2011 Stats (Arizona Rookie League/ SS-A Mahoning Valley): 9-1, 3.36, 1.29 WHIP, .245 BAA, 3.2 BB/9, 8.1 K/9
Another huge arm, another history of injuries. This big southpaw dazzled in the Dominican Summer League at 16 in 2008 (4-2, 1.89), then blew out his pitching elbow the following spring and ended up missing the next two seasons with Tommy John surgery and rehab. On the back end, Elvis seems to have recovered rather well. His fastball comes in around 94 and his heavy breaking ball (alternately referred as a curve or slider, we'll call it a slurve) is devastating, if inconsistent. The organization had just one simple goal for Araujo last season: make it through the season healthy. He did and even debuted at single A, although the results were less than spectacular (8.10 ERA, .393 OBA in 2 starts). His rehab work did give him time to develop a reliable change-up, which, along with his fastball, he is able to throw for strikes and keep down in the zone (1.36 GO/AO in 2011). Elvis should spend most, if not all, of 2012 at Low-A Lake County, where the brass would like him to build arm strength and increase his workload (just 69.2 innings last season). Should he find himself unable to harness the slurve (told ya), his stuff would play very well at the back end of the bullpen. Either way, we won't see him on the lake until 2014 at the earliest.
Up Next: The Top Ten, beginning with C Jake Lowery
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