Phil Humber

Humber went from a waiver wire pickup to one of the White Sox's most reliable starters in 2011, and his success forced the club to roll six deep in the rotation. His ERA and batting average against faded the second half of the season, but his strikeout rate increased by nearly 3.0 K/9IP. His groundball tendencies play well at US Cellular Field, and his ratios might become more impressive if the defense behind him improves. He will open the year as the club's third or fourth starter, depending on whether the Sox deal any pitchers ahead of him.

Once a big piece of the trade that sent Johan Santana to the Mets, Humber will play for his third team in three years after he was picked up off waivers by Oakland in December. Humber looked to be a starter in the minors, but now looks destined to be a career bullpen pitcher who makes the occasional spot start.

Humber struggled at the start of last season at Triple-A (5.55 ERA and allowed 15 home runs in 24 games) and was moved to the bullpen. He worked out his problems and excelled when moved back to the rotation, going 6-1 with a 2.62 ERA and 53:13 K:BB ratio over his last 10 starts at Triple-A and earning a September callup to the big leagues. The 2004 third-overall pick doesn't have as much velocity as before his 2005 Tommy John surgery (he now throws in the mid-to-low 90s), so his upside may be limited. He'll compete for a long relief/spot starter job this spring.

In his second season back from 2005 Tommy John surgery, Humber opened the season at Triple-A, but struggled with his consistency all year. The rule of thumb is that it takes two years from the surgery to get back to 100 percent, so Humber should have been there in 2007, but the lack of velocity on his fastball - low 90's vs. mid 90's before the operation - is a bit of a concern. It may be a case where he needs more time to be comfortable on the mound, but his status as a prospect has plummeted. Humber, who has a plus curveball and a good changeup, was hit hard in first ever major league start last year, but he may get a shot at competing for a rotation spot in spring training, though Triple-A is a more likely destination.

Humber over-threw after signing late following the 2004 draft, which led to an abdominal strain, altered mechanics and finally Tommy John surgery. He made a quicker-than-expected recovery, returning to action about a year after the surgery, and after struggling early, he dominated Low-A and advanced up the ladder to earn a short stint in the majors at season's end. Part of Humber's success following his return from Tommy John surgery was due to the development of his changeup, which complements his mid-90s fastball and above-average curveball, giving him another pitch that hitters need to be concerned about at the plate. Humber was shut down in the AFL due to tendinitis in his shoulder, but that was more precautionary than anything else, and he is expected to start 2007 at Triple-A Norfolk with a mid-season call up to the majors feasible.

Humber was the Mets' first-round pick and the third overall selection in 2004 but he didn't sign until January 2005. Given the off-time, he began over-throwing, which led to an abdominal strain, altered mechanics, and finally, Tommy John surgery. Most pitchers need two full years to fully recover, so don't expect much from Humber until mid-2007. When healthy, he mixed a fastball that touched 97 mph with a curveball that many scouts considered the best breaking pitch in the 2004 draft.

Humber, whom the Mets drafted third overall in the 2004 draft out of Rice university, finally signed in January 2005. Upon his signing, he automatically became one of the team's best, and perhaps most advanced, pitching prospect. Humber possesses a fastball that touches 97 mph and what many considered to be the best breaking pitch (curveball) in the entire draft. The expectation is that he won't need much minor-league seasoning, and could see Shea Stadium in either late-2005, or more realistically, sometime in 2006.

The Rice University product can routinely works in the low 90s with his fastball and can get into the mid-90 range on occasion. His curveball could become world-class and is his true out-pitch. Has been injury-free and is perhaps is the safest choice of the top–tier of the 2004 draft class, but may not have the highest upside.