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2007 Chosen seventeenth in the 2004 draft, Elbert is the Next Big Thing among Dodger pitching prospects, and some consider him the top left-handed pitching prospect in the minors. He`s a true power lefty, with a 90 to 93 MPH fastball, workable changeup, and big-breaking slider that he occasionally has trouble throwing for strikes. He blazed through the Florida State League, struggling with his control at times, but avoiding the home run ball even in a park heavily favoring hitters. Promoted to Jacksonville, Elbert took his lumps; his walk and homer rates were unsightly, and he gave up far more fly balls than at the lower level, something which may cause grief when he reaches Las Vegas. For all of his control issues--none of which are out of the ordinary for lefty pitching prospects--batters still had a very tough time making contact against him, hitting just .192/.313/.312 for the year. Mechanical tweaks Elbert made in the Instructional League may smooth out his delivery, making him even more effective. Rumors of a shift to the bullpen continue to follow him, but, for now, he`ll remain a starter. 2006 The Dodgers` 1st-round pick in 2004 (another high-schooler), Elbert fared well in his first full season of pro ball, and wound up rated the top prospect in the Sally League. Though he struggled a bit with command, he missed enough bats with his low-90s fastball and power curve , holding opponents to a .200 batting average. Elbert closed the year by posting a 1.96 ERA over his final 12 starts. There`s been talk of shifting him to the pen, but he`ll settle for Vero Beach in `06.
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