Name: Jon Pettibone
Position: RHP
Bats: LH
Throws: RH
DOB: 7/19/90 (20 as of April 1, 2011)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 200 lbs
Acquired: 3rd (supplemental), 2008 ($500,000 bonus)
Pre Draft Report: Jon Pettibone was drafted out of Esperanza High School in Anaheim in the supplemental third round (pick #110 overall) of the 2008 draft. As a junior, Pettibone occasionally popped up on BA’s radar, most notably as the #6 prospect at the National Classic. However, heading into the draft, Pettibone was not on the radar, as Baseball America didn’t include him among the Top 200 draft prospects, nor among the 170 best prospects in California. BA’s post-draft scouting report (behind the subscriber wall) put his fastball at 86-89 and not topping out much harder than that, along with a fringy curveball and a decent changeup. It also noted concerns about mechanics and arm angle. He also registered barely a blip on PG Crosscheckers, which noted his tall, projectable frame and also topping his fastball out at 90.
Pettibone was largely thought to be unsignable. He had a scholarship to USC and had taken on Scott Boras as an advisor (with USC being coached by former Boras client Chad Kreuter). However, he also had connections to the Phillies, as his father played for Charlie Manuel in the minors 30 years ago. The Phils also had Cole Hamels call Pettibone in a lobbying effort. When 7th round pick Johnny Coy opted to enroll at Arizona State, the Phils went $200K over slot to sign Pettibone.
Career Synopsis: Pettibone made his debut shortly after signing, pitching a single inning for the GCL Phillies before participating in the FIL. In 2009, Pettibone saw his first significant action, starting eight games for Williamsport as an 18 year old. His time there was fairly encouraging (especially given his age) as he struck out 36 batters in 35.1 innings and not allowing a home run, although he did walk roughly four batters per nine innings and gave up more than a hit per inning. He had a dominant stretch in June of ’09, allowing a single earned run over the course of three starts (16 IP). He again pitched in the FIL after the season.
In 2010, Pettibone joined the talented staff and Lakewood. He made 23 starts and threw 131 innings in a season that was interrupted by a stint on the DL. While his strikeout rate nosedived to 5.8, he also cut his walk rate down to 2.8 and allowed few HRs (0.7/9). He also gave up less than a hit per inning. He was particularly strong during the last three months of the year, as in 12 starts after July 1, he pitched 76 innings, allowing 20 earned runs on 61 hits, allowing just 4 homers and compiling a 48/16 K/BB ratio.
Scouting Report: Below is an assessment of Pettibone’s raw tools, rated on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. The grades are my estimation based on what I’ve read and those I’ve talked to. The second number is a future projection, the first number is the current assessment
Arm Strength:50
Fastball:45/55
Control:50/55
Command:50/55
Mechanics:40/45
Durability:40/45
Secondary Pitches:40/50
Upside: Pettibone’s peripherals don’t jump off the page. His strikeout rate with Lakewood could be a cause for concern. While his fastball has ticked up into the low-90s and his change and curve are developing, he doesn’t have off-the-charts stuff. He also has missed time in each of his first two seasons with arm/shoulder soreness. However, his first two pro seasons have been relatively successful and he finished 2010 very strongly, even while not striking out a ton of hitters. Pettibone is clearly behind the upper echelon of the Phillies pitching prospects, but a solid year at Clearwater in his age 20 season would really establish Pettibone as another legit starting pitcher prospect.
Videos:
2 videos from 2010 for you
Pettibone has a weird delivery. He’s fairly compact, but he throws across his body (steps toward 3rd base, not straight home, but its tough to really tell on his clip) and then comes almost straight over the top, which is a really odd combination. If you look at his stride (in the 2nd video, side angle) you can also see that he kind of hangs over the rubber and doesn’t fully stride toward the plate. This helps him stay compact, but it also more than likely saps him of velocity and deception in his delivery. He seems to repeat his delivery fairly well, and its not overly complex, it just looks kind of strange to my eyes. I normally am able to look at a pitcher throw and think of who his motion reminds me of. I can’t do that for Pettibone. I’m not sure whether its good or bad. I do think that he’s cutting himself off from a bit more velocity, and I wonder about his over the top release. Time will tell.
