RUDY OWENS
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LEFT HANDED PITCHER
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Born: December 18, 1987 Height: 6′ 3″ Weight: 215 Bats: Left Throws: Left Drafted: 28th Round, 830th Overall, 2006 How Acquired: Draft College: Chandler-Gilbert CC Agent: N/A Links: Interview with Rudy Owens |
WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES |
Owens, who also played OF in HS, was both Player and Pitcher of the Year in his Region, going 4-4, 0.89, with 86 Ks in 56 IP on the mound. He signed with Arizona State, but went to Chandler-Gilbert CC and signed with the Pirates just before the draft-and-follow deadline. His JC ERA is a little misleading, as nearly two-thirds of the runs he allowed were unearned, but he obviously wasn’t easy to hit. He’s not an overpowering pitcher. He throws a fastball in the 88-93 range. He’s had periods in which it’s tended to be at either the upper or lower end of that range; in the second half of 2010 it sat at 91-92. He also has a good change and a decent curve. His strength is outstanding fastball command. He’s a mild flyball pitcher.
2007 Owens had a poor ERA in the GCL, but his peripheral numbers weren’t bad. 2008 Pitching in the State College rotation, Owens again had an ERA that was worse than his other numbers, including just two HRs allowed. LH batters hit only .196 off him while RH batters hit .290. 2009 Owens had the biggest breakout in the system and one of the biggest anywhere in the minors, earning recognition as the South Atlantic League pitcher of the year. For long stretches he was nearly untouchable, including one streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings. He got hit harder, as opponents batted .305 against him. Fatigue may have been a factor; he significantly exceeded his previous high inning total. He was outstanding, though, in two playoff starts, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 12.1 IP, with 13 Ks. 2010 Spent the entire season at Altoona and pitched well all year; his worst monthly ERA was April, at 3.57. He finished strongly, going 4-0, 0.82 in six August starts. In fact, in eleven starts in July and August, he walked only six while fanning 65 in 61.1 IP. He probably would have moved up to AAA late in season, but the Pirates wanted him to pitch in the Eastern League playoffs. 2011 Owens struggled in AAA. He didn’t have a good stretch until July; his monthly ERAs the first three months were 4.50, 5.29, and 6.50. He got hit hard, with opponents batting .289 against him, and his K rate was down a lot. His velocity also was down to the upper-80s much of the time. He finally seemed to be turning things around in July. He had a 3.57 ERA and his other numbers were good: 35.1 IP, 34 hits, one HR, 12 walks and 30 Ks. Unfortunately, after getting bombed in his only August start, he went on the disabled list the rest of the year with left shoulder soreness and fatigue. Owens was widely expected to reach the majors sometime in 2011, but things didn’t work that way. He was added to the 40-man roster after the season just the same. He showed some encouraging signs of getting acclimated to AAA in July, so there’s good reason not to write him off. The question he’ll face is whether he’s another Zach Duke-type finesse pitcher who’s simply too hittable to be successful in the majors. His shoulder problem was not expected to be a long-term issue. He’ll open 2012 back at Indianapolis and, this time, hopefully will make it to Pittsburgh. |
STATS
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Baseball Reference–Minors Fangraphs MiLB.com |
CONTRACT INFORMATION
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2012: Minor League Contract |
PLAYER INFORMATION
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Signing Bonus: $390,000 MiLB Debut: 2007 MLB Debut: N/A MiLB FA Eligible: 2013 MLB FA Eligible: N/A Rule 5 Eligible: 2011 Added to 40-Man: 11/18/2011 Options Remaining: 3 MLB Service Time: 0.000 |
TRANSACTIONS
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June 6, 2006: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round, 830th overall pick; signed as a draft-and-follow on May 30, 2007. November 18, 2011: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates. |