2007: year of the soft tosser?

by slackerjack on May 11, 2007 7:43 AM EDT

What is it with soft tossing righthanded pitching prospects these days? Are these guys doing something different this year. Both moved up a level, and seen their numbers improve.

Slowey pitched a complete game 3-hitter last night and managed to lose 2-1. He picked up another 7 strikeouts, and didn't walk anybody. His line now stands at:

41.2 IP, 1.51 ERA, 24 H, 2 BB, 38 K

His Tampa Bay doppleganger, Andy Sonnanstine, also has compiled some impressive numbers:

45.2 IP, 2.17 ERA, 33 H, 7 BB, 47 K

Will this success translate in the majors? Or will these guys get beat up because of their fastballs don't break 90 on a good day?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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thanks

"Or will these guys get beat up because of their fastballs don't break 90 on a good day?"

They both can get their fastballs up to 92mph. Not a big difference from your description, but I think we can get caught up in overstating the velocity issue.

Also, thank you for mentioning Sonnanstine. I know he's a bit older than Slowey, but they're such similar pitchers I don't know why Slowey gets so much more attention than Sonnanstine around here.

by FI @ Minor League Ball on May 11, 2007 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

will inman

comes to mind as well, but hes not as far along yet.

All hail Lincecum...the Expedition Sorcerer!

by realityconquest on May 11, 2007 10:33 AM EDT reply actions

inman

how hard does he throw? I thought he had some heat for a shorter pitcher.

by kaisertown on May 12, 2007 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

re

Velocity is not as important as knowing what to throw, when to throw it, and where to throw it.

by rdf8585 on May 11, 2007 11:06 AM EDT reply actions

Plus

being able to actually do all three of those things!

by ajohnst1 on May 11, 2007 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Greg Maddux

has won over 330 games and he's a soft tosser, all you need is great movement and control and they can be as good as a power pitcher.

by Bravesin07 on May 11, 2007 11:25 AM EDT reply actions

Maddux

is more of a soft tosser now, but he had average to good velocity in the mid 90's.....

I'll be the first A+ prospect...

by ufoboy90 on May 11, 2007 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

he wasn't when he was with Chicago when he broke into the league or when he first signed with the Braves in the mid 1990's. His stuff was in the low 90's with great control. He was a proponent of not trying to blow hitters away with his stuff, but locating it pitches/changing speeds and making them hit it in situations that were favorable for him and his defense (allowing the defense to make plays for him).

Maddux could probably have pushed it up to 94-95 if he was a max-effort pitcher, but he has great control and an uncanny understanding of how to pitch rather than to throw.

Lincecum is the truth!

by JT12340 on May 11, 2007 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe Lincecum could become the same way

He throws really hard with a max-delivery. Maybe he should tone it down and get better control and movement.

by Bravesin07 on May 11, 2007 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

whoa

You might want to wait until he fails somewhat before you massively change the pitcher who put up the best minor league stats in recent history. Amd Lincecum needs more movement...yeah.

by limozeen on May 11, 2007 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions

he never threw mid 90's

he threw maybe 92-93 at the most and when he threw that hard he wasn't nearly as good.

by Bravesin07 on May 11, 2007 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

mid 90's

i think he meant mid 1990's, not mid 90's velocity

by fewgoodcards on May 11, 2007 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

The point is still legitimate though

by mroak89 on May 11, 2007 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

ok

I do remember him saying that he used to touch 94 when he first started in the majors but then stopped throwing as hard to get better control.

by Bravesin07 on May 11, 2007 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

Maddux was nasty

He throw 92-93 with violent fastball movement a pinpoint control. Please don't compare this other pitchers with Maddux

by LCT on May 11, 2007 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

Response

Indeed. Maddux had plus velocity as a youngster and remained slightly above-average in that respect throughout his prime.

He might not have been throwing effortless mid-90s heat, but his fastball was more than a lot of other pitchers were capable of showing.

by mrkupe on May 11, 2007 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions

What about Inman

could he be the closest pitcher to Maddux because he has great control and is only 20.

by Bravesin07 on May 11, 2007 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

Virgil Vasquez

Another AAA righty in the same mold as Slowey and Sonnanstine is Virgil Vasquez. Here are his numbers on the season:

40.2 IP, 2.88 ERA, 40 H, 10 BB, 50 K's

by SBcaptain2 on May 11, 2007 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

I had to

Clippard

33.1 IP, 32 H, 14 BB, 35 SO, 2.70 ERA, (1.55 GB:FB)

by nyybaseball99 on May 11, 2007 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

K:BB

Slowery's K:BB ratio is what is what still sets him apart from the others listed here. His ratio is boderline historic, and I'm not just referring to this year.

by meatdox on May 11, 2007 4:45 PM EDT reply actions

Historic?

Sonnanstine had a 10:1 ratio over a full season when he was 22 years old... same as Slowey
Last year in Double-A Sonnanstine had about a 5:1 ratio, which is the same as SLowey in Double-A.

by FI @ Minor League Ball on May 12, 2007 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Near Historic

Slowey has a 7:1 K:BB for his career, and a K:9IP of 9.6. Sonnanstine has a K:BB of 6.5:1, and a K:9IP of 8.43. These guys are both off the charts for K:BB, but not unprecedented, therefore the qualifier "near" in front of "historic."

by meatdox on May 13, 2007 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Context

Well, I was just questioning the notion that Slowey's ratio "set him apart" from Sonnanstine because they've had such similar rates over the past few years.

Also, in a historical context I don't think Slowey's (or Sonnanstine's) accomplishments are all that exceptional. Remember what Yusmeiro Petit did a couple years ago? Or how about John Stephens' minor league career? It seems like there are always a couple guys with mediocre fastball velocity who manage to post great strikeout-to-walk ratios.

by FI @ Minor League Ball on May 13, 2007 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions