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Midwest League Top 20 Prospects

20080813andrusfeliz_tiny by zywica on

Another solid showing for Texas:

1. Mike Moustakas, 3b/ss, Burlington (Royals)
2. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Clinton (Rangers)
3. Jarrod Parker, rhp, South Bend (Diamondbacks)
4. Ben Revere, of, Beloit (Twins)
5. Brett Wallace, 3b, Quad Cities (Cardinals)
6. Engel Beltre, of, Clinton (Rangers)
7. Andrew Lambo, of, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
8. Philippe Aumont, rhp, Wisconsin (Mariners)
9. Derek Holland, lhp, Clinton (Rangers)

Star-divide

2. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Clinton (Rangers)

Feliz may have the most explosive fastball in the minors. He effortlessly sat at 93-94 mph and touched 99 mph with Clinton, and he reached triple digits after jumping to Double-A. Between the two stops, he led all minor league starters by averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

"The ball jumps out of his hand," a scout with a National League club said, "and it jumps past bats also."

Feliz could rely on his fastball alone to overpower most MWL hitters, but he needs to use his secondary pitches more often. His hard breaking ball shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch and is at its best when he stays on top of it and achieves curveball action, but he tends to slow down his arm and drop his elbow, resulting in a flatter slurve. His changeup is promising, too, though he rarely unveils it.

6. Engel Beltre, of, Clinton (Rangers)

The MWL's youngest player at age 18, Beltre also had the highest ceiling among its position players. The league leader in runs (87) and hits (160), he's a fast-twitch athlete with all five tools.

Beltre has a very quick, sound swing that generates easy power, and he has the hand speed to turn around quality fastballs. He's more fluid than Revere in center field and on the basepaths, and he also owns a plus arm. The only question with Beltre is his aggressiveness—he walked just 15 times in 130 games—which may create problems at upper levels when pitchers will feed him fewer strikes.

 "He's a bad-ball hitter," a second American League scout said. "He was swinging at everything, but he hit it, smoking it everywhere. He's ready to hit every pitch."

9. Derek Holland, lhp, Clinton (Rangers)

A 25th-rounder signed as a draft-and-follow in May 2007, Holland made one of the biggest breakthroughs in the minors this year. He didn't arrive in Clinton with the notoriety of Feliz or first-round pick Blake Beavan, but he had a better mix of pitches than either. Holland's 7-0, 2.40 performance with the LumberKings was impressive enough, but he really opened eyes when he was worked at 94-98 mph deep into games in Double-A.

In the MWL, Holland's fastball typically ranged from 91-94 mph. Though his arm action and delivery aren't the smoothest, he achieved nice sink on his heater and commanded it to both sides of the plate. He also showed a slightly above-average changeup and a sweeping 78-80 mph slider.

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Disappointed

Someone needs to ask about the exclusions of Beavan and Main in particular. Did Main not log enough innings to qualify?

by LiamP on Sep 23, 2008 11:13 AM CDT   0 recs

I think Main didn't have enough innings

I’m thinking it’s 50 for full season leagues. I’d be real surprised if he qualified and didn’t make it. With Beavan, this is just an indication of how underwhelmed some scouts were with his stuff, I think. We’ve been hearing that from BA and Goldstein plenty.

by zywica on Sep 23, 2008 11:22 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Ticked

How does the best team in the league only get 3 guys in top 20. How does Beavan, Main, and Gomez not all fit in there when are in top 10 of the league pitchers. This ranking is such crap. Moustakas is getting hype for recovering from .190 when Feliz dominates the league and had multiple no hit bids throughout the year. Callis got lazy and just went with guys that were ranked before this season.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 11:13 AM CDT   0 recs

Gomez

I imagine his lengthy injury this year dropped him out of the polls. Plus alot of the rankings have to do with preseason hype. If a guy is ranked #1 going into the season its gonna take alot for him to drop all the way out of the poll. Same as if a guy is unnoticed going into the season (ala Gomez) its gonna take a hell of a season to get ranked. I agree Beavan and Main should probably be on there especially Main since he came in off the great year last year. Im not upset Gomez is left off. And by the way the team that won the championship only had 3 players in the top 20 so for us to have 3 in the top 10 says something to me.

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Sep 23, 2008 11:18 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Your right

Innings might be key reason for Gomez and Main. Yet, Beavan’s lack of velocity should not have dropped him completely out of top 20. The best team in a league can get beat out in a 3 game series by a hot team.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 11:24 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Beavan

Frustrating that he was beat out by Kevin Ahrens, who posted a sub-700 OPS.

"So he tore it up in AA. Yippee. ...Max Ramirez be damned." - bigsteve

by tricer on Sep 23, 2008 11:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

That's a pet peeve of mine

Way too many no bat but otherwise toolsy up the middle players make their lists. I guess as long as guys like Juan Pierre and Emilio Bonifacio are valued by big league clubs, it’s a little hard to criticize.

As far as Beavan, Michael Pineda didn’t make it. Not only do his numbers eclipse Beavan’s, he was throwing harder. It’s just hard to make those Low A lists.

by zywica on Sep 23, 2008 11:38 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Actually

Pineda might be a better case to make the list than any of the triplets. I wonder if this is a flameballer vs groundball pitcher ranking bias.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 11:40 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

hey jp

when is part 2 coming out?

by Goyogringo on Sep 23, 2008 5:28 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Hopefully Thursday

I’ve been delayed with work and with some instructs related prep. Apologies for the extended delay.

Part 2 features questions on the subject of Dr. Mike Marshall, velocity and the Magnus Effect and a really good question by Ed Coffin about the natural movement of pitches.

The third and final part should be ready when I return from instructs.

Coach John Bagonzi Q&A

by jparks77 on Sep 23, 2008 5:38 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

As I mentioned in the MWL thread

if you have any specific questions about a player participating in the FIL or if you want me to report back on a particular player’s skills/tools, please email me and I will do my best to gather that info.

email: zdar80@yahoo.com
AOL: jasonparks77

Coach John Bagonzi Q&A

by jparks77 on Sep 23, 2008 8:29 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

wow that might be

opening up a can of worms with 53 requests for 53 players…!

by Goyogringo on Sep 23, 2008 9:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Do MJH and Scott make it down?

This year it may take 4 people to see all the action from a 53 man contingent!

by Goyogringo on Sep 23, 2008 7:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

4 people

I think they need to Tivo or something so they can watch every player.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

by t ball on Sep 23, 2008 7:57 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Can't speak for Mike and Scott

but I would assume they will make it to Surprise at some point this fall. Jamey and I will be there this weekend and I know that Jason Cole will be there in a few weeks.

I’m taking the wife this year in order to cover more ground. Her Spanish is much better than mine so I might deploy her to interview the LA kids while I’m off teaching Korean signee Tae Ahn all about the good face.

Coach John Bagonzi Q&A

by jparks77 on Sep 23, 2008 8:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

perhaps a new man-crush?

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg1 on Sep 24, 2008 12:58 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

glad to hear

your willing to take one for the team with the good face…do you have RA on speed dial?

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 24, 2008 7:41 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Justin Jackson

Maybe it had something to do with 120 MWL games at SS for this 19 yr old, 188 PO, 379 Assists, 83 DP . .956 FP, 4.73RF …………Of Course the BA is way to Low, his K’s are way to high, But the kid put together some strong production numbers for a minor league shortstop from the leadoff position. 26 doubles, 6 triples, 7 Hr’s , 47 rbi’s, 73 runs scored, 17 SB’s. 64 BB’s, these are top production numbers for a minor league shortstop, This kids Defensive season ranks up at the top with top defensive seasons in history. If the average gets stronger, they may have something. Didn’t his dad play with the Rangers?

Baseball Reference.com for comparison numbers

by BBLUEBLAND on Sep 23, 2008 2:51 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

which team's organization is he in?

In reference to how good the Steelers have been in their history: "No one is even close to them."- Steal Home

by hinduplaya on Sep 23, 2008 5:20 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

like bigsteve said

Three of the top nine is pretty impressive. As far as the overall numbers, it’s like a 14 team league, so you’re just not going to see one team have six prospects or anything. It’s very tough to get on the MWL and SAL lists, which just makes it all the more impressive what their guys did.

Also, this is a pretty clear indication that Beltre will be on their top 100.

by zywica on Sep 23, 2008 11:24 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you my friend

have no clue what your talking about

should felix have been ranked ahead of moustakas, probably

but EVERYONE i have read is high on moustakas after this year.

well, at least the people i consider who know what they are doing

beavan was not that impressive (look at the stats)
main was, and evidently missed the IP requirement

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 23, 2008 2:34 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

The stats say otherwise

2.37 ERA, 20 BBs and 12 HRs allowed in 121.2 IP. And he was working on his change-up more in the second half. His stats were pretty amazing.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg1 on Sep 23, 2008 2:41 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

amazing does not = 5.4 k/9. no, k’s arent everything but they MATTER

the fact is (as stated below) that he entered the year with a big arm and a VERY good slider

he pitched and he wasnt throwing very hard or having any “great” pitches

era is overrated.

yes, the bb/9 (1.48) is VERY good as is the whip (1.03)

but he didnt live up to “expectations” and the idea that people had for him this year (people= not rangers fans)

was it a good year, yes

but 73 k in 121+ ip simply doesnt cut it for a first round talent.

thats not a top prospect. end of story

hurley at clinton: 8.81 k/9, 3.42 bb/9, 1.25 whip
holland at clinton: 8.74 k/9, 2.79 bb/9, 1.13 whip
kiker at clinton: 10.46 k/9, 3.83 bb/9, 1.30 whip
main at clinton: 9.93 k/9, 2.58 bb/9, 1.13 whip
feliz at clinton: 11.63 k/9, 3.07 bb/9, 1.01 whip
matt harrison at A level (rome): 6.36 k/9, 1.62 bb/9, 1.08 whip, 167 ip, 118 k, 17 hr allowed, 3.23 era (and he wasnt considered a great prospect then)

at clinton:

kiker: 2.90 era, 96 ip, 10 hr, 41 bb, 112 k, .93 hr/ip, 7.85 h/9, 10.46 k/9, 3.83 bb/9, 1.30 whip

beavan: 2.37 era, 121 ip, 12 hr, 20 bb, 73 k, .89 hr/ip, 7.77 h/9, 5.40 k/9, 1.48 k/9, 1.03 whip

honestly, can you say that beavan had a better year than kiker did?

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 23, 2008 3:12 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

That's still a better K rate than Porcello had

and just about every ranking probably still sees Porcello as a top prospect. Granted that Porcello is in high A instead of low A, but I’m not saying Beaven deserved to be the top prospect in the league. Personally, I think he should be in the top 10, but I don’t see any reason he isn’t even in the top 20.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg1 on Sep 23, 2008 7:17 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I go back and forth on Beaven

On my optimistic days, I think, “Wow! If Beaven can post those numbers without a strikeout pitch, just think of what he will do when he gets his four-seamer and slider working!”

On my pessimistic days, I think “It is remarkably rare that a minor league pitcher goes from striking out fewer than 6 hitters per 9 to the 9K/9IP that you like to see in your top prospects.”

by spurdynasty on Sep 23, 2008 9:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah that pretty much sums up my attitude.

by zywica on Sep 23, 2008 10:14 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

3 questions already

 Q: Matt from Ft Worth asks:
Where is Michael Main? He wasn’t in the NW League top 20 and not in the Midwest top 20? What gives?

 A:
Jim Callis: He didn’t pitch enough innings to qualify for either league. Like many high school pitchers in their first full season, Main saw his stuff dip a little bit. His fastball sat around 91 mph and his curveball was average, though his changeup was better than anticipated. He’s still a quality prospect.

 Q: Zack from Plano, TX asks:
Blake Beavan? Why no top 20 love for him?

 A:
Jim Callis: I went back and forth on who should get the last spot on the Top 20, and Beavan was one of the guys under consideration. (I’ll throw out my standard MWL disclaimer, here, too: The league is one of the largest in the minors with 14 clubs, making it harder to crack this Top 20.) Beavan’s fastball and curveball weren’t nearly as electric as they were in high school. He did a nice job of pitching with his sinker and he’s still a good prospect. But the guys I talked to who saw him liked him and didn’t love him, and I decided to go with Trevor Reckling at No. 20.

 Q: Jayson from South Carolina asks:
So where would Justin Smoak have been ranked if he were eligible for the top 20?

 A:
Jim Callis: One scout who got a glimpse of Smoak when he joined Clinton at the end of the season told me he thought Smoak was the best prospect in the league. I probably would have ranked him No. 2.

Anyone remember listening to a Main game and him being that low? Wasn’t this due to the faulty radar guns in Clinton?

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:11 PM CDT   0 recs

Main

Generally sat in the low-90s on scout/charting radar guns, from what I had heard. I don’t think he hit the mid-90s very often. But I also wouldn’t be concerned about it yet.

Beavan also doesn’t throw a curveball — it’s a slider.

http://rangers.scout.com

by JasonCole on Sep 23, 2008 12:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

He has never thrown a curve

Callis really hasn’t done his scouting, or went to the wrong guys for reports on Clinton.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:25 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Callis knows what Beavan throws

If nothing else, check out what all of the profiling he did for the draft. He just misspoke in a chat, I assume.

by zywica on Sep 23, 2008 2:03 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Beavan's slider

is the best curveball he has ever seen.

"So he tore it up in AA. Yippee. ...Max Ramirez be damned." - bigsteve

by tricer on Sep 23, 2008 1:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I lol'd

well played

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 1:18 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I went to the last regular season game in Cedar Rapids, where velocity was on the scoreboard.

I’m assuming that Callis means ‘91’ on a scout’s radar gun. On the scoreboard, the pitches that were low in the zone topped out at 92 (Main hit it once and another pitcher for the Kernals did as well). Pitches high in the zone topped out at 96 (Castillo). Main only pitched one inning and none of his fastballs were up in the zone. Compared to the pitchers that went on that day, Main’s velocity low in the zone was consistently higher, ranging 88-91 with the one 92.

The thing about Main is that he seems to get alot of looking strikes with his fastball, or so it seems from the radio play-by-play and the one game I attended. It seems to be a quality fastball, even if it isn’t 95.

Go Rangers!

by rooster on Sep 23, 2008 12:27 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Fastball

Movement (specifically late-life), and command are just as important as velocity when it comes to determining a quality fastball. Velo is nice, but straight pitches get hit. Just ask Matt Anderson.

Coach John Bagonzi Q&A

by jparks77 on Sep 23, 2008 12:37 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

When it comes to rankings though

Movement is not rated as highly as pure stuff.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

stuff

I would say movement is part of stuff, but I agree it’s not rated as highly as velocity by most.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

by t ball on Sep 23, 2008 2:32 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

+1

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 23, 2008 2:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Its simply not as easy to see

on paper without some PITCHf/x data. I wonder how long it will be before they start having that type of data for minor league players

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg1 on Sep 23, 2008 2:42 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Smoak

Wowzers. Glad this guy is proving out so quickly.

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Sep 23, 2008 1:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

yeah

very nice to see we would’ve had 4 in the top 10 there, with Smoak an automatic # 1 or 2. I’d like to think that Feliz and maybe even Holland are better prospects than him though, although it’s more out of a position of need for our team in combination with the fact that Holland’s a lefty

"So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know... "

by Walter Sobchak on Sep 23, 2008 1:28 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

why do you think holland > smoak?

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 23, 2008 2:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'd say "Hope"

vs. think. But I guess the real reason I could get away with thinking that is the numbers for Holland this year:

Clinton: 7-0 in 17 starts with a 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 91 k in 93 innings with 77 hits and 29 walks was pretty impressive stuff

Bakersfield: 3-1 in 5 starts with a 3.19 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 37 k in 31 innings with 20 hits and 5 walks in a jump to the next level saw an increase in ERA and his only loss of the regular season, but his WHIP was lowered considerably and he struck out more batters per inning at the next level.

Frisco: 3-0 in 4 starts with a 0.69 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 29 k in 26 innings with 14 hits and 6 walks is nothing short of amazing.

He followed that up in the playoffs with 7.1 innings of 1 earned run baseball giving up 2 hits, 1 walk with 5 strikeouts in a win; another game with 7.1 innings of 3 run (none earned) baseball giving up 6 hits, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts; and the final game of his season a sterling 6 shutout innings giving up 2 hits, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts leading to a win in another. That’s a combined playoff line of 20.2 innings, 1 earned run, a 0.45 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP, striking out 18, giving up 10 hits and walking 4.

And then throw in the fact that he’s a lefty that hits 97 mph on the radar gun. That, to me, is more impressive than anything Smoak could do in the minor leagues. He could play errorless defense and hit .400/.450/.650 in AA and I would still be overwhelmed by Holland’s line in comparison. And at the same time, Smoak hasn’t done it at a higher level. He hasn’t played that much yet. Maybe it’s not fair, maybe it’s an indication of just how bad our pitching sucks and has for quite some time, but I just think what we’ve seen from Dutch over the past year might be the greatest minor league season I’ve seen in a long time.

"Calmer than you are... "

by Walter Sobchak on Sep 23, 2008 5:38 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

How worriesome is this?

Q: Alex from Dallas asks:
Who would you compare Beltre to? What are his chances of really developing his talent fully? Is his batting eye his main weakness?

 A:
Jim Callis: His build and game remind me of Alfonso Soriano with the ability to play a quality center field. Beltre is 18 and handled the MWL, so I’d say he’s on the right path to reaching his ceiling. His strike-zone discipline is his main weakness. He struck out 105 times and walked just 15, and he may always be a free swinger.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:47 PM CDT   0 recs

Alfonso Soriano with qualifty CF defense

is a top 5 3 player in the league.

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 12:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

As long as there is not the baggage that Soriano had

Now the other thing about him is amount of times Clinton coach has pulled him after being so aggressive through a few plate attempts in a game.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:53 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Meh

regardless of what he did, I’m just saying Alfonso Soriano with CF defense is a pretty awesome comp.

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 12:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Ditto

If he has Soriano’s bat with CF defense, that’s pretty nice to have.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

by t ball on Sep 23, 2008 2:33 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Another comp

This guy.

Pudge:
33 BB in his first 794 ABs (starting at 17 years).
Engel:
37 BB in his first 813 ABs (starting at 17 years).

Pudge was in full-season A at 17; Engel started out in rookie league/GCL.

Engel’s also slugging a lot better.

Anyway, a thought.

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Sep 23, 2008 2:56 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I guess we can hope

he could be like Pudge or Vlad and swing at everything and still succeed somehow. But I’d rather he learned to control the strike zone a bit more.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

by t ball on Sep 23, 2008 3:02 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Oddly

Vlad walked much more as a teenager.

So far, they’re not a valid comp.

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Sep 23, 2008 3:07 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, but remember how well he usually performed after getting benched?

I don’t mind the tough love approach with a guy that talented/young

by LiamP on Sep 23, 2008 1:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

But how long will the tough love work

Once he is 20, 21 in Double A, Rangers can’t afford to lose him and have him develop for some other club.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 1:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

this is a crazy line of reasoning

so allow me to say,

WTF dude?

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 1:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Alright

Too much forsight, let’s live in the present.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 1:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

no that's not foresight

that’s just random crazy.

Why would tough love not work once he is a whole one year older and in AA. Why would he randomly go to another team to develop? Because we pulled him from a game? You do realize that the players have no choice of who they play for until like 6 years into their minor league careers, right?

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 1:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

What I meant to say is

The lack of patience at plate leads to less playing time, which in turn spirals to downward development. In terms of another team, is with this lack of production becomes trade bait. Of course he won’t be cut or released.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 1:15 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

What?

Ok, that’s just a bit crazy. It won’t happen because they’re trying to stop the first pitch swinging habit right now.

by FirebatM3 on Sep 23, 2008 1:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

+100000000000

"I don’t know of a single thing Obama’s done except talk and write." - Newt Gingrich

by knockoutking on Sep 23, 2008 2:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

More on Beltre
Q:
Don from Rosemont, IL asks:
How much higher would you say that Engel Beltre’s ceiling is compared to Ben Revere’s? Is it safe to say that Beltre could have a much bigger impact given his power potential and stronger arm? How much consideration was there to ranking Beltre ahead of Revere?

 A:
Jim Callis: I asked that question of several managers and scouts, and I went back and forth on how I should rank them. Beltre has a higher ceiling, but Revere isn’t just a slap hitter and is more polished with the bat right now. It was a tough call.

 Q: Francis Torres from Brooklyn, NY asks:
Borbon or Beltre?

 A:
Jim Callis: Depends on which way you want to go. Borbon is a safer bet but Beltre could deliver a bigger payoff. I’d go with Beltre.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:53 PM CDT   0 recs

Feliz fears

Q: Ross from CA asks:
Is there any fear that Feliz is a FB only guy? Regardless of how electric his arm is if he can’t command other pitches he will struggle right?

 A:
Jim Callis: You have to remember that he’s just 19. I didn’t talk to anyone who felt he would be a one-pitch guy. He shows the ability to spin a nice breaking ball but he just doesn’t maintain consistent mechanics when he throws it. His changeup is quite promising. It’s all a matter of consistency, no surprise for a teenage pitcher.

by gamerabcd on Sep 23, 2008 12:59 PM CDT   0 recs

The last game of the season

it appeared to me and the guys sitting around me that Feliz was throwing a FB and a CU that ranged anywhere from 89-81. Jason Cole later told me that the CU’s in the low 80’s were actually CB’s. Nobody around me ever uttered the word “CB” to describe them though.

I will say this, it has been reported that Feliz’ off-speed stuff was given away by changes in his delivery. My amateur eye never noticed any difference by the last game of the season. So to sum up … bad that his CB is so flat that it just looks like an 81 mph CU, but good that his work on repeating his motion seems to be paying off into quality deception that the Arkie batters were quite fooled by. If any of that makes sense.

In 2009, ff his delivery stays consistent and his CB actually gets steep then the entire universe will collapse into the singularity created by the sheer gravity of his awesomeness. I hear there are already LHC-like court cases pending to stop his side sessions and bullpens before he klls us all. It’s a madhouse. A madhouse.

by shroomer on Sep 23, 2008 1:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Heston

no deception in that delivery.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

by t ball on Sep 23, 2008 2:35 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

heh

that was damned dirty ape funny

by shroomer on Sep 23, 2008 3:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs