Pitching
Amano commands a stupefying curveball. This curve is what makes him one of the most dominant righties in the game. He's a finesse pitcher, relying on movement and location. He tends to work slowly when in a jam, which just makes his problems worse by lulling his fielders to sleep. His stuff becomes less sharp as he gets into the late innings. He can hit 90 MPH but is too smart to try to get his fastball past most hitters. He attacks lefties and righties the same way.

Defense & Hitting
Though he lacks a good pickoff move, he checks the running game with a compact stretch delivery. He tends to fall off slightly to the first-base side of the mound, making him vulnerable to bunts toward third base. He makes up for that minor flaw by being aggressive in fielding his position. Amano is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Amano has some pop in his swing.

2010 Outlook
The Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a long-term contract, but don't think they won't drop Amano like a hot potato if something better comes along.

          -- Ska Nyman, A-Ball Scout