Garrett Cleavinger

The Ducks rallied in the season's second half, riding Cleavinger and Stephen Nogosek down the stretch as a two-man bullpen tandem. Cleavinger has been a consistent performer even though, for the most part, his velocity has sat more in the 92-93 mph range this spring than the 93-96 he showed last summer. Despite the diminished velocity, Cleavinger has maintained his killer instinct and ability to finish off hitters. Strong-bodied at a listed 6-foot, 220 pounds, he has good running life on his fastball and has harnessed just enough command of the live pitch to rack up plenty of strikeouts (15 K/9). He was even better in the Cape Cod League last summer (29 K, 13 IP). His curveball has power, at times sitting at 80-81 mph, and when he is able to land it, hitters have little chance against him. Cleavinger has mostly pitched in one-inning looks and projects in a similar role as a pro. He may not need much minor league time if he keeps missing bats.