Position: RH RP
Born: 3/24/1993
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 242 lb
Acquired: Received from Boston in Jake Peavy trade, July 2013
Career Stats
FutureSox Prospect Rankings
- #28 – 2015 Midseason
FutureSox Media
- Incoming trade story, July 2013
- In-person report, Aug. 2013
- VIDEO: Fastball, Aug. 2013
- VIDEO: Curveball, Aug. 2013
- Outgoing trade story, Dec. 2015
- All FutureSox articles tagged J.B Wendelken
Scouting Report
Jeffrey “J.B.” Wendelken came over as an add-on piece in the Jake Peavy deal in 2013. Drafted in the 13th round in 2012 out of a Georgia high school, the team used him exclusively as a reliever and the White Sox used him in a similar role during his brief 2013 appearances with Kannapolis (Low-A) and Winston-Salem (High-A).
In 2014 though, he was moved to the Winston-Salem rotation and stayed there all year, a path which the Sox often use with relievers in order to speed their pitching development. As a young-for-level 21-year-old, Wendelken posted a very nice 8.0 K/9 number in 2014 in the Carolina League against an even better 2.0 BB/9, but he got hit a bit (11.2 H/9) and gave up 15 long balls.
Wendelken returned to the bullpen in 2015, and put up good numbers in Double-A and Triple-A. The White Sox dealt him to Oakland in the following offseason and he eventually carved out a consistent role in the A’s bullpen.
In terms of stuff, his fastball runs 91-93 and touches 94 with very good command, but his big pitch is a very good upper 70s change-up. He’s also got a slurvy breaking pitch. The fastball-change velocity differential, command and movement on the change-up are a great foundation for a reliever.