Area prospects: Mansfield's Walden could ride express to majors
09:40 PM CDT on Saturday, April 4, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. – Right-hander Jordan Walden gets it.
Walden, a 21-year-old prospect for the Los Angeles Angels, understands the significance of being a highly touted pitcher from Texas.
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"Don't they say all flamethrowers come from Texas?" Walden said. "It's an honor to be a pitcher from Texas. There are a lot of us here, and I hope to do well."
So far, the Mansfield High product is doing all he can to follow in the footsteps of area pitchers doing well.
Fort Worth Trimble Tech-ex Yovani Gallardo could be the No. 1 pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers this year. TCU-ex Andrew Cashner was the No. 1 pick of the Chicago Cubs last season. Highland Park-ex Clayton Kershaw is expected to be in the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation.
Walden could be on the fast track with the Angels.
Walden was invited to his second big-league spring training with the pitching-rich Angels. He earned the invite after going 9-8 last year between the Angels' two Class A teams. Walden, whose fastball has been clocked at 100 mph, showed he had the ability to put away batters by striking out 141 in 156 1/3 innings.
His season earned him the No. 2 ranking in the organization, according to Baseball America. Not bad for someone who fell to the 12th round of the 2006 draft after being slowed by injuries his senior year at Mansfield. He played one season at Grayson County Community College before signing with the Angels in 2007.
"I didn't get off to the kind of start I wanted to last year," Walden said. "But I started to get in a groove as the season went on."
Walden understands that it's not going to be easy to make it to the majors any time soon. The Angels have one of the deepest rotations in baseball. Walden, who trains in Mansfield in the off-season with former high school teammate Mark Cohoon (who's in the Mets organization), would like to start the year with Double-A Arkansas.
"There's nothing he does that surprises me," Mansfield coach Gary Vaughan said. "He has the frame (6-5, 200) teams are looking for and has that 95-plus fastball. If he can stay healthy, he can move up fast."
Walden knows he's not a finished product. He said he needs to work on a secondary pitch to go with his fastball. He also is mindful he's entering just his second full season of pro baseball.
"I'm just trying to show them what I can do," Walden said. "I can't worry about what anyone else is thinking. I can only control what I do."
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