Andrew Brackman, New York’s Next Great?

Drafted number 30 by the New York Yankees in the 2007 draft, Brackman could become the biggest steal since, well Joba Chamberlain. Faced with injury concerns, the NC State junior fell significantly in the draft. He was ranked as the 7th best prospect entering the draft, and was considered to have the best fastball out of all the other pitchers. It seems that the elbow injury, which would require Tommy John surgery, was too big of a concern for most teams. However, the Yankees looked at the situation differently, they decided it was a way to get one of the most talented players in that year’s draft class at the number 30 spot. To me, and to many, this was a smart idea that will pay off in years to come. The last time the Yankees used this strategy and picked a high reward, injury risk, his name was Joba Chamberlain, and we all know that story. Let’s take a closer look at what the Yankees got in Andrew Brackman, and how these abilities could put him on the fast track to the Bigs.

The characteristic(s) of a pitcher that always draws the most interest is the stuff. Well then, let’s have a look at what Brackman throws. First, and most obviously the giant righty throws the fastball, both the two-seamer and the four-seamer. His fastball ranges anywhere from 92-97 consistently, and when he reaches back he can hit 100 mph. His two-seamer is more likely in the lower velocity range (92-95), however, the key to this pitch is the movement. The scouting reports suggest that this pitch has a lot of movement, and movement which is also late. The movement is most likely generated due to the fact that the 6’10” righty has an enormous downward plane. Additionally, Brackman can consistently get the pitch within the strike zone. Having good movement, velocity, and consistency with this pitch, with so little experience is a very good sign. Next there is Brackman’s four seamer, which more likely sits in the upper portion of his velocity (94-97). There is not a whole lot of information about it, but I assume there is some kind of movement, and his control is at least decent. The next, and perhaps most feared pitch is his spike curveball. The velocity of this pitch ranges anywhere from 77-83 mph, usually sitting 78-81. This pitch has a lot, and very nasty movement (looks like 1 to 7 or 12 to 6). Again he probably generates more movement than other pitchers just because of his sheer size. However good the pitch may be, he struggles with inconsistency control wise with it. Due to his relative inexperience in comparison with the difficulty of the pitch, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Finally Brackman throws a changeup, and it this point, it is mostly potential. The speed of his changeup can sit anywhere from 82-84 mph, which seems a little too fast. 80-82 mph seems like it would be a better range, just because the fastball velocity is bound to dip here and there, and the pitch may lose its trickery. When he was drafted scouts said that his changeup was just an average pitch, however many people suggest it could easily become a plus or plus plus pitch for him. Pitch wise, Andrew Brackman has all the right ingredients for a starter, a fastball (with 2 variations), a curveball, and a changeup. Inconsistent mechanics, command, and control, like is usually the case, will be the biggest problem that he will face, especially because his frame is so large. Hopefully Nardi Contreras and other organizational helpers like Dave Eiland can help harness the potential that lays within all of Brackman’s pitches, and make him the next great Yankees pitcher.

When it comes to the build of a pitcher, Brackman is a dream. He is a huge guy standing at 6’10” and a fairly proportional weight of 270 pounds. His height and weight coupled will give him an advantage over other pitchers, because firstly he will be able to throw harder, with the larger downward plane and extra body weight. Secondly his height, as previously mentioned will help him develop extra movement on his pitches, which may be near impossible for smaller pitchers to develop. Thirdly his gigantic body will surely give him some kind of intimidation factor, because how often do you see a guy this big, throwing in the upper-90’s, and not playing basketball? Though his size is a definite advantage to him, many also see it as a disadvantage. No worries though, Brackman is a very good athlete, and his all around athleticism should allow him to make the proper adjustments in a given amount of time. He played baseball and basketball (center) at NC State, so I’m sure he is no stranger to proper footwork, agility, and jumping. These three factors alone should help him be at least an average fielder, and to me fielding is extremely important. Not only will his athleticism help with his fielding ability, but it may also help him develop and make adjustments to his pitching mechanics quickly and fairly easily. To be able to play at the college level you have to be willing and able to be coached, and be able to make adjustments to any situation which may arise. I’m going to quickly allude to his basketball career. To play basketball the most important aspect of a shot is proper mechanics and repetition of these mechanics. If you get good at it, you’ll the majority of your shots. I know baseball is completely different, but if he can make adjustments to his mechanics in baseball, like he did in basketball, he should be able to move quickly. So now that we know about his body type and athleticism, let’s take a look at his experience. This is where the majority of the concern with Brackman resides. His baseball career is young, and his professional baseball career is just starting. Brackman is an extremely raw talent, which may be the one factor that prevents him from making the majors within the year. He has problems repeating his delivery, which then causes his pitches to be uncontrollable or wild. This issue most likely takes root from his size and relative inexperience pitching, especially professionally. His baseball career is still very short. As far as I can see, Brackman pitched for his entire high school career, which was very good, he had the seventh best career ERA in Ohio history. When he went to North Carolina State, he also pitched, but for only about 30 games. His Freshman year was fantastic and put him on the radar by scouts again, his sophomore year was ugly mainly due to injury, and his junior year he bounced back. Additionally in his junior year, he pitched in the Cape Cod League, where he earned title of the second best prospect in the league. After being drafted, Brackman was almost instantly sidelined due to an elbow injury that required surgery. Brackman returned to pitch in the fall of this year, after missing a year for Tommy John surgery. He put up fairly unimpressive numbers in the Arizona Fall League, however, he had two very dominant starts. His walk and hit rates were high, but his strikeout rates were high, and his velocity was apparently very good. Having just 40 games (give or take) of upper echelon baseball experience could, as I mentioned, put a strain on his movement through the system, especially when coupled with his Tommy John recovery. Surely Brackman will have major limit on his innings this season, I would guess maybe even below 100 innings. Due to this, I almost think it’s more realistic to move the big guy to the bullpen. With his velocity and plus plus curveball, he could easily be the next great closer. Perhaps the Yankees could just have him pitch out of the bullpen this season to build up experience and confidence, and then make the transition back to starter. No matter where he ends up, whether it be in the back end of the bullpen or the starting rotation, Brackman has impact potential.

One of the riskiest draft picks for the Yankees in a while, Brackman could pay off big. He has a lot to work on and it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy, but if everything falls in place be prepared. Andrew Brackman could be the next big thing in pinstripes, literally.