Indians Top 100 Prospects: #22 Josh Tomlin

22. Josh Tomlin - Right-handed Pitcher
Born: 10/19/1984 - Height: 6'1" - Weight: 195 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP
2006	21	Mahoning Vy	A-	8	2	2.09	15	15	0	77.1	56	18	5	15	69	1.7	8.0	0.91
2007	22	Lake County	A	10	3	3.30	26	15	0	103.2	103	38	10	19	89	1.6	7.7	1.18
	22	Kinston	A+	1	1	3.58	6	5	0	27.2	24	11	0	12	20	3.9	6.5	1.30
2008	23	Kinston	A+	9	5	2.98	40	9	3	102.2	82	34	10	16	109	1.4	9.6	0.95
	23	Buffalo	AAA	1	0	3.86	1	1	0	7.0	6	3	2	1	3	1.3	3.9	1.00
		Career		29	11	2.94	88	45	3	318.1	271	104	27	63	290	1.8	8.2	1.05

History:  Tomlin was a 19th round pick in the 2006 Draft out of Texas Tech.  He grew up in East Texas and went to Angelina Junior College before transferring to Texas Tech.  A sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 2006 sidelined him for six weeks and ultimately hurt his status for the draft where he slid to the Indians in the 19th round.  He signed with the Indians quickly and made an impressive professional debut that year in Mahoning Valley holding opposing batters to a .196 batting average, and finished first in the NY-Penn League that year in starts (15), second in wins (8), and third in ERA (2.09).  Last year at Kinston he finished 2^nd in the Carolina League in ERA and was 10^th in strikeouts (1^st among relievers).  He also participated in the Arizona Fall League this offseason (2-3, 6.43 ERA, 8 games, 28.0 IP, 36 H, 3 BB, 28 K). 

Strengths & Opportunities:  Tomlin has had some great stats his first three years as a professional, but his questionable role, average tools, and so much depth in the system have often pushed him aside. Not anymore.  He has a four pitch mix of a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup.  His fastball consistently clocks in at 89-91 MPH, and touched as high as 93 MPH last season.  One of the more interesting developments with him last year was his increased fastball velocity where when he pitched out of the bullpen he was consistently popping in on the radar gun around 92-93 MPH.  His slider sits at 83-84 MPH and he has made great strides where it has good depth and tilt and has become a strikeout pitch for him.  His curveball and changeup are both average pitches, and the curveball sits around 75-78 MPH. 

The Indians have been very impressed with Tomlin's work ethic and how quickly he has made adjustments, especially with the rapid improvement in the depth and command of his slider. It is a tribute to Tomlin's athleticism since he is a converted shortstop, but also mostly to due to his great makeup and upbeat attitude. There are always improvements to be made, and he has worked diligently with Kinston pitching coach Greg Hibbard on improving his slider command and velocity as well as staying taller to throw the ball more on a more downhill plane towards home plate.  He also is still working on some improvements with his delivery and harnessing the control of his fastball a little more.  He needs to get out in front of the ball, finish his pitches, and stay balanced by using his legs more. 

Outlook:  It is not certain if Tomlin will be a starter or pitch out of the bullpen in the future, but his versatility to pitch in any role has only enhanced his value and he is happy to pitch wherever the Indians need him.  He will open the 2009 season at Double-A Akron in a yet to be determined role in the bullpen or starting rotation. 

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr 

Josh Tomlin MinorLeagueBaseball.com stats page 

Josh Tomlin Baseball-Reference page 

Josh Tomlin MinorLeagueSplits.com page

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