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Friday, June 23
Mike Bynum, Robert Smith
By John Sickels
Special to ESPN.com

REPORT FILED: JUNE 23

Last week, we looked at two American League rigt-handed pitching prospects: Jon Garland and Tomokazu Ohka. This week, let's turn the tables and examine a pair of National League southpaw prospects: Mike Bynum of San Diego and Robert "Bud" Smith of St. Louis.

Mike Bynum
San Diego Padres
Position: LHP Height: 6-4 Weight: 200 Born: 3/20/78

Year Team Level G GS IP H R ER BB K W-L ERA SV
1999 Idaho Falls R 5 3 17 7 0 0 4 21 1-0 0.00 0
1999 Rancho Cucamonga A 7 7 38.1 35 17 14 8 44 3-1 3.29 0
2000 Rancho Cucamonga A 14 14 83 65 28 21 28 84 8-3 2.28 0

The Padres drafted Mike Bynum with a supplemental first-round pick in 1999, as part of the compensation for the loss of Kevin Brown to free agency. The lefty signed for a $650,000 bonus, and the Padres are ecstatic about their investment. The North Carolina product was erratic in college, but so far he's been excellent in the pros. He is dominating the California League this year, and should be promoted to Double-A soon.

Bynum has a decent fastball at 88-92 mph, usually sitting right at 90. It has good sinking movement, and he's learned how to hit spots with it. Complementing the fastball is an improving changeup. Both pitches should be major league average or slightly above. But what makes Bynum special is his killer slider.

Bynum's slider comes to the plate at 80-82 mph, and has an extremely nasty break. Scouts compare the pitch to Steve Carlton's slider, high praise indeed. While command of the pitch was problematic for Bynum in college, he's learned how to use it effectively against wooden bats in the pro ranks.

He has 21 career starts now in the California League, leading to an 11-4 record, 2.60 ERA, and an excellent K/BB ratio of 128/36. Those are great numbers anywhere, but especially in the Cal League, a hitter's circuit. He has a strong work ethic, and has worked hard to polish his overall game on the mound.

Expect Bynum to move up to the Southern League shortly. While it is dangerous to make comparisons to a pitcher like Steve Carlton, and few scouts expect Bynum to become an ace starter, his career is certainly off to a fine start. It will be interesting to see how he does against the more advanced competition in Double-A.

Robert Smith
St. Louis Cardinals
Position: LHP Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Born: 10/23/79

Year Team Level G GS IP H R ER BB K W-L ERA SV
1999 Peoria A 9 9 54 53 20 17 16 59 4-1 2.83 0
1999 Potomac A 18 18 103.1 91 47 34 32 93 4-9 2.96 0
2000 Arkansas AA 12 12 69.2 53 21 18 20 59 7-1 2.35 0

Robert Smith often goes by the name "Bud," and sometimes shows up in stat reports with that appellation. He has earned himself a new nickname this year: Robert "Double No-Hit" Smith.

Smith threw a no-hitter against Midland on May 6, then matched the performance with another no-hitter against San Antonio on June 11. Both games were seven-inning contests as part of doubleheaders, but hey, a no-hitter is a no-hitter. They both count in the record books.

No-hitters aside, is this guy a prospect?

Yes.

Smith was a fourth-round pick in 1998 out of Los Angeles Harbor Junior College. A fine athlete, he broke some high school hitting records set by Nomar Garciaparra in California. After a tough 1998 debut (5.18 ERA in rookie ball), Smith put his game together last year, with sub-2.00 ERAs at two levels of A-ball, with excellent strikeout/walk ratios. He's posting similar numbers this year in Double-A. It's a good bet he'll see Triple-A later in the year if he keeps pitching like this, with a major league appearance possible in 2001.

Smith works with a 90 mph fastball. His curveball and changeup are both very good, and he knows how to throw strikes and set up hitters. His athletic ability gives him mobility on the mound, and helps him do the little things well like hold runners. Because he lacks an overpowering heater, he doesn't show up on top prospect lists very often. But he is hardly a soft-tosser, and is doing just fine this year against tough Texas League competition.

Call him Robert or Bud, but Smith is one of my favorite unheralded pitching prospects. Keep an eye on this guy.

John Sickels is the author of the STATS 2000 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com. 		 


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