Phillies prospect Jake Diekman impresses in fall league

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - As the baseball gods say, there is always room for good arms.

Pitching in the Arizona Fall League this autumn, Phillies prospect Jake Diekman, a rangy, 6-foot-4 lefthander with a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s, may be on Ruben Amaro Jr.'s radar screen.

Rising from the Phillies' 30th pick in the 2007 draft, Diekman survived a dreadful 2010 Arizona Fall League experience and on Nov. 5 participated in the Futures Games in Surprise for the East all-star team. He allowed three baserunners in two-thirds of an inning but did not allow a run.

Phillies prospects, along with players from the Angels, Giants, Nationals, and Red Sox organizations, make up the Scottsdale Scorpions roster, one of six teams in the Arizona Fall League. Among Diekman's notable teammates are Bryce Harper, the former No. 1 overall pick of Washington, and centerfielder Mike Trout, a Millville High product and the Angels' first-round pick in 2009.

In 10 games with the Scorpions, Diekman has put up numbers worthy of attention. In 101/3 innings, he has allowed three hits and one earned run and has fanned 12. He constantly hits the radar gun in the mid- to upper-90s, and his nasty curve, which is deadly to any lefthanded hitter, could be his ticket to Citizens Bank Park.

Not that the organization is ready to dismiss Antonio Bastardo as its lefty setup reliever, but Diekman may gather significant attention this spring in Clearwater, Fla.

"I'm trusting my stuff more than in the past," Diekman said. "The difference is location. I'm locating better with my fastball, and that's working."

The difference between last fall's experience in Arizona and his achievements thus far this season are significant. In 2010, Diekman pitched for Mesa and encountered major roadblocks. He appeared in five games, and his numbers for just 32/3 innings of work were not pretty. He allowed 14 hits and 13 runs (12 earned), and had an ERA of 29.45.

"I had something to prove, and the organization asked if I wanted to go back this year," Diekman said. "Immediately, I said yes, and knew I had to work on location."

While the fall league is considered "the graduate school" for Major League Baseball, players routinely make the jump to "The Show." Considering the effort and accomplishments of his 2011 fall season, Diekman hopes to make decisions difficult for manager Charlie Manuel, pitching coach Rich Dubee, and Amaro next spring.