Ross Detwiler

2013

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2012

Detwiler missed the first half of 2011 recovering from hip surgery, but he posted a good second half in the back of the Nationals' rotation. He features a fastball that averaged 92.2 mph last season, a change-up (his best pitch) and a curveball. Detwiler pitches to contact, and his .272 BABIP was a major reason he kept his ERA below 4.00, and his 24.2 line drive rate shows that opposing hitters hit the ball well. As of now, Detwiler looks as if he will compete for the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation for 2012, and will probably bounce between the rotation and bullpen for most of the season.

2011

A hip injury scuttled Detwiler's season, leaving him rusty and ineffective even when he did make it back on the mound at the end of the season. The only real success he's had over the last few years came in a six-start stint at Double-A in 2009, and while he'll get a look this spring it's hard to have any confidence either in his ability to stay healthy, or his ability to get out major league batters when he is able to pitch.

2010

Detwiler's 2009 was a mixed bag. He pitched at three levels, finishing the season in the big league rotation, and while his control held steady at all three stops he got more hittable and missed fewer bats the higher he climbed up the ladder. Overall, though, he did a solid job of keeping the ball down and in the park, and barring an offseason spending spree by GM Mike Rizzo or a disastrous spring Detwiler should begin the season as the Nationals' No. four or No. five starter. He's just 24 and still has plenty of ceiling given his low-90s fastball and solid offspeed pitches, and with all eyes on Stephen Strasburg, Detwiler may just fly under the radar this season.

2009

Detwiler's first full pro season was highlighted primarily by control issues, both inside and outside the strike zone, that made general Jim Bowden's brief dalliance with the idea of keeping him in the big league bullpen out of spring training look very silly. Detwiler still has good stuff though, and might yet get his fastball up into the mid-90's once he fills out. While he probably won't fly up the ladder, he still looks like one of the Nationals' top pitching prospects.

2008

The Nationals' top pick in 2007, Detwiler saw limited duty in the minors as the organization was worried about his previous college workload, but he also pitched an inning in the majors in September. The left-hander has three quality pitches including a fastball that can touch the mid 90's and a hard curve, and while he dominated the Gulf Coast League in his brief stint there he was far less impressive at High-A. Expect him to begin 2008 back at High-A, with an eye towards making his 'real' big league debut in 2009.