RONALD UVIEDO

10/7/86; NDFA '04 (Seattle); Venezuela
R/R; 6-0, 165

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
 HR
BB
K
 BB/9
K/9
WHIP
OAVG
ERA
2004 VSL (Sea)
2-1-0
11
2
31.0
44
 2
13
20
 3.8
5.8
1.84
.333
5.81
2005 VSL (Sea)
4-3-0
12
10
62.0
42
 2
17
52
 2.5
7.6
0.95
.193
2.76
2006 VSL
2-0-11
25
0
35.2
31
 1
10
44
 2.5
11.1
1.15
.233
2.02
2007 A+
0-0-0
4
0
11.0
9
 2
3
7
 2.5
5.7
1.09
.225
4.09
2007 A
0-0-0
3
0
3.0
3
 1
2
7
 6.0
21.0
1.67
.250
9.00
2007 A-
2-0-12
21
0
20.2
16
 4
3
26
 1.3
11.3
0.92
.216
3.92
2008 A+
0-0-0
7
0
16.0
5
1
5
12
2.8
6.8
0.63
.094
2.25
2008 A
3-1-5
33
0
71.2
70
8
15
76
1.9
9.5
1.19
.248
3.01
2009 A+
5-5-3
23
18
101.2
98
12
28
79
2.5
7.0
1.24
.254
3.36
2009 R
0-1-0
3
3
8.1
8
0
2
10
2.2
10.8
1.20
.229
3.24

Uviedo pitched very well in 2005, with a WHIP of 0.95, but Seattle cut him loose and the Pirates signed him. He did well again in the VSL, this time as a closer. In 2007, after a brief stint as a fill-in at Lynchburg, he joined State College as their closer. He was very effective there, aside from one awful outing early in the season that inflated his ERA. He moved up to Hickory for three late-season games, pitching badly in one and well in the other two. Uviedo has very good stuff, as his high K rates show. He throws his fastball around 94 and has an excellent change. In sharp contrast to most of the team's pitchers at the major league level, he throws strikes. To the extent he had trouble in 2007, it was mainly with gopher balls, as he allowed seven in 34.2 IP overall. He opened 2008 at Hickory and pitched well, with a high K rate, although he's a flyball pitcher and again had occasional problems with HRs. In a late-season cameo with Lynchburg he was nearly unhittable. His inning totals show the practice of the team's new management in having minor league relievers pitch longer in their outings. It's far more logical from a developmental standpoint than having prospects pitch in short relief roles.

Uvideo was eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the off-season, so the Pirates placed him on the 40-man roster. He opened 2009 in the rotation at Lynchburg, as the Pirates prefer to develop pitching prospects as starters to the extent possible. The move went well for the most part, as Uviedo pitched well through mid-June. His K rate was down slightly, as was his velocity. He was sidelined with shoulder tendonitis in mid-June, then returned in late July after a rehab assignment. The Pirates limited his innings after that. He wasn't as effective after returning, which may have been attributable to fatigue. He struggled in two July starts and had uncharacteristic control problems in August, with eleven walks in 21 IP. It could be he needs to return ultimately to the bullpen. For now, though, he figures to be in the Altoona rotation in 2010.

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