Sam Street

SAM STREET, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
Born: March 18, 1992
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 200
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 16th Round, 491st Overall, 2014
How Acquired: Draft
College: Texas Pan-American 
Agent: N/A

WTM’S PLAYER PROFILE

Street is from Australia, but came to the US to play college baseball.  His career got a boost when he lowered his arm slot to just above sidearm.  He doesn’t throw with much velocity, sitting 83-86 MPH, but has a lot of sink and plus command.  He also throws a slider and changeup.  Street was a fixture in the UTPA rotation, but profiles as a reliever in pro ball.  Baseball America had him ranked 485th overall, and said he has the chance to be a future middle reliever.  As a senior, Street signed quickly.

2014
A-:  1-1-5, 0.98 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 6.8 K/9Street had an outstanding debut, serving as the closest thing Jamestown had to a closer.  He allowed only 13 hits in 27.2 IP, and seven of them came in three innings in the only two outings in which he allowed earned runs.  Opponents hit just 135/194/167 against him, right-handed batters just 102/154/102.

2015
A:  3-1-6, 2.10 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 85.2 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

Street spent the season in the West Virginia bullpen.  Despite the relief role, he logged a lot of innings, including games of five and six innings.  He pitched well, continuing to walk very few hitters, improving his strikeout rate (although it’s still on the low side for a reliever) and allowing only three HRs.  He had a strong groundball tendency.  He was very tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .521 OPS.  Left-handed hitters had a .744 OPS against him.

2016
A+:  3-2-1, 2.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 6.1 K/9

Except for a month and a half on the temporarily inactive list, Street spent the season at Bradenton.  He ended up with a much better ERA than his 3.97 FIP, as his walk and K rates were weak.  Right-handed hitters actually hit him slightly better than left-handed hitters.

2017
A+:  4-2-2, 2.74 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 59.0 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 6.7 K/9

Street returned to Bradenton and served in a sort of utility relief role.  He sometimes pitched in short relief and closed a couple of games, but on seven occasions threw four-plus innings in long relief to preserve the team’s other arms.  He also threw five shutout innings in a spot start at the end of the season.  He put up very solid numbers apart from a low K rate.  His platoon split was more like what you’d expect from a righty sidearm thrower, with a .619 OPS by right-handed hitters and .738 by left-handed hitters.

Street seems to have made the transition to organizational reliever, no doubt an indication that the Pirates doubt whether his stuff will succeed higher up.  He’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft but won’t be selected.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2018: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: N/A
MiLB Debut: 2014
MLB Debut:
MiLB FA Eligible: 2020
MLB FA Eligible:
Rule 5 Eligible: 2017
Added to 40-Man:
Options Remaining: 3
MLB Service Time: 0.000
TRANSACTIONS
June 7, 2014: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 16th round, 491st overall pick, signed on June 12.