Courtesy of Texas Media Relations
The CBB continues our countdown to the 2009 College Baseball season with our Top 50 players to watch. We will be providing one player each day (Monday-Saturday) until we reach number 1.
We continue the list today with sophomore pitcher Brandon Workman out of the University of Texas who comes in at the 38th spot in the countdown. He is a 6-5 220 pound right handed power pitcher from Bowie High School in Bowie Texas.
Workman went 5-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 21 appearances including six starts in his freshman season in 2008. He was able to pitch 53.1 innings while allowing 58 hits on the year. He struggled with his control while allowing 20 walks but did strikeout 49 batters. The opponents batting average last season against him was a respectable .279.
After his season with the Longhorns, he came to the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League where he pitched for the Wareham Gatemen. He made nine starts on the year accumulating a 3-3 record with a 3.44 ERA. His struggles with his control settled down this summer as he only walked 14 batters in 55 innings. We saw Workman in the CCBL All-Star game where he pitched one inning for the Western Division striking out two out of the three batters he faced. He featured a mid-90’s fastball on that day which really overpowered the hitters.
Workman was ranked as the fifth best prospect in the CCBL by Baseball America after his strong summer. I believe that Workman has one of the best arms in college baseball and should be able to lead the Longhorns pitching staff as they try to get back to Omaha.
You can check out the full top 50 by clicking here.
8 comments
FYI Brandon is just a Soph. at Texas. The numbers you list represent his Freshman numbers and his summer numbers between his Fres/Soph year.
Agreed, HornsFan. No question he has the arm and the potential, but he needs to prove it on the field; something he has yet to do with any consistency at the D-I level (and he was battered around a bit in Fall ball this year). Again, I’ve given up trying to figure out Brian’s ranking system, as I know of no one else who would rank Workman ahead of Harvey– either as a pro prospect, and especially as a college player to date.
Really, NOONE else??
Workman throws harder then Harvey and look at what Harvey did in the Cape this summer? Couldn’t even make the All-Star roster.
Harvey was only ranked in the third spot in the CCBL while Workman was fifth by Baseball America. Not a HUGE difference.
I think Workman’s arm is MUCH stronger at the moment as he has become a power pitcher that I saw hit 96 in the CCBL All-Star game. Oh wait, I guess Harvey is better since he wasn’t in the game.
Also, Harvey was throwing out of the pen because of what?
Coaching staff was trying to control his innings while Workman could show his stuff all summer in a starter’s role.
What has Harvey shown you besides being lit up on National TV by the Miami Hurricanes? He was a midweek starter during half the season and the third starter on the weekend at the end of the year.
Harvey’s college resume so far is considerably better than Workman’s. Throwing 96 MPH does not make you a Top 50 college player if you’ve yet to demonstrate it on the field. Harvey started in the pen last year for UNC because they had a far deeper, more experienced and stronger pitching staff than Texas. Workman was given every opportunity earn a weekend starting spot during the year because UT had no one who was showing any consistency…until Ruffin was finally given the “chance” almost mid-way through the season.
Hey, I’m not sure why I’m even trying to explain myself. Joey Wong in the Top 40? Heck, he doesn’t deserve to be in the Top 150– either as a colleger player or a pro prospect.
as far as college player, im not sure where id rank Harvey/Workman.
but i know as far as professional prospect rankings, Harvey would be #2 behind Strasberg for me. He reaks of skills and projects very well.
Workman has some of the same skills, but would rank about 45 for me, with a chance to rise to top 20 by seasons end.
To be correct Workman and Ruffin where both moved into the weekend rotation at the same time. At that point Workman was at the top of the Texas pitching staff in almost all catagories (innings, era, strikeouts, opponents batting ave……). Obviously Chance handled the promotion much better as Workman (according to the UT coaches) tried to do too much and began overthrowing. Take away the stats from his two Saturday starts (2/3 inning, 7 earned runs against Ok State) and his numbers improve dramatically.
Given that Workman is a small town kid with virtually no formal pitching instruction until last season his reaction to the promotion was not all that surprising. Not sure where I would rank him vs Harvey, but for a fact the gap between the two continues to close!
Make that a total of 10 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings (only 4 vs ok state)
Comments are closed.