Indians Top 100 Prospects: #23 Zach Putnam

23. Zach Putnam - Right-handed Pitcher
Born: 07/03/1987 - Height: 6'2" - Weight: 225 - 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
2008	21	U of Michigan	C	9	0	2.58	12	12	0	76.2	62	22	4	23	78	2.7	9.2	1.11
2008	21	Mahoning Vy	A-	0	1	3.72	3	3	0	9.2	7	4	0	5	8	4.7	7.4	1.24

History: Putnam was a 5th round pick in the 2008 Draft out of the University of Michigan. Coming into his final year at Michigan last year, Putnam had a strong track record before going through a minor shoulder problem and then strep throat which sidelined him for a few weeks and ended up with him losing almost 20 pounds. He was slated to go in the late first or first round supplemental and slid to the fifth because of the minor injuries in 2008 and signability concerns, so was an extreme value in that round.

Strengths & Opportunities: Putnam throws five pitches for strikes, with his power fastball and devastating split finger both rated as plus pitches. His fastball consistently sits at 92-93 MPH and touches 96 MPH with good arm-side run and heavy sink to it. His second best pitch is his splitter which is nasty and already considered a major league out pitch, and was widely considered one of the top secondary pitches in college last year. He also throws a slider which is an effective third pitch that really came on last year and has become another go-to pitch in his arsenal and has the makings of a third plus pitch in his arsenal. His curveball sits in the low 70s and has some good depth to it with the potential to be an average pitch. His fifth pitch is a changeup, but in college was more of a show pitch just to give hitters a different look and is a well below-average major league pitch. The curveball or changeup may be scrapped in order to have him concentrate more on refining his other much stronger pitches.

Putnam is considered around scouting circles as the ultimate college player because of his awesome two-way ability as a power pitcher and potent bat. He played some third base in college and is an excellent hitter who projects professionally as an outfielder with an excellent arm for right field. As a hitter, he showcases raw power to all fields and very good bat speed. At 6'2" 225-pounds he has a big frame to go along with very strong legs and broad shoulders that give him an ideal body to be a workhorse in the starting rotation. Now that he will concentrate solely on pitching, his velocity may creep up a little which is not uncommon for multi-positional players who pitch. He is an aggressive, power pitcher who shows excellent composure in tight games and is a notorious big game player who has that knack of coming through in the clutch with a big hit or quality start against another team's ace.

Putnam has some mechanical issues with his delivery where he doesn't use his lower half well and drags his back leg, and as a result this has affected his command. Straightening up his delivery will be a primary focus early in his professional career. Putnam also needs to develop a better feel for both his slider and curveball. While he has an advanced feel for pitching, he may have peaked physically.

Outlook: Down the road, Putnam may profile more as a dominant late-inning reliever, but with his five-pitch arsenal the Indians will give him every opportunity to stick as a starter where he has top/middle of rotation potential. He is slated to start the 2009 season either at Single-A Lake County or at advanced Single-A Kinston, and because of his advanced pitching approach will likely open the 2009 season in the starting rotation at Kinston.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

Zach Putnam MinorLeagueBaseball.com stats page

Zach Putnam Baseball-Reference page

Zach Putnam MinorLeagueSplits.com page

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