Nick Adenhart was not a typical 14th round pick in 2004.  The 6’4” high schooler from Maryland was among the top high school prospects in the country before undergoing Tommy John surgery his senior year.  Many in the industry figured he’d go off to North Carolina to strengthen his arm and polish his star, and teams didn’t want to pay the bonus money assuredly required to sway him from playing college ball.  The Angels took a flyer on him and were able to ink him to a deal despite the large bonus demands. 

This proved to be a wise decision for the Angels and Adenhart, as he has developed into one of the best young arms in the game.  Adenhart sat out 2004 after graduation and picked up in 2005 in the rookie level Arizona league, where he had consistent strike out numbers despite struggling with his control.  Like many who recover from TJ surgery his second year proved to be a banner year, as he dominated the Midwest league and the California league to a tune of just shy of a strike out an inning.

Adenhart was promoted as a 20 year old to the Texas league, where he was able to hold his own, despite increased walk rates.  He did allow more than a hit per inning and had a K/BB rate below two.  Those numbers may not seem dominant at the face, but when put in context of a 20 year old in the Texas league, he more than held his own.

On May 1, Adenhart makes his debut for the Angels for a brief cup of coffee.  With Lackey expected off of the DL in about 2 weeks, the Angels camp is looking for a snap shot of Adenhart for about three starts before sending him back to Salt Lake for seasoning.  Adenhart is pitching on three days rest while he has pitched to a 4-0 record with a .87 era in AAA Salt Lake.  A look beyond the ERA paints the picture of someone who isn’t quite ready, as evidence by his K rate of only about 6 per 9 innings, and his worrisome BB rate of about 5.5 per 9. 

Keep an eye on Adenhart in the coming years, but he should not be considered a fantasy option for success in 2008.  In a deep keeper league, he is worth a consideration, but even in a league like that, it probably isn’t worth a roster spot at this point in Adenhart’s career.