QUINTON MILLER

11/28/89; '08 20th; Medford, NJ (HS)
R/R; 6-1, 185

Level

W-L-Sv

BB/9

K/9

WHIP

OAVG

ERA

2008 HS

5-1-0

43.0

1.7

15.1

1.90

2009 A

2-3-0

56.1

4.0

6.4

1.33

.245

4.47

2009 A-

0-1-0

7.0

3.9

5.1

1.86

.345

3.86

Miller was one of a number of players selected by the Pirates who fell due to bonus demands. Baseball America rated him the 158th best draft prospect and the best prospect in New Jersey. He missed much of his junior year due to tendonitis. He throws a fastball that sometimes is in the 86-90 range and sometimes 93-94, as well as a good slider and average change. He had a commitment to North Carolina. The Pirates drafted players in the later rounds who figured to be hard to sign with the idea that they'd make a run at some of those players if they were unable to sign one or more of their earlier choices. In Miller's case, the idea may have been to sign either him or 10th round pick Drew Gagnon. After it became clear on the day before the deadline that Gagnon would not sign, the Pirates signed Miller the next day for $900,000.

Miller must have impressed the Pirates in extended spring training, because he made his pro debut with State College rather than in the GCL. Then, after just two starts there, they moved him up to West Virginia and he spent the rest of the year in the Power rotation. Although his ERA wasn't impressive-causing some poorly informed Pirate fans to write him off-his performance was actually very encouraging considering that he was drafted out of high school, was considered raw at the time, and was essentially skipping short season ball. His velocity was up to 94, he didn't give up a lot of hits, and his BB and K rates, while not good, weren't terrible. It's also significant that he had no health problems, given the history of tendonitis as well as the fact that he's not a big guy and throws with a good deal of effort. On the whole, he held his own well in a challenging assignment. The Pirates will probably use spring training to decide whether to move him up again at the start of next year. Regardless, he should be a key element in one of the class A rotations.

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