Aaron Crow

2013

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2012

Converted to relief work in 2011, Crow had an All-Star season, as he posted 65 strikeouts and 31 walks with a 2.76 ERA over 62 innings. He had previously been a starter in the minors with disastrous results, as his ERA was well above 5.00. The change of roles allowed him to rely much more on his fastball and slider, the latter of which proved tough for batters to hit. With the Royals acquisition of Jonathan Broxton in the offseason, there have been rumblings that Crow might be converted back into a starter for the 2012 season. Such a decision could prove to be short-sighted as Crow has yet to taste success as a starter, even in the lower levels of the minors. Keep an eye on his role before investing in him this time around.

2011

Crow, the 12th overall pick in the 2009 draft, hasn't found much success in his two minor-league seasons but has done enough for the Royals to believe he can help them in a season or two. He's played in just 22 games above High-A, so the jury is certainly still out.

2010

Crow was a holdout from his original draft, refusing to sign with the Nationals. However, after being selected by the Royals in 2009, he began his pro career pitching in the Arizona Fall League. He had four starts and went 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA, while striking out 12 and walking a pair. He showed excellent command of a fastball that touched 95 at times, generally sitting at 92-94 mph with late sink. Crow has excellent mechanics, repeats his delivery and stays very much in control on the mound. He has to further develop his secondary pitches, but he's already on the 40-man roster. Look for Crow at some point in 2010 (probably late) as a back-of-the-rotation starter with the potential to be a solid starting pitcher once he gains seasoning against wood bats and quality hitters. His stuff and his mechanics certainly are major league quality - it's now just a matter of when.