JOHN VAN BENSCHOTEN

4/14/80; '01 1st; Kent State U.
R/R; 6-4, 215

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
BB
K
ERA
2001 A-
0-2-0
9
9
25.2
23
10
19
3.51
2002 A
11-4-0
27
27
148.0
119
62
145
2.80
2003 AA
7-6-0
17
17
90.1
95
34
78
3.69
2003 A+
6-0-0
9
9
48.2
33
18
49
2.22
2004 NL
1-3-0
6
5
28.2
33
19
18
6.91
2004 AAA
4-11-0
23
23
131.2
135
49
101
4.72

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
BB
K
ERA
OAVG
OOBP
OSLG
2005 INJURED
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Van Benschoten led the NCAA in HRs his last year in college, but the Pirates surprised everybody by drafting him as a pitcher. By the end of his first full season on the mound he had established himself as the organization's top prospect. He was regarded as the most advanced pitcher in the SAL in 2002 and was chosen the league's #2 prospect; some managers thought he should have been at a higher level in the second half. He continued to dominate at Lynchburg in 2003, where he was named the league's 4th best prospect. He was promoted before mid-season. He did well initially in AA, but began to struggle the last month. He also failed to get out of the first inning in his only playoff start. The Pirates believe that he simply ran out of gas late in the season.

Van Benschoten throws a fastball that ordinarily registers in the low 90s, with very good movement. He also has a good curve. His slider and change are not quite as well regarded. Scouts are especially impressed with his build and his effortless delivery, factors that don't necessarily translate into pitching success. He had a strong spring training performance, pitching well enough that the Pirates decided to send him to Nashville rather than return him to Altoona, which had been their original plan. He struggled badly at first there, but put together a long string of outstanding outings in the middle part of the season. His poor W/L record was largely the result of lack of offensive support and a horrible Sounds bullpen. By the time the Pirates called him up in August, due to injuries, he was starting to slump again, which suggests that late-season fades may be a chronic problem. There were reports that his fastball in AAA was down in the 80s and that he stuff wasn't impressing some scouts. In the majors, he had two strong starts, including one against the Astros, but his other four starts were poor. In three of them he had serious problems finding the strike zone. In his final outing, he recorded only one out against an anemic Mets' offense.

After the start against the Mets, Van Benschoten was shut down for the season's final two weeks with a sore shoulder. The Pirates insisted that it was a minor problem, but this statement, as has often been the case with their pronouncements regarding injuries, proved to be untrue. It was revealed in January that Van Benschoten was found in September to have a partial labrum tear. He tried to recover without surgery, but experienced problems when he began throwing again and ultimately had surgery. Not only did he miss the entire 2005 season, but he ended up needing labrum surgery on his left shoulder as well. He'll no doubt require an extensive period of time to recover. Few pitchers have recovered well from labrum surgery, but methods may be improving. Dave Williams seems to have recovered his stuff after similar surgery. It took him two years after returning to do so, however, so it's quite possible that Van Benschoten, even if he makes a strong recovery, won't be useful to the major league team until 2007 or 2008.

Return to Pitchers