Skip to main content

Prospect Nation 2014: #14 RHP Shane Watson

Shane Watson, Image- Jay Floyd
Despite having a difficult stretch of health concerns since he signed his first pro contract Shane Watson, has proven himself to have the potential that made him the Phillies' top draft choice in 2012.

Although he was committed to pitch for the University of Southern California, Watson signed his first pro contract, reportedly worth $1.3 Million, and later debuted with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012. Pitching no more than two innings per outing, Watson tallied a 0-1 record with a 1.29 ERA over seven appearances. Additionally, he recorded eight strike outs while walking only one in seven innings of work.

Action in the GCL was limited for Watson, as the youngster learned that he was diabetic after turning. Faced with a mystery illness and drastic weight loss, Watson saw physicians in Florida and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which, when addressed and treated, is certainly manageable for a professional athlete.

Bouncing back the following year, the six-foot-four 200-pounder posted a 4-6 record with a 4.75 ERA and a 6.63 K/9 mark in 16 starts with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. By early July, though, Watson was sidelined with a shoulder strain that was later diagnosed as an enlarged capsule and required off-season surgery.

Improvements were made over the course of his abbreviated 2013 season. As a 19-year-old in the South Atlantic League, Watson had a 6.35 ERA in his first 12 starts then wrapped up his campaign with a 0.86 ERA over what ended up being his final four outings of the year.

Watson, the 40th overall pick in the 2012 draft, sports a pitch repertoire that includes a low-to-mid-90's fastball, a curve ball with great movement, a developing change up with a nice drop off in velocity and a solid cutter.

Control is generally a positive for Watson, who has a walk rate of 8.6% in his young pro career thus far. Additionally, his 47.7% ground ball rate is very encouraging.

Watson, who turned 20 years old in August, wasn’t the first player selected by the Phillies out of California's Lakewood High School. Travis d’Arnaud, who played with Shane’s older brother, Scott, was the Phillies’ 1st round selection (37th overall) in 2007 out of the same school. Watson also was not the last Phils top draft choice from LHS, as his childhood friend J.P. Crawford was taken with the 16th overall selection last year.

It was the compensation pick that the Phillies got for losing Ryan Madson to free agency that enabled them to draft Watson, who is compared to Brett Myers at times. His ceiling could be big league ace if progress goes as the Phillies hope it will.

The time frame for a return to action for the determined Watson is not clear. According to reports, it could be August before he takes the mound, but in an interview with me this past December, Watson stated that doctors informed him the recovery time would be just three months total, if things go well. It's likely that Watson gets some time back with the BlueClaws once his recovery is complete.

Click here to view the running list of this year's countdown.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from

McGwire Stays Phony, Despite Admitting Drug Use

Mark McGwire made an effort to publicly come clean today, admitting to the world that he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. Steroids and human growth hormones were among the drugs that McGwire admitted to using. MLB Network featured a one on one interview with Bob Costas and McGwire on Monday evening. The broadcast was virtually garbage, thanks to McGwire. Ahead is a list of quotes from McGwire's interview. McGwire repeatedly stated his point of view that there were no dishonorable intentions involved when taking steroids, and that he was merely using them as a means to recover from varying ailments. When asked if he felt like he cheated... "As I look back now...I can see how people would say that. As far as the talent goes and the hand-eye coordination, the ability, the genetics I was given...I don't see it." "I did not take this for any strength purposes." Denial. Read on for similar B.S. He whined about the abuse he's taken at

Bubby Rossman's long awaited MLB debut

Eight years after he initially signed a professional contract with the Dodgers and a five-year stretch playing away from affiliated ball, Bubby Rossman became a major leaguer on Wednesday. Added as a substitute for pitcher Kyle Gibson, who is restricted from travel to Canada for the Phillies' series in Toronto, due to his medical inability to be vaccinated from COVID-19, Rossman took the mound for the first time in the majors. Rossman, who was a 22nd round draft selection in 2014 had pitched in 200 professional games before his one-inning outing in the Phillies' 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. In 27 appearances with Double-A Reading this year, the 30-year-old right-hander has performed well, tallying a 2-2 record with a save, a 3.32 ERA and a .200 batting average against.   The embedded video below features a media session with Rossman from prior to opening day this year, in which the California native discusses his journey through independent baseball and back to affiliated ball wi