This year I be releasing my Top 25 Prospects in conjunction with the people over at Between the Green Pillars, which means the list is going to posted somewhat out of order to match up with what Ryan and Jay have for their Top 25. An up-to-date list of the Bernie's Crew Top 25 can be found at the bottom of each individual post.  There will be a new prospect posted each day both here at Bernie's Crew, and also over at Between the Green Pillars.  Each prospect overview will have thoughts from both blogs as well.  Be sure to check back daily! 

Luis Pena

Born: 1/10/1983
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200 lbs
Throws: R

Luis Pena is the Derrick Turnbow of the Nashville Sounds bullpen.  He has all the stuff to be absolutely dominate.  The right-hander features a high-90s fastball and a nasty split-fingered pitch that serves as his out-pitch.  I have read that his splitter can run in the low-90s, but I have not seen that live.  Therefore, I cannot attest to that being true.

Just like Turnbow, his strikeout rate is above-average.  His K/9 rate jumped to 8.94 last season, which cemented his role as closer for Triple-A Nashville.  He cruised along for the first portion of the 2008 season, even making the PCL All-Star team.  Once the dog days of summer rolled around, however, the wheels fell off for Luis.  The soon to be 26-year old suddenly could not locate his pitches, finishing the 2008 campaign with an astronomical 8.57 BB/9 rate.  For comparative purposes, Turnbow sported an unattractive BB/9 rate of 6.09 in 2007 with the Milwaukee Brewers.  Luis Pena walked almost two-and-a-half more batters per nine innings pitched.  No wonder his WHIP skyrocketed to 2.05 by the end of 2008.

There are some reasons to be hopeful for Luis, however.  His BABIP was .357 last season, which suggests he was a bit unlucky on the balls hit in play.  That suggests opposing hitters will see a drop in their .280 batting average against Pena.  The problem of control still remains though.  You can be sure Luis will start the season with Nashville again in 2009.  A late-inning reliever with the stuff that Luis has will be given numerous chances to succeed.  If the right-hander can find his stellar control he showed in 2007, he could be with the Brewers as soon as June or July of the 2009 season.  There seems to be little reason to suggest that will be the case, however, as he also struggled mightily with finding the plate in 2006.  His fantastic 2007 season seems to be a bit of an anomaly thus far in his minor league career.  Because of that, I am not confident Luis will reach his quite lofty potential.  Because of that potential, however, he still finds himself in the Top 25.

POTENTIAL: B+
CHANCE OF REACHING POTENTIAL: C-
PROJECTED ARRIVAL: 2009/2010
OVERALL: C+

Jim's Ranking: 23

Between the Green Pillars

Bernie's Crew Top 25 Prospects