Washington selected James Bourque in the 14^th round of the 2014 MLB Draft following a productive career at the University of Michigan.  The 25-year-old Bourque spent his first few professional years almost exclusively as a starter, before transitioning to the bullpen in 2018.  Last season Bourque was dominant across both High-A and Double-A, posting a 1.70 ERA in 53 innings pitched, with 76 strikeouts against only 30 hits and 26 walks.  Of note, he was particularly effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .132 average at High-A and .122 average in Double-A.  Bourque was eligible for the Rule 5 draft next month, but Washington chose to place him on the 40-man roster rather than leave him exposed.

Listed at 6’4” 190lbs, Bourque has long limbs and a wiry, lean body.  He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and has a unique delivery with plenty of moving parts.  His delivery, combined with his lanky frame, creates excellent deception to opposing hitters.  Of course, the extraneous movement makes it difficult for him to repeat his mechanics, which hinders both his command and control of the strike zone.
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Bourque features a three-pitch arsenal consisting of a fastball, changeup and slider.  The fastball sits low-to-mid 90s, touching 96mph at its best, with natural armside movement into righties.  The move to the bullpen has helped spike his velocity, which sat more consistently 90-91mph in previous seasons.  Bourque’s primary off-speed pitch is a firm 85-88mph changeup with traditional split-finger type movement.  The pitch shows late, sudden sink that fools opposing batters, particularly lefties.  Finally he flashes a low-80s slider with limited action away from righties.  The pitch more resembles a cutter in shape but is thrown at slider velocity, rendering the pitch below-average.

Bourque is a late-emerging prospect due to his mid-90s velocity, impressive changeup and ability to neutralize left-handed hitters.  These attributes, plus his overwhelming success in 2018, forced Washington to protect him from December’s Rule 5 draft.  In addition, he has a bulldog mentality perfectly suited for a reliever.  His below-average command and lack of a plus breaking pitch limits his ceiling to a potential major league middle relief role. Bourque should begin 2019 either at Double-A or Triple-A and could see his major league debut next season.  Developing a 14^th round pick into a potential productive major league piece is a major win for the organization and a clear success story for Washington’s scouting and development staff.