Despite 75 walks and 14 hit batters in 96 innings in Triple-A this year, Andrew Brackman was promoted to the majors by the Yankees on Tuesday.
Brackman, a 2007 first-round pick rated by Baseball America as the game’s No. 78 prospect entering this season, did manage to turn his season around late. He had a 7/20 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings in July, but he came through with a 17/3 mark and a 1.56 ERA in 17 1/3 innings out of the pen last month.
Brackman was first tried as a reliever back in June, and he was moved exclusively to the pen after walking nine in 3 1/3 innings in his final start on July 29. The 6-foot-10 right-hander seems destined to stay there now, and he has the stuff to be a dominant short reliever if things break right.
Fortunately, Brackman, who got a major league contract out of N.C. State, is likely to be awarded an extra option year next season after missing all of 2008 following Tommy John surgery. Otherwise, the Yankees would have been forced to carry him as a reliever next April or try to send him through waivers. He’s not ready for prime time just yet, but no one is giving up on him.