Having seen so many guys such as Jose Capellan put up outstanding numbers in the minor leagues as the result of overpowering hitters with their fastball, and than never crack the big leagues because of a lack of secondary stuff, particulary a breaking pitch, I honestly haven’t paid too much attention to Mike Pelfrey’s starts, because without the lack of coverage in the minor leagues, we have no idea if his starts are legitamite, or of course, he’s just getting by on his FB.
However, the good news is, following Pelfrey’s last start- innings pitched, 7 K’s, 2 BB. 5-2 GO to flyout- is that Pelfrey’s showing a much improved slider. I think the results show this because he wasn’t getting a lot of K’s in the majors, and not many in his first few games in AAA, but he’s struck out 14 in his past 11 innings.
Anyone that follows the draft closely knows that nobody could falt the Mets for picking Pelfrey 10th overall in 2005 because without Justin Upton going number one overall and Pelfrey’s contract concers, the guy was a legitamite number one canidate. I’ve always wondered if he lost what was called an unhittable curveball in college from the long span- from draft day in June to January I believe- during contract negotiations. It’s something I’ll never know, but it’s something I’m intrested in knowing.
Speaking of guys relying on their fastballs, to say the D-Backs first round pick last year- Max Scherzer (who non draft junkies have come to know as the guy with one blue eye and one brown eye)- has been unhittable since singing recently- would be an understatement. The guy’s numbers are downright sick; 21:0 K/BB ratio, 53% strikeout rate, 63% GB%, o.75 era. i’d say that’s pretty good even for A-Ball, but the word is,he doesn’t go to his secondary stuff much at all. He’ll throw a slider, and an ocational change, but neither grade at a major league level, from what I’ve read.
Filed under: Mike Pelfrey, baseball
