Donnie Bridges: A former first round pick
this 22-year-old emerged as the best pitching prospect in the Expos system
with his impressive 2000 season.
A supplemental pick in 1997, this
6-foot-4, 220 pound righty began the season at Single-A Jupiter in the
Florida State League. Even though his record was only .500 in 11 starts
(5-5), Bridges showed much more going 73 innings while allowing only 58
hits, striking out 66, and walking just 20 batters. His ERA was just as
nice at 3.19. He was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg were he only showed
to get better (11-7, 2.39 ERA, 128 IP, 104 H, 49 BB, 84 SO, 6 CG, 19 GS).
He didn't allow a homer in Single-A and allowed just five at Double-A. He
did all of this despite not turning 21 until December.
Bridges was
one of my favorite pitchers to watch last season, he proved to be a guy
that you can count on to go out every fifth day and give you a quality
start consistently. He possesses a mid-90s fastball, curve, and changeup
as his top pitches, with the first two being the standouts. He has the
stuff to develop into a staff ace.
You should see him pitch at least half of
the upcoming season at Triple-A. When you combine Bridges with the likes
of Armas and some of the other young arms in the system like 2000 draft
pick Justin Wayne, the Expos could be in the process of building a similar
young dynamic rotation like the A's did.