DRaysBay · Feb 26, 2018
2018 DRaysBay Community Prospect No. 29
Recent inclusions
2017 statistics with Arizona: 252⁄3 IP, 5.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 8.7 BB%, 21.7 K%
2017 statistics with Triple-A Reno: 122 IP, 5.39 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 9.6 BB%, 21.8 K%
Despite his struggles in 2017, Banda reached the majors and was still Arizona’s No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America. Although he didn’t pitch well, he maintained the stuff that made him a potential No. 3 starter, including a plus fastball that can touch 96 mph. His breaking ball and changeup are both inconsistent but have potential to be above-average pitches. His command has to improve. At the very least, he’ll start the season as a member of Durham’s deep pitching staff and get a shot with the Rays later.