Andrew Brackman

Andrew Brackman (born December 4, 1985) is a 6' 10" right-handed Minor League Baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees organization. [ [http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2007/index.jsp?mc=brackman Draft Report for Andrew Brackman] ] He signed a four year $4.55 million dollar deal with $3.35 million signing bonus as the 30th overall pick of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.cite news
url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/081607aaa.html
title=Yankees Agree to Deal With First-Rounder Andrew Brackman
publisher=CSTV.com
date=2007-08-15
accessdate=2008-02-27] Brackman is represented by sports agent Scott Boras.cite news
url=http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=4564
title=Andrew Brackman - Starting Pitcher
publisher=Rotoworld.com
date=2007-08-27
accessdate=2008-02-27]

High school career

Brackman attended Moeller High School in Cincinnati, OH. There he was one of the top high school pitchers in the country, and a two-sport standout. He had a career ERA of 1.04, the seventh best in the history of Ohio high school baseball,cite news
url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080221&content_id=2382413&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
title=Minor League Report: Young pitchers
publisher=MLB.com
date=2008-02-21
accessdate=2008-02-27] and helped lead Moeller to a 28-3 record and the Ohio state championship as a senior. He was ranked as the No. 18 senior in America by Team One Baseball, and listed as the No. 4 prospect in Ohio for the 2004 draft by Baseball America.

He was runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Ohio by the Associated Press, shared Ohio's Division I Player of the Year honors, and was named first-team all-state, as he averaged 20.2 points and 6.5 rebounds as a senior. He led his conference in scoring and field-goal percentage (.654), and was second in free-throw percentage (.882). He was rated the No. 42 prospect nationally by Insiders.com, and No. 43 by PrepStars following his senior season.cite news
url=http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=606227
title=Wolfpack Biographies - Andrew Brackman
publisher=Gopack.com
date=2006-09-13
accessdate=2008-02-27]

College career

He then attended and played at North Carolina State University. Brackman played two seasons as a dual-sport athlete at NC State, playing both basketball and baseball. During his freshman year basketball season (2004-2005), he played center and forward averaging 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.cite news
url=http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/8491812
title=Brackman's talent will stay on display at N.C. State
publisher=CBS.Sportsline.com
date=2005-05-23
accessdate=2008-02-27]

In his freshman baseball season, he was 4-0 with a 2.09 ERA in 10 appearances as both a reliever and later, a starting pitcher. He was starting pitcher of the first game of the 2005 ACC Baseball Tournament, striking out five batters in seven innings to earn the victory against the Miami Hurricanes. He was named a second-team preseason All-America player by Baseball America for 2006. cite news
url=http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=606227
title=Wolfpack Biographies - Andrew Brackman
publisher=Gopack.com
date=2006-09-13
accessdate=2008-02-27] After the Wolfpack were knocked out of the 2006 NCAA tournament, in the second round by Texas, Brackman chose not to return to the basketball team the next season and instead to develop his pitching with hopes of doing well in professional baseball.

Brackman suffered a stress fracture to his hip in his sophomore year basketball season limiting him to only 7 games and a disappointing 1-4 record with a 6.09 ERA.cite news
url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2614344
title=Brackman, busy with baseball, hasn't decided on return
publisher=ESPN
date=2006-10-05
accessdate=2008-02-27] [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/Andrew-Brackman.shtml Andrew Brackman Statistics - The Baseball Cube ] ] In the summer of that year, he pitched for the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod League earning a 1-0 record with a 1.09 ERA.cite news
url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2614344
title=Brackman, busy with baseball, hasn't decided on return
publisher=ESPN
date=2006-10-05
accessdate=2008-02-27] This effort led to Baseball America ranking him the number 2 prospect in that league.

Brackman's junior year at NC State saw a return to his freshman year numbers: in 13 games, he struck out 74 batters in 78 innings with a 3.81 ERA and a record of 6-4. He did not pitch in the ACC nor the NCAA tournaments due to elbow injuries.cite news
url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/08272007/sports/yankees/yanks__top_pick_to_have_surger.htm
title=Yanks's top pick to have surgery
publisher=New York Post
date=2007-08-27
accessdate=2008-02-27]

Despite anxiety about the effect of his past injuries on his draft stock, Brackman did well in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, drafted by the Yankees with the 30th pick of the first round [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2007/drafttracker.jsp 2007 MLB.com Draft tracker] ] .

Professional career

Following the 2007 draft, the Yankees signed Brackman to a guaranteed $4.5 million deal for four years including a $3.55 million signing bonus spread out over six years.cite news
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/sports/baseball/17pins.html?_r=1&fta=y&oref=slogin
title=Good News on the Health of the Yankees’ Top Pick
publisher=New York Times
author=Tyler Kepner
date=2007-08-17
accessdate=2008-02-27] The club also holds options over Brackman for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons which could boost the total value of his contract over $13 million (if he meets his bonus requirements).cite news
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/sports/baseball/17pins.html?_r=1&fta=y&oref=slogin
title=Good News on the Health of the Yankees’ Top Pick
publisher=New York Times
author=Tyler Kepner
date=2007-08-17
accessdate=2008-02-27]

As specified by his contract on August 15, 2007, the Yankees placed Brackman on the 40 man roster (designating infielder Chris Basak for assignment to make room for him).cite news
url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stories/081607aaa.html
title=Yankees Agree to Deal With First-Rounder Andrew Brackman
publisher=CSTV.com
date=2007-08-15
accessdate=2008-02-27] Brackman currently wears uniform number 64.

Brackman was optioned to the Class-A Tampa Yankees in the Florida State League. The Yankees recommended that Brackman see Dr. James Andrews in Alabama to address his lingering elbow concerns. Later in August 2007, he underwent Tommy John surgery.cite news
url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/08272007/sports/yankees/yanks__top_pick_to_have_surger.htm
title=Yanks's top pick to have surgery
publisher=New York Post
author=George King
date=2007-08-27
accessdate=2008-02-27]

Brackman began the 2008 season on the 60 day disabled list, a procedural move to keep him on the 40-man roster. He's not expected to pitch until the very end of the year, when he'll begin preparing for a spring 2009 start. Despite this setback, the Yankees still consider Brackman a "blue-chip prospect".cite news
url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/02/26/2008-02-26_hank_steinbrenner_ill_look_at_big_pictur.html
title=Hank Steinbrenner: I'll look at big picture for Cashman contract talks
publisher=New York Daily News
author=Mark Feinsand
date=2008-02-26
accessdate=2008-02-27] On February 1, 2008, Keith Law of ESPN ranked Brackman in the top 100 baseball prospects of 2008, [ [http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3221365&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dlaw_keith%26id%3d3221365 ESPN - Top 100 prospects of 2008 - MLB ] ] [ [http://riveraveblues.com/2008/01/31/keith-laws-top-100-prospects-2073/ River Ave. Blues | Keith Law’s Top 100 Prospects ] ] and both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus list him as in the Yankees' top ten prospects. [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/265405.html BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Top 10 Prospects: New York Yankees ] ] [ [http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6957 Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Future Shock: Yankees Top 11 Prospects ] ] On February 25, 2008, Hank Steinbrenner said: quotation|"I'm very confident in the next 10 years that Chamberlain, Hughes, Kennedy, (Andrew) Brackman, (Alan) Horne - all those guys - we're going to be a powerhouse for the next 10 years and longer."cite news
url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/02/26/2008-02-26_kids_on_hank_steinbrenners_radar.html
title=Kids on Hank Steinbrenner's radar
publisher=New York Daily News
author=Mark Feinsand
date=2008-02-26
accessdate=2008-02-27]

Pitching Style

Brackman consistently throws a 92-97 mile per hour fastball [ [http://baseballexchange.wordpress.com/2007/06/10/draft-report-andrew-brackman-1st-round-30th-overall/ Draft Report: Andrew Brackman] ] that has touched 99 mph. He compliments his fastball with a two-seam fastball, knuckle curve, and a changeup. His knuckle curve rates an 80 on the scouting scale of 20-80.Fact|date=September 2008 His height and overhand action give his pitches a very desirable "downward plane". [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2007/drafttracker.jsp The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Events: 2007 DraftTracker ] ]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.scoutingbook.com/players/p2398 The Book on Andrew Brackman from "ScoutingBook.com"]
* [http://riveraveblues.com/2007/10/10/prospect-profile-andrew-brackman-1141/ River Ave. Blues Blog Prospect Profile of Brackman]