TYLER SAMPLE
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RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
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Born: June 27, 1989 Height: 6’7″ Weight: 245 Bats: Left Throws: Right Drafted: 3rd Round, 80th Overall, 2008 (Royals) How Acquired: Rule 5 draft (minor league phase) High School: Mullen (CO) HS Agent: N/A |
WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES |
Sample is a big RHP who was considered raw when drafted out of high school. His fastball in his first year sat at 92-94, reaching 96, but was in the 91-93 range in his second year. His main secondary pitch is a knuckle curve and he also throws a change. Baseball America ranked him as Kansas City’s 14th best prospect after his first two seasons, but his control issues got worse in full season ball. He’s not a groundball pitcher. He’s had reverse platoon splits as often as not since he reached full season ball. The Pirates selected him in the minor league phase of the 2013 Rule 5 draft.
2008 Sample obviously struggled badly with his control in his debut, although he at least missed a lot of bats. 2009 Sample spent most of his second season in the advanced rookie Appalachian League and pitched much better, holding opponents to a .184 average. 2010 The Royals moved Sample up to full season ball and things didn’t go well. Opponents hit only .231 against him, but walks were obviously a major problem. 2011 Sample continued struggling in high A. He didn’t walk nearly as many, but he got hit harder and his K rate cratered. 2012 The Royals sent Sample back to high A for a second year and he continued to struggle. Midway through the season he moved to the bullpen. Overall, he had largely the same year as in 2011, except his K rate rebounded. 2013 Sample missed the first two months of the season, then pitched mainly in relief, once again in high A. His already-shaky control disappeared and he walked over a batter an inning. 2014 Sample opened the season with Altoona, pitching out of the rotation at first. In early June he suffered a left ankle injury and, when he returned in late July, the Pirates sent him to Bradenton. He pitched in relief there. Sample was ineffective most of the time, although oddly in his very last appearance he threw four perfect innings and fanned nine. Generally, though, he struggled to throw strikes, allowing a .399 OBP overall. He had a sizeable reverse platoon split. Sample would have been a free agent in the off-season, but he signed a minor league contract to return in 2015. He’ll try AA again, starting off in the bullpen, and see if he can start throwing more strikes. |
STATS
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Baseball Reference–Minors Fangraphs MiLB.com |
CONTRACT INFORMATION
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2015: Minor League Contract |
PLAYER INFORMATION
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Signing Bonus: $500,000 MiLB Debut: 2008 MLB Debut: N/A MiLB FA Eligible: 2015 MLB FA Eligible: N/A Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible Added to 40-Man: N/A Options Remaining: 3 MLB Service Time: 0.000 |
TRANSACTIONS
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June 5, 2008: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round, 80th overall pick; signed on June 6. December 12, 2013: Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. October 4, 2014: Signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. |