Karsten Whitson, RHP: 2014 MLB Draft 11th Round

[mabrowndog]

Karsten Whitson, RHP, Florida
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6'4"/225
Hometown: Chipley FL (Chipley HS)
 

 

 

 

 
 
BA Profile:
 

 
Whitson has had one of the most-watched amateur careers in recent memory. The ninth overall pick in 2010, he turned down $2.1 million from the Padres to attend Florida. He had a dominant freshman year, striking out nearly a hitter an inning while helping the Gators reach the College World Series. He had an uneven sophomore campaign while battling arm soreness and didn’t throw a pitch as a junior last year after having shoulder surgery. The Nationals took a flier on him in the 37th round last year but did not sign him. Whitson began his senior season in the rotation before being pushed to the bullpen. His velocity was in the mid-80s to begin the spring before sitting 90-92 mph and touching 94 for most of the season. He finished the regular season on a high note, sitting 93-95 mph and touching 96 in a six-inning outing in the Southeastern Conference tournament. His slider, which was plus earlier in his career, plays closer to average and his changeup shows average potential. His control has been below-average, and he doesn’t have the easiest or most conventional delivery. Whitson, who is 22, has thrown just 64 innings the last three seasons and still has one year of eligibility remaining, so he will be a wild card in this year's draft.

 
MLB Profile:
 

 
To say Whitson has had an up and down few years would be an incredible understatement. After being the Padres’ first-round pick in 2010, he decided to attend Florida instead of signing and experienced shoulder problems in his sophomore year and hasn’t been the same since. He does have solid velocity, getting up to 96 mph with his fastball, but his secondary offerings and command just aren’t the same as they were when he was in high school. Whitson still has upside that many teams are looking for and if a team is willing to be patient with him, he could potentially regain his form and become a steal in the Draft.

 

 

[mabrowndog]

Yahoo: "Why I Turned Down $2.1 Million" (from November 2010)
 

 
Karsten Whitson seemed to have an opportunity of a lifetime. The San Diego Padres took the right-handed pitcher ninth overall in the June draft. Whitson was excited and told reporters soon thereafter that he was ready to start his professional career.
 
But as the summer progressed and negotiations continued with the Padres, Whitson slowly had a change of heart. He began to doubt that he was ready for the rigors of the minor leagues, and the idea of playing college baseball at Florida became increasingly appealing.
 
"It definitely was hard to turn down that opportunity, and I kept my options open throughout the summer, but I just didn't feel comfortable signing when the time arrived," Whitson said. "And I knew that if I went to Florida, I'd be in great hands."
 
Decision day was Aug. 18, the deadline for a drafted player to sign a contract. Negotiations went into the night and the Padres were confident they'd get a deal done. Their final offer came in at $2.1 million, just $50,000 less than what the eighth overall pick, Delino DeShields Jr., had signed for and well above the recommended $1.962 million slot for the No. 9 pick.
 
There was no deal in place when the clock struck midnight on the East Coast. Whitson officially had chosen Florida over a pile of cash and the Padres. His decision shocked not only the Padres, but everyone in baseball.
 
Whitson holds no ill will against the Padres. He understands why people wonder why he didn’t sign when he had $2.1 million reasons to do so. But he wanted to etch his own path, and that road begins in Gainesville, Fla., not in the Padres' farm system.
 
"I would tell any kid out of high school they better be comfortable with going pro, because once you make that decision, you're 100 percent into that level of baseball," he said. "It's a grind and some players just aren't fully ready for it."
 
Once at Florida, it took Whitson just a week to realize that he had work to do, and it reinforced his decision to spurn the Padres.
 
"Mentally and physically, I thought I'd be ready for pro ball, but then I get here to Florida and I hardly could walk after just a week of workouts," he said. 

 
While I don't buy a single word of the "I wasn't ready for the minors" bullshit, the article included a smattering of legit introspection (keep in mind, this was 3.5 years ago):
 

 
"There are some things I can improve on,” he said. “Throwing my changeup for a strike was a big emphasis for me during fall workouts. I will continue working on that. I also want to improve my fastball command on both sides of the plate."

 

[mabrowndog]

Might need some input from the resident Sox orthos on how such a thing as partial surgery exists. I've always assumed that once an incision is made by a surgeon, that's the definition of surgery.
 
Kendall Rogers, PerfectGame.org (February 14, 2013)
 

 
Kendall Rogers @KendallRogersPG
BREAKING: The Whitson family informed me #Florida RHP Karsten Whitson to miss the '13 season following shoulder procedure.
 
Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG
Kent Whitson, Karsten's father, told me Dr. James Andrews cleaned up some abnormalities that did NOT require full surgery

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Could it just be a sloppy way of saying they just had to clean up the joint rather than repair or rebuild it?

 

[darnedsox]

Many thanks for this info Dog

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Could it just be a sloppy way of saying they just had to clean up the joint rather than repair or rebuild it?

 
Sounds like for this surgery, they didn't touch the labrum or the rotator cuff, at least according to this Gator article: http://collegebaseballcentral.com/gators-karsten-whitson-healthy-ready-2014/1897/

While 2012 proved to be more of a challenge for the talented right-hander, due in part to forearm tendinitis, Whitson was poised to return to prime form in 2013 and team up with Jonathon Crawford to form one of the most potent one-two punches in the country. However, fate would not allow that favorable outcome.
 
Expected to be a surefire first rounder in 2013, his forearm tendinitis would be accompanied by shoulder stiffness early into his stint in the Cape Cod League, which would follow him in the months leading up to the 2013 season and force him to undergo surgery to repair an impingement.
 
Nonetheless, damage was sustained to neither his rotator cuff nor labrum, which coupled with a successful recovery will allow Whitson to be healthy and ready to go for the 2014 season.
 

 
Also, here's a short article describing his last two outings - one a shellacking by Vandy and the other six shutout innings against LSU in the SEC title game:  http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=28275.
 
I have to guess that the Sox have signals he's going to sign.  Wonder for how much.

 

[mabrowndog]

Reportedly he's saying adios to college and will sign with the Sox.
 
 

Four years, a shoulder surgery and some ups and downs later, the Red Sox have taken a chance on Whitson in the 11th round of the 2014 Draft, one the right-hander is humbled by and grateful for.
 
He'll forego the one year of eligibility he has remaining because of a medical redshirt and sign with the Red Sox in the coming weeks.
 
"The Red Sox saw something in me and they're giving me an opportunity to work hard for a team that's sticking their neck out for me," Whitson said by phone Saturday. "Some other teams are looking at negative of my situation. It humbles me that Boston sees positives in a kid that still has a lot to offer."

While he'll still have to deal with the grind of pro baseball, something he won't have to deal with are high expectations from the baseball world. Since the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty isn't topping any prospect lists in 2014, he's flying under the radar.
 
"He's ready to prove some people wrong. The pressure will be off of him," said Andy Compton, his coach at Chipley High School. "I think physically, he's ready to go. Once he gets on the mound and gets in a rhythm, he'll definitely advance [through the system]."

Whitson will get another chance with the Red Sox, and he's excited to not top any lists like he was coming out of high school. He's excited to take care of himself on the mound and nothing else.
 
"I've always been trying to meet others expectations, worrying about what other people think," Whitson said. "I'm definitely in a situation that I'm going to fully embrace. Being under the radar is what I need."

 

[mabrowndog]

Jonathan Singer @Jonathan_Singer

11th round pick Karsten Whitson is set to make his pro debut tomorrow as the starter for the @LowellSpinners.

 

[mwonow]

Whitson's a guy I'm really looking forward to. Seems like he has a very high ceiling - an 11th rounder who might eventually live up to his (former) 1st round pedigree.
 
Added bonus - as far as I can tell, he's no relation to Ed Whitson, formerly of the MFYs, and famous for being a Billy Martin sparring partner... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Whitson