Scott Kazmir

2013

There was no outlook written for Scott Kazmir.

2011

Kazmir battled health and mechanical issues last season and saw his ERA rise for the fourth consecutive season. Once the possessor of a wicked slider, Kazmir was basically a fastball-changeup pitcher last season, which allowed batters to be patient and work deep into counts. As a result, Kazmir finished with just 150 innings pitched, and 79 walks in all. The Angels gave Kazmir a lot of chances last season because his contract was guaranteed for 2011, but don't expect them to be as patient this season if his struggles persist.

2010

Don't get too excited about Kazmir's late-season 1.73 ERA for the Angels. He didn't pitch any better, just caught lucky breaks by allowing one home run on the 77 flyballs he gave up in that time. He throws too many pitches and walks too many batters to be an impact pitcher, and his slight build is a constant worry - he's missed time in three of the last four seasons. He's even striking out fewer batters than in the past.

2009

Kazmir missed spring training and the first month of the season with an elbow strain, but he still finished in the top 10 in the league in strikeouts, and would have finished two runs out of the top 10 in ERA if he'd pitched enough innings to qualify. After a rough outing coming off the DL in his season debut, Kazmir went 8-4, 2.62 in 14 starts to earn an All-Star berth. However, his mechanics fell apart a bit after that, and he struggled (relatively speaking) in the second half and postseason. The Rays seem confident that a normal, injury-free spring should be enough to re-tool Kazmir, who'll lead the rotation along with James Shields again in 2009.

2008

After making some changes to his mechanics during the first half of the year, Kazmir finished strong (8-3, 2.39 in his last 15 starts with a 124:31 K:BB ratio over 94.1 innings, four double-digit strikeout games in his last seven outings) and wound up winning the AL strikeout title. More importantly, Kazmir stayed healthy enough to make 34 starts this season, and he proved he's arrived as one of the top-tier pitchers in baseball. The only issue here is how deep the Rays will let Kazmir pitch into games on a consistent basis.

2007

There's nothing to dislike about Kazmir's career development so far, except for the injury concerns that always follow 23-year-old lefties. Indeed, Kazmir was on the DL twice last year and was shut down six weeks early due to shoulder stiffness. While he's reportedly well on track for spring, his mechanics have always worried pitching analysts. With all that, Kazmir made the All-Star team last year and was among the league leaders in strikeouts and ERA until he went down in August. In addition, Kazmir reduced his walk rate by nearly a third last season from 4.8 walks per nine innings to 3.2 while still striking out more than ten banners per nine innings. He'll be in the top 20 of MLB starters, at worst.

2006

If there's just one legacy Lou Piniella leaves in Tampa Bay, it's that he resisted the urge to overwork Kazmir last season, even though, in many stretches, he was the Devil Rays' only effective starting pitcher. As it is, Kazmir averaged 103 pitches per start, fifth-highest in the league, but the Rays' insistence that Kazmir get an extra day or two of rest at any opportunity kept Kazmir on the mound all year. Kazmir and John Lackey were the only pitchers to finish in the top five in the AL in both strikeout rate and home run rate; he's not that far away from reaching the elite tier of big league pitchers. Worth a dozen Victor Zambranos, easy.

2005

Barring injury, the wunderkind will be part of Tampa Bay's starting rotation in 2005. He's never averaged less than one strikeout per inning at any pro level, including the bigs last year, but since he's still learning the ropes and Tampa Bay's defense may be down a bit in 2005, his ERA might not look very pretty this season. Still, he's one to watch.

2004

Kazmir is the Mets' top prospect and projects to be in the majors during the 2005 season, but could make a cameo appearance towards the end of the 2004 campaign if he rises rapidly through the team's farm system. The team's first-round pick in 2002, Kazmir has one of the best fastballs in the minor leagues, averaging 94-96 MPH and sometimes topping out in the high-90s. He also has an above-average 81-84 MPH slider that has good tilt and break. The Mets have babied Kazmir to date, never allowing him to go longer than seven innings or throw more than 75 pitches. Kazmir needs to work on his curveball, controlling the running game, and building his stamina but has the arm and stuff to be a future No. 1 starter in the majors.

2003

The Mets' first-round pick in 2002. Kazmir was considered a steal as the #15 overall pick by many observers, who thought that he dropped in the draft due to hiring Scott Boras as an agent and carrying high signing bonus demands. The Mets were able to sign him, and he started off well in Rookie League ball. Kazmir was drafted out of high school, so it'll likely be awhile before he's ready for the majors.