manages to do that, he has a bright future ahead of him. He has now made 54 starts the last two years and avoided missing any time, save for the playoffs last year. Lewis was rostered by the Indians this offseason, and is now a viable starting pitching or bullpen option for the Indians going forward if a need arises. Lewis will start the season in the Buffalo rotation.

Video: Lewis on the mound in spring training.

Posted in: Scott Lewis