Throws: Right
Height/Weight: 6'2''/190
Birthday: 2/22/1984 (Age 24)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2009 Season
Background: Brennan Garr came to the Rangers as a 9th round draft pick in the 2006 draft out of the University of Northern Colorado. He signed quickly for only $65,000. At UNC, Garr was a two-way player, serving as the team closer only in times of need. He was the star third baseman for the Bears the rest of the time. However, he caught the eye of scouts with the stuff he flashed on the mound. After redshirting his freshman year, he came back to only throw in 3 games in 2004, getting pounded to the tune of a 11.57 ERA. However, he came back as the team's closer in 2005, limiting hitters to a .226 average and saving 7 games in 15 appearances. Garr struggled a lot with his control in 2006, walking 15 in 13.1 innings, although he did strike out 24. He saved 5 games over the course of the season, and that was enough for the Rangers to grab him with their 9th round selection.
Pitches: Garr currently features three pitches out of the bullpen. His first pitch is a fastball that has gained velocity since turning pro. He reached the low-90s while in college, but that has been kicked up to consistently sit in the mid-90s. His fastball does have a little natural sink, though I wouldn't go as far to call it a true sinking fastball. Movement is essential in a fastball, but location is the most important of all. Garr is really starting to locate, and that's what makes his fastball that more effective. His second pitch is a slider/slurve that he uses to get a third strike. Some have said it's a plus pitch, but until he can command it consistently for a called strike on the corner, it's an average pitch. He's still at AA, so he's getting more swings and misses in the dirt on the slider. His final pitch is his newest pitch, a changeup. He is adjusting very well to the pitch, and it is moving up to becoming an all-count pitch. If hitters sit on Garr's fastball, the changeup has proven to be deadly. These three pitches make Garr a late-inning bullpen threat similar to Eric Gagne's pitch mix.
Professional Experience: Garr came out of the shoot in 2006 with a good debut in Spokane. He pitched 26 innings there, double what he had pitched in the season at Northern Colorado leading up to the draft. He showed the ability to strike hitters out, but he also showed his lack of polish, walking 14 batters and hitting 6. His stuff started to play up towards the end of the season, so there was optimism that he could move quickly. He indeed did move quickly in 2007, playing in three levels over the course of the season. Beginning the year at Clinton, Garr shut down Midwest League hitters to the tune of a .177 average against him, sporting a 2.31 ERA over 39 innings, striking out 50. He improved his control, walking 16 batters. His promotion to Bakersfield didn't last long, as Cal League hitters hit only .158 off Garr. He struck out 20 in 16.1 innings, allowing only 2 earned runs for a 1.10 ERA. A late-season promotion to Frisco challenged Garr to locate his pitches even more, and he was up to the challenge. Texas League hitters did hit an improved .267 against him, but he still only allowed 2 earned runs over 7 innings. The main problem was the 10 walks he issued in those innings, a likely sign of wearing down late in the season. Garr entered 2008 as one of the best relief prospects in the Texas system.
2008 Season: Effects of a career-high in innings in 2007 seemingly carried themselves over into 2008, where Garr struggled early on with shoulder problems. He hit the DL in the first month of the season after horrible numbers, and was out for three weeks. However, he's come back to being his old self since his activation in May. He's continued to struggle at times with his control, but his stuff is still playing out against advanced competition in AA. On the season, Texas League hitters are hitting .253 against Garr including his early season slump. He's struck out 52 in 42.1 innings, and has a 3.40 ERA entering play today. His role has moved around a bit during the year, and he's pitched quite a bit in the seventh and eighth innings. He's not getting the groundballs he's gotten in the past, but he's still been effective. In his last few outings, he's started to stretch out to pitch 8 innings over 3 outings instead of the usual 1 inning appearances. Look for him to continue to work on locating pitches down the stretch as the RoughRiders prepare for the playoffs.
Future Outlook: Garr's long-term future is in the setup role in Arlington. It's a little surprising he hasn't seen Oklahoma yet this year, as he's already 24. His situation is quite unique compared to most 24 year-old relievers in the minors, in that he still has a lot of space to grow due to his lack of experience pitching. With more experience, his control will improve as will his stuff. Look for Garr to come to Arlington sometime early in 2009 when he proves he no longer needs minor league seasoning.
Profile Coming Tomorrow: RF Aja Barto
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