The Impressive David Phelps

Written by Greg Fertel | 20 July 2010

AAA: 17.2 IP, 21 H, 0 HR 4 ER, 0 BB, 19 K, 2.04 ERA, 1.06 FIP, 60% GB

AA: 88.1 IP, 62 H, 2 HR, 20 ER, 23 BB, 84 K, 2.04 ERA, 2.51 FIP, 50% GB

While David Phelps has only made three starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he couldn't have pitched much better in them. Leaving Phelps off of my top 30 prospects in the offseason garnered some criticism, and rightly so.

Success is nothing new for Phelps; he has pitched great since the Yankees selected him in the 14th round of the 2008 draft. He has not posted an ERA above 2.80 or a FIP above 3.70. He has also never walked more than 6.7 percent of the hitters he has faced. However, the most encouraging thing I see from Phelps is that his strikeout rate has risen every time he has advanced a level.

Obviously, his current Triple-A walk rate is going to increase, but that isn't stopping me from raising my expections of Phelps. There is no doubt that his stock has increased greatly this year.

The improvements in his slider and changeup have given him secondary pitches to complement his good 92 mph fastball which he commands greatly. Phelps has zoomed through the system, and won't be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until the 2012 offseason. This means the Yankees can take their time with him, so don't expect him to be added to the 40-man roster until some time next season if the Yankees need him.

I admit I missed the boat on Phelps in the offseason, but I'm on the bandwagon now. The 23-year-old David Phelps has turned himself into a solid pitching prospect this season.