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AAP:Aaron Poreda

Sonik22

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Sonik22

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Here you go sir.

 

CHICAGO -- The first incarnation of Aaron Poreda's athletic career would have made him a more likely first-round pick for the Chicago Bears, as opposed to the White Sox.

 

Poreda actually stood out on the gridiron for Campolindo High School in California, earning second team All-Conference honors in 2004 as a defensive lineman. But as of his junior year, Poreda decided baseball was the career path best-suited for him to follow.

 

On Thursday, shortly after 3 p.m. CT, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound southpaw completed the climb from a walk-on hurler at the University of San Francisco to an individual who could be contributing on the South Side of Chicago as a Major Leaguer in the next year or two. The White Sox selected Poreda with the 25th pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, sounding after the selection as if they were quite satisfied with the addition.

 

"One of the things we were emphasizing for this particular ballpark, which is pretty much of a home run hitters ballpark, is someone who can sink the ball and put the ball on the ground," said Duane Shaffer, the White Sox senior director of amateur scouting, who was part of the front office brain trust arriving at the Poreda pick.

 

"This guy had the best sinker we saw all year from a college left-hander," Shaffer said. "This was a guy we focused on and we were fortunate enough to get at 25."

 

Asked to describe himself as a pitcher during a Thursday evening conference call with the Chicago media, Poreda defined his style as "a big lefty that loves to throw strikes and force contact." His fastball tops out around 97 mph, but usually ranges from 91 to 96 mph.

 

A slider and changeup complete his repertoire, although Poreda added that he has been working on a cutter. Confidence also seems to play a crucial role in Poreda's success, judging by his comments made in regard to his Major League preparedness at the present time.

 

"Physically, I would be ready to compete at the Major League level," said Poreda, who doesn't have much more filling out or physical growth to do, based on his current size. "I need to critique a couple of pitches and work with the White Sox coaches. Whenever they want to bring me up, I'm more than ready.

"I need to develop full command of my slider, but it has been a great pitch for me already. Every day, it seems to be getting better and better. My changeup has been a great pitch, but if I throw it more and more, it will be there. My fastball is Major League ready."

 

As a junior starter for the Dons during the 2007 season, Poreda finished 7-6 with a 2.89 ERA over 14 starts. Poreda struck out 66 and walked 18 in 99 2/3 innings, and although he led the San Francisco staff in strikeouts over the past two years, he has the makings more of a control pitcher than a power arm.

"He's a ground ball pitcher, at least that's what I think," Shaffer said. "He's a guy who can pitch with his fastball, he can pitch to contact and he's going to get a lot of outs that way because his ball sinks so much."

This strong effort as a junior from Poreda followed a sophomore campaign, marking his first time moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation, in which he posted an 8-5 record with a 2.49 ERA. Shaffer watched Poreda pitch three times personally this year, in January, March and during his last game in May, and the White Sox saw Poreda 15 times cumulatively.

 

Assuming Poreda signs quickly, and he gave every indication Thursday that he planned to be part of the White Sox family, Shaffer felt Class A Winston-Salem would be a good starting place for the left-hander. Poreda said he hadn't watched a White Sox game recently and being from the East Bay area, he actually thought the Giants might have selected him with the 22nd overall pick.

 

"I thought that I had a good shot of going to the Giants, but now that I'm a White Sox, I have a new favorite team," said Poreda, who was teammates at San Francisco with Stefan Gartrell, the White Sox 31st-round pick in 2006. "I can't wait to have the White Sox tell me where I'm going to go so I can get this process started."

 

Pitchers have been the White Sox top selection in each of the last three drafts, with Poreda following Lance Broadway (2005, 15th overall) and Kyle McCulloch (2006, 30th overall), marking the first such stretch since the team's drafts from 1974-76. But Poreda appears to be a bit less polished than the two previous hurlers, who practiced their craft at Texas universities.

 

But the White Sox made clear over the past few weeks that they were looking for the best available talent, a player who could be a little rawer in regard to baseball skills, but could develop into something special at the Major League level. The White Sox seemed to hit their target via the one-time defensive and offensive lineman turned frontline pitcher.

 

"We were always looking for the best player, the highest-ceiling athlete, the All-Star type guy," said Shaffer, who mentioned there was a position player of interest available with Poreda, but the White Sox opted for the pitcher. "He can pitch with his fastball. His secondary stuff, it needs some work.

 

"There's no question about that. You don't get a 6-foot-6 lefty, who throws 91-to-95 [mph], unless there's a glitch here and there. But we think we can work that out fairly quickly and get him on his way."

 

It's looking like:

 

1: Fastball

2: Slider

3: Changeup

4: Cutter

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Chisoxfn Grand Master

Chisoxfn

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I f***ing love this pick. I expect the Sox to give him some early time up, look at him, and than start working on improving that changeup as well as adding a 2 seamer and honing his cutter.

 

This kid also throws gas and has a fantastic pitchers build. His slider is actually pretty good, nice action, struggles repeating the delivery though and with work his changeup will be pretty solid.

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Chisoxfn Grand Master

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QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 10, 2007 -> 09:26 PM)
Funny tidbit....KW said he's never seen him pitch live.

Doesn't shock me. He typically isn't too up to speed on prospects until they get to AA. There are certain guys he follows before that, but for the most part I don't think he takes anyone serious till they are in Bham.

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Jack Parkman Grand Master

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All I have to say is that this guy better be really, really good at the major league level to justify taking him over Porcello. That may change in a month or two, if Porcello decides to go to UNC. If that is the case, then KW made the right choice. That being said, I like the idea of a power lefty in our minor league system. Though he's raw for a college player, He's only 20, compared to most college guys in the draft this year who are 21-23. I'm hoping that they can fine tune his delivery so that he has a consistent 94-97mph fastball. Can anyone post a full scouting report on his secondary pitches? I'd like to know if his slider is more of a sweeper(79-84mph) or power(85+mph) and whether or not there is a big discrepancy in his fastball-changeup speed a la Johan Santana. If your fastball is at 94 and your Changeup is at 77 then you'll get a lot more batters out in front of the change.

Edited by southsida86
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southsideirish Grand Master

southsideirish

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QUOTE(southsida86 @ Jun 16, 2007 -> 12:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
All I have to say is that this guy better be really, really good at the major league level to justify taking him over Porcello. That may change in a month or two, if Porcello decides to go to UNC. If that is the case, then KW made the right choice. That being said, I like the idea of a power lefty in our minor league system. Though he's raw for a college player, He's only 20, compared to most college guys in the draft this year who are 21-23. I'm hoping that they can fine tune his delivery so that he has a consistent 94-97mph fastball. Can anyone post a full scouting report on his secondary pitches? I'd like to know if his slider is more of a sweeper(79-84mph) or power(85+mph) and whether or not there is a big discrepancy in his fastball-changeup speed a la Johan Santana. If your fastball is at 94 and your Changeup is at 77 then you'll get a lot more batters out in front of the change.

 

Supposedly there are many organizations mad at the way the Tigers have been doing business. Each draft slot is supposed to be paid the slotted amount of money. You may pay more - but you must go to the commisioner and ask for permission - which is always granted. This was supposed to stop draft picks from asking for too much - in other words from Boras for asking for too much or more that the client is worth. The Tigers have been overpaying for the last couple years and that is how they are landing these guys. They are making a lot of enemies from what I understand. So to say the White Sox should have drafted Porcello instead is ridiculous thing to say unless you have some sort of knowledge as to what is going on and why. There is a reason why other organizations passed on Porcello and it is not because of UNC.

Edited by southsideirish
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whitesoxfan101 Grand Master

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http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.../706290322/1006

 

Poreda, the 25th pick in the recent amateur draft out of the University of San Francisco, displayed a fastball that ranged from 94-97 mph during his impressive five-inning stint. The 6-6, 240-pounder allowed an unearned run in the third and a solo homer by Jake Long in the fifth.

 

It sounds good. He's thrown 9 innings in his 2 starts, allowing only 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 1 walk, and having 10 strikeouts with a .147 average against. He also had 7 groundouts and 3 flyouts last night after having 5 groundouts and 2 flyouts his first start.

 

Hey, it's a start.

Edited by whitesoxfan101
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Marky Mark Mentor

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Poreda is perfect through 4 IP, I feel like every start of his I like him more and more. Despite the fact he's only in rookie ball, this isn't seeming like that bad of a pick after all so far. I hope they start him in WS not Kannapolis next season.

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RockRaines Grand Master

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http://www.projectprospect.com/mwc-first-round-checkup/

 

 

Aaron Poreda, LHP, Chicago White Sox (No. 25)

 

Aaron Poreda tagged his contract offer presented by the White Sox on June 16, and he has been untouchable ever since. A 6-foot-6, 240-pounder who pitches as big as his size, Poreda has posted an equally imposing 48:10 K to BB rate in his 46.1 frames of work. The University of San Francisco product features a blazing arsenal, which has yielded a 0.85 WHIP and .181 BAA. Pair those results with a stunning 68% groundball rate and Aaron Poreda has been just about as dominant a prospect as the 2007 class has produced to date.

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thedoctor Grand Master

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QUOTE(RockRaines @ Sep 6, 2007 -> 02:53 PM)
http://www.projectprospect.com/mwc-first-round-checkup/

Aaron Poreda, LHP, Chicago White Sox (No. 25)

 

Aaron Poreda tagged his contract offer presented by the White Sox on June 16, and he has been untouchable ever since. A 6-foot-6, 240-pounder who pitches as big as his size, Poreda has posted an equally imposing 48:10 K to BB rate in his 46.1 frames of work. The University of San Francisco product features a blazing arsenal, which has yielded a 0.85 WHIP and .181 BAA. Pair those results with a stunning 68% groundball rate and Aaron Poreda has been just about as dominant a prospect as the 2007 class has produced to date.

 

surprising, considering how many people were willing to write this guy off the day he was drafted.

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whitesoxfan101 Grand Master

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QUOTE(thedoctor @ Sep 6, 2007 -> 10:05 AM)
surprising, considering how many people were willing to write this guy off the day he was drafted.

 

We'll see how he does as he moves up in classes, but a lefty that throws hard, is big, and gets a lot of ground balls certainly isn't bad to have. I worry a lot about his health too though.

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2nd_city_saint787 Grand Master

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QUOTE(Sonik22 @ Jun 9, 2007 -> 12:08 AM)
Here you go sir.

 

CHICAGO -- The first incarnation of Aaron Poreda's athletic career would have made him a more likely first-round pick for the Chicago Bears, as opposed to the White Sox.

 

Poreda actually stood out on the gridiron for Campolindo High School in California, earning second team All-Conference honors in 2004 as a defensive lineman. But as of his junior year, Poreda decided baseball was the career path best-suited for him to follow.

 

On Thursday, shortly after 3 p.m. CT, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound southpaw completed the climb from a walk-on hurler at the University of San Francisco to an individual who could be contributing on the South Side of Chicago as a Major Leaguer in the next year or two. The White Sox selected Poreda with the 25th pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, sounding after the selection as if they were quite satisfied with the addition.

 

"One of the things we were emphasizing for this particular ballpark, which is pretty much of a home run hitters ballpark, is someone who can sink the ball and put the ball on the ground," said Duane Shaffer, the White Sox senior director of amateur scouting, who was part of the front office brain trust arriving at the Poreda pick.

"This guy had the best sinker we saw all year from a college left-hander," Shaffer said. "This was a guy we focused on and we were fortunate enough to get at 25."

 

Asked to describe himself as a pitcher during a Thursday evening conference call with the Chicago media, Poreda defined his style as "a big lefty that loves to throw strikes and force contact." His fastball tops out around 97 mph, but usually ranges from 91 to 96 mph.

 

A slider and changeup complete his repertoire, although Poreda added that he has been working on a cutter. Confidence also seems to play a crucial role in Poreda's success, judging by his comments made in regard to his Major League preparedness at the present time.

 

"Physically, I would be ready to compete at the Major League level," said Poreda, who doesn't have much more filling out or physical growth to do, based on his current size. "I need to critique a couple of pitches and work with the White Sox coaches. Whenever they want to bring me up, I'm more than ready.

"I need to develop full command of my slider, but it has been a great pitch for me already. Every day, it seems to be getting better and better. My changeup has been a great pitch, but if I throw it more and more, it will be there. My fastball is Major League ready."

 

As a junior starter for the Dons during the 2007 season, Poreda finished 7-6 with a 2.89 ERA over 14 starts. Poreda struck out 66 and walked 18 in 99 2/3 innings, and although he led the San Francisco staff in strikeouts over the past two years, he has the makings more of a control pitcher than a power arm.

"He's a ground ball pitcher, at least that's what I think," Shaffer said. "He's a guy who can pitch with his fastball, he can pitch to contact and he's going to get a lot of outs that way because his ball sinks so much."

This strong effort as a junior from Poreda followed a sophomore campaign, marking his first time moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation, in which he posted an 8-5 record with a 2.49 ERA. Shaffer watched Poreda pitch three times personally this year, in January, March and during his last game in May, and the White Sox saw Poreda 15 times cumulatively.

 

Assuming Poreda signs quickly, and he gave every indication Thursday that he planned to be part of the White Sox family, Shaffer felt Class A Winston-Salem would be a good starting place for the left-hander. Poreda said he hadn't watched a White Sox game recently and being from the East Bay area, he actually thought the Giants might have selected him with the 22nd overall pick.

 

"I thought that I had a good shot of going to the Giants, but now that I'm a White Sox, I have a new favorite team," said Poreda, who was teammates at San Francisco with Stefan Gartrell, the White Sox 31st-round pick in 2006. "I can't wait to have the White Sox tell me where I'm going to go so I can get this process started."

 

Pitchers have been the White Sox top selection in each of the last three drafts, with Poreda following Lance Broadway (2005, 15th overall) and Kyle McCulloch (2006, 30th overall), marking the first such stretch since the team's drafts from 1974-76. But Poreda appears to be a bit less polished than the two previous hurlers, who practiced their craft at Texas universities.

 

But the White Sox made clear over the past few weeks that they were looking for the best available talent, a player who could be a little rawer in regard to baseball skills, but could develop into something special at the Major League level. The White Sox seemed to hit their target via the one-time defensive and offensive lineman turned frontline pitcher.

 

"We were always looking for the best player, the highest-ceiling athlete, the All-Star type guy," said Shaffer, who mentioned there was a position player of interest available with Poreda, but the White Sox opted for the pitcher. "He can pitch with his fastball. His secondary stuff, it needs some work.

 

"There's no question about that. You don't get a 6-foot-6 lefty, who throws 91-to-95 [mph], unless there's a glitch here and there. But we think we can work that out fairly quickly and get him on his way."

 

It's looking like:

 

1: Fastball

2: Slider

3: Changeup

4: Cutter

 

 

 

i just found it interesting that the sinker wasnt listed on here. whats going on with this guys now-a-days, hes intrigued me outta all the guys ive read about. wheres he gonna start the season at? about how many years before he hits the bigs?....i just started looking at this section of sox talk and i like it, good job fellas.

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Balta1701 Grand Master

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QUOTE(JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 17, 2008 -> 06:55 PM)
I hope he starts in AA, and can make it up to AAA by the end of the season. Then hopefully make the team by 2009-2010.

That sounds like at least 1 level ahead of the pace he'll probably be on, IMO.

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Ozzie Ball Veteran

Ozzie Ball

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QUOTE(JoeCoolMan24 @ Jan 18, 2008 -> 02:55 AM)
I hope he starts in AA, and can make it up to AAA by the end of the season. Then hopefully make the team by 2009-2010.

I think it would be a mistake to rush him. I would be happy if he spent most, if not all of next season in A ball and just worked on his secondary stuff because if he gets his slider and change-up to a good level he could be a great pitcher, however, if you're throwing him into the minors with just his fastball and below average slider/change-up there's a good chance he'll get rocked.

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rockren Experienced

rockren

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QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 17, 2008 -> 08:58 PM)
That sounds like at least 1 level ahead of the pace he'll probably be on, IMO.

 

Yeah- no way he sees AAA this year.

 

If he sees AA by season's end and holds his head above water- that'd be a success.

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