Thanks for sharing

It’s always great to hear what the players think about on the field and how they are working on things.

Murphy is LH Hudgins? or better?

Jamey’s scouting report:

Murphy, the second lefthander in the Rangers’ draft haul, differs from Ross in that Murphy is a college pitcher, complements an average fastball (with arm-side sink and run) with a devastating breaking ball, and gets hitters out with an advanced ability to change speeds. He’s more of a pitchability type than Ross, though he’s had issues walking batters. In 102.1 innings this year, Murphy has walked 46 hitters (though he also punched 111 out and permitted only 83 hits). His workload and strikeout total led the Pac-10 Conference.

What Ross and Murphy share, according to Jon Daniels, is standout competitiveness on the mound. Murphy challenges hitters with his four-seam fastball and 11-5 curve, and showed an ability to get out of trouble that could bode well for a future as a reliever if he doesn’t develop adequately as a starter.

Murphy was a quarterback in high school, drafted in the 11th round in 2005 by the Angels as an outfielder. As a freshman at UCLA, he played center field but didn’t pitch, not taking the mound until his sophomore and junior years. He has a 10-10, 4.34 records in 27 Bruins starts and 10 relief appearances.

Early in the 2008 season, Murphy was projected to go higher than the third round, but he ran into command issues late in the season that reportedly impacted his draft position. He was Baseball America’s number 63 draft prospect, but Texas was able to get him at number 89.

A former two-way prospect, Murphy’s competitiveness and athleticism are both strong selling points. His arsenal includes an 89-to-92 MPH four-seamer (though his velocity tailed off as the collegiate season wore on), a big over-the-top mid-to-high 70’s curve that seems somewhat comparable to Christian Friedrich’s looping 12-to-6 offering, and a solid changeup and slider.

Mechanical issues pertaining to an inconsistent release point have led to worrisome command problems, but should the Rangers promptly correct those, Murphy could move very quickly through the Rangers’ farm system, particularly if he is developed as a left-handed specialist.

Jason’s a believer in Murphy’s ability to emerge as a reliable starting pitcher, but I’m not quite so certain yet. Judging by Jason’s interview, however, it seems safe to say he’s got a good head on his shoulders.

Thanks for sharing.

John Savage, the head coach of UCLA Baseball, posted a nice comment on Jason’s piece.

You’re big-time now, hombre.

I liked his answer to the question about which major league hitter he is looking forward to facing. The easy answer would have been A-Rod or some such but him saying the first Major Leaguer that he gets to face shows some maturity IMO.

Debuting for Clinton soon, check the shroom site…