Francisco Rodriguez
Anaheim Angels
Position: RHP Bats Right Throws: Right Height: 6-0 Weight: 170 Born: 1/7/82
| Year |
Team |
Level |
G |
GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
W |
L |
SV |
ERA |
| 2001 |
Rancho Cuca |
A |
20 |
20 |
113.2 |
127 |
72 |
68 |
13 |
55 |
147 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
5.38 |
| 2002 |
Arkansas |
AA |
23 |
0 |
41.1 |
32 |
13 |
9 |
2 |
15 |
61 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
1.96 |
| 2002 |
Salt Lake |
AAA |
27 |
0 |
42.0 |
30 |
13 |
12 |
1 |
13 |
59 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
2.57 |
| 2002 |
Anaheim |
AL |
5 |
0 |
5.2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
Background
After several years of neglect, the Angels revamped their Latin American scouting program in the late 90s. Probably their best find was Francisco Rodriguez, signed out of Venezuela in '98. Used as a starter early in his career, he pitched well at times but had trouble staying healthy. Converted to the bullpen in 2002, he zipped through Double-A and Triple-A, then emerged as a postseason relief hero on international television.
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The Rookies
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Throughout spring training, John Sickels provides in-depth reports on 10 of the hottest rookies to watch. Here's the complete schedule of when each report will appear:
2/27: 1B, Travis Hafner, Cle.
3/5: 2B, Joe Thurston, L.A.
3/7: SS, Angel Berroa, K.C.
3/11: 3B, Brandon Larson, Cin.
3/13: C, Miguel Olivo, ChW
3/18: SP, John Patterson, Ari.
3/20: RP, Frankie Rodriguez, Ana.
3/25: OF, Hideki Matsui, NYY
3/27: OF, Rocco Baldelli, T.B.
4/1: OF, Marlon Byrd, Phi.
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Scouting report
The fastball headlines Rodriguez's arsenal. His heater runs a consistent 95-96 mph, with outstanding movement. Some guys who throw hard don't get a lot of movement on their fastballs, but Rodriguez doesn't have that problem. His fastball moves so much that it is sometimes mistaken for a hard slider. His actual breaking ball is more of a slurve, sharper than a curve but not as sharp as most sliders. He threw both pitches for strikes last year, and when his command is sharp he is nearly unhittable. Rodriguez does not have a great changeup, but doesn't really need one in the bullpen. He is a good overall athlete with energy and great mound presence.
Performance
Rodriguez has always posted excellent strikeout ratios, but his command has been erratic, and his performance in A-ball was very inconsistent. In 2001 he fanned 147 in just 114 innings in the California League, an excellent mark, but he gave up more than a hit per inning and posted an ERA in excess of 5.00. In '02 he improved his control numbers, lowered his hit rate, while maintaining an outstanding strikeout pace. Not surprisingly, he pitched much better even though he was at higher levels. According to the statistics, he is ready for the majors, and his performance in the postseason only solidifies what the numbers indicate.
Health record
Although Rodriguez has avoided surgery, arm troubles have dogged him throughout his career. Elbow and shoulder soreness limited him to 13 games in 2000 and 20 starts in 2001. Scouts believe that his mechanics put excess strain on his shoulder, but coaches are loathe to change his approach. Altering a pitcher's mechanics often aggravates the problems it is intended to relieve by stressing muscles which aren't used to it. He was much more durable when used in relief last year, and that is likely the key to keeping him healthy.
What to expect
Rodriguez is projected to be Anaheim's main setup man, backing up closer Troy Percival. In the long run, Rodriguez will be the closer, provided he stays healthy. He often draws comparisons to Mariano Rivera, and his career should follow a similar course.
John Sickels is the author of the 2003 Baseball Prospect Book, which can be ordered through his website, Johnsickels.com. His biography of Bob Feller will be published this spring by Brassey's. He lives in Lawrence, Kan., with his wife, son and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com.
