Marcus Stroman

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #2 prospect in 2014
  A premium athlete, Stroman became Duke's first-ever first-round pick in 2012, signing for $1.8 million. He tested positive for an amphetamine in August 2012, and his 50-game suspension stretched into the 2013 season. He fell one out short of qualifying for the ERA title in the Double-A Eastern League, which he would have led in strikeout percentage (28.1 percent) while finishing second in SO/BB ratio (4.80). With a strong, compact build and quick-twitch athleticism, Stroman maintains plus stuff. He brandishes a heavy fastball at 92-95 mph with above-average movement. He has an out-pitch in his plus upper-80s slider, a plus cutter that can touch the low 90s and an average changeup that flashes plus potential. He varies the shape of his offspeed offerings. Staying on top of the baseball has been key to getting better downhill plane, and so has softening his landing, which allows him to get over his front side better and limits him spinning off to the first-base side. He shuts down the opposition's running game and is an exceptional defender. Stroman likely will begin 2014 at Triple-A Buffalo but could reach Toronto during the season. Since 1960, just two righthanders 5-foot-9 or shorter (Tom Phoebus and Tom Gordon) have more than 30 career major league starts. If Stroman does not defy the odds and become at least a No. 3 starter, then he could be a high-end late-game reliever.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #5 prospect in 2013
  After starring in college, with Team USA and in the Cape Cod League during the summer, Stroman became Duke's first-ever first-round pick. The Blue Jays drafted him 22nd overall in June with the pick they received for failing to sign 2011 first-rounder Tyler Beede. Stroman signed for $1.8 million and quickly reached Double-A before testing positive for a stimulant and drawing a 50-game suspension. Don't be fooled by Stroman's diminutive frame. He has quick-twitch athleticism and the ball explodes out of his hand. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph when he starts and can reach 98 when he relieves. He has two variations of a breaking ball: a mid-80s slider with big break and a harder, shorter cutter at 88-90 mph. He also mixes in a good changeup. He maintains his velocity well into starts but will need better command to remain a starter. The Blue Jays aren't ruling out developing Stroman as a starter despite his size. He relieved in his pro debut to keep his workload light, and if he stays in that role he could surface in Toronto before the end of 2013. He has the upside of a frontline starter or a closer. When his suspension ends in May, he'll probably return to Double-A.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #10 prospect in 2012 draft
  An 18th-round pick out of a New York high school in 2009, Stroman's commitment to Duke and his size scared teams off. He was a two-way player in high school, but scouts always preferred him on the mound because of his low-90s fastball and compared him to Tom Gordon. After three years at Duke, Stroman has become one of the most electric arms in the country despite being 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. He was 5-4, 2.36 with 119 strikeouts and 22 walks in 84 innings this spring for a bad Duke team. He is athletic and now sits at 92-94 mph as a starter and can touch 95-96. His best secondary offering is a nasty slider with depth. He has also mixed in a good changeup and a cutter that sits 88-90 mph. He can hold his velocity deep into games, but most scouts say he could be the first 2012 draftee to reach the big leagues if he goes to the bullpen. He worked as the closer for Team USA last summer and was 93-96 mph consistently, pitching 8 1/3 innings without giving up a hit while striking out 17 and walking one.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Eastern League #10 prospect in 2013
  Because of Stroman?s short stature, scouts are divided on his future role. Is he a starter or a reliever? No matter the answer, the addendum is always the same: He?s going to be very good. Stroman comes equipped with a high-octane, 92-94 mph fastball, and despite his height he can throw on a downhill plane. He complements it with a dynamic, high-80s slider that one scout said rated higher than the one Joba Chamberlain threw while he was zooming through the minors. He completes the picture with a solid changeup. More important, Stroman throws his entire arsenal for strikes, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 5-to-1. When his fastball arrives flat in the zone, it gets hit a long way. That explains a great deal of the 13 longballs he allowed in a season shortened to 111 innings because of a 50-game suspension he served at the outset for amphetamine use.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #55 prospect in 2014
• Ranked Baseball America's #98 prospect in 2013

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: After starring in college, with Team USA and in the Cape Cod League during the summer, Stroman became Duke's first-ever first-round pick. The Blue Jays drafted him 22nd overall in June with the pick they received for failing to sign 2011 first-rounder Tyler Beede. Stroman signed for $1.8 million and quickly reached Double-A before testing positive for a stimulant and drawing a 50-game suspension. Scouting Report: Don't be fooled by Stroman's diminutive frame. He has quick-twitch athleticism and the ball explodes out of his hand. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph when he starts and can reach 98 when he relieves. He has two variations of a breaking ball--a mid-80s slider with big break and a harder, shorter cutter at 88-90 mph. He also mixes in a good changeup. He maintains his velocity well into starts but will need better command to remain a starter. The Future: The Blue Jays aren't ruling out developing Stroman as a starter despite his size. He relieved in his pro debut to keep his workload light, and if he stays in that role he could surface in Toronto before the end of 2013. He has the upside of a frontline starter or a closer. When his suspension ends in May, he'll probably return to Double-A.