2011 Indians 12th Round Pick: RHP Grant Sides

Photo: Samford Athletics

In the 12th round of the 2011 Draft the Indians select right-handed pitcher Steven Grant Sides out of Samford University (AL).

Bats: Right, Throws: Right, Height: 6'4", Weight: 215, Date of Birth: 06/22/1989

Note: Perfect Game has him as the best velocity in all of Alabama. He is a reliever who went 1-0 with 1 save in 25 1/3, gave up 12 hits, 5 ER, 13 BB and struck out 29. He had a 1.78 ERA.He missed most of 2010 after Tommy John Surgery, but his fastball sits at 92-95 and has hit 97 this year. Has control issues.

Notable links:

Samford player profile

Jeff Ellis: Grant Sides is a red shirt junior pitcher from Samford College. He is big at 6’5” and throws hard sitting in the mid 90’sand has hit 97. He is another power arm reliever to go with the earlier taken Jeff Johnson though most sites consider Sides the player with the better upside of the two. He only pitched in 17 games as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery but in those games he had a 2.25 ERA. He is strictly a pen arm and needs to work on developing a second pitch, but the fact he has hit 97 in his first year coming back from Tommy John has to make the Indians wonder if down the road Sides might be able to get it up to triple digits.

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