Almost completely agree. I think it’d take a pretty nice effort for DeVall throughout the season to crack the top 100. He’s a good pitcher, but he doesn’t have flashy K numbers or overpowering stuff.

i’ve got something cooking, but i want to see one more outing before i spring it. this guy is in BA’s prospect handbook as throwing 88-92, but at age 25, in his second MLB season, moving from the bullpen to the rotation, the guy is peaking at 96 MPH. it absolutely blew my mind when i checked him out a few days ago.

I’m guessing he’ll end up in the 6-10 area for most people’s Cubs Top 10 lists come the offseason. He’s pitched very well this season and could really help his stock as a future starter if he keeps this up. I still think he’ll be a power reliever down the line, but there’s some potential there for him as a starter.

As for Shafer…eh. He hasn’t recovered the velocity he lost after surgery, although he still has very good control. Unless his velocity makes a comeback, I don’t see him making the majors.

is the only guy on this list I’m really familiar with — I’m not too intense of a prospect watcher — but his curveball’s looking nice. It’s a hard pitch, a real power curve, and he’s learning to use it well and has been commanding it. I haven’t heard nor seen nothing too special on his changeup, but I’m assuming that pitch is showing at least modest improvement, or else his HR numbers would be a little higher.

Of course, I’m still trying to figure out where my boy Mejia fits into all this.

Ya, I’m also interested in an update on Jake McGee. Any news out there?

I was looking up a scouting profile on Brooks Brown and accidentally stumbled onto this guy’s old blog. I think it’s pretty clear that this is just one of those guys who falls in love with mediocre pitchers because when they’re right they can boast knowing more than everyone else, and when they’re wrong, no one noticed anyway:

of the 2006 draftees, i prefer (brooks) brown to (brett) anderson because of brown’s ability to get the most favorable outcome. anderson’s immaculate record combined with his FB tendencies scare me off a little bit.

Brown’s "most favorable outcome" is usually to do anything but strike the batter out, with his impressive 15/18 BB/K in 49 IP between AA/AAA at age 24. I don’t know who that Anderson guy is, must be some non-prospect, but he has a good fastball so he must be bad, just like Strasburg.

http://variablesdont.blogspot.com/2008/01/2008-arizona-diamondbacks.html

here’s a hint, the better player is elijah dukes.

as far as i can tell, the only thing you add to this site is bile. every 5th post is you following me around, calling me a drunkard in so many words.

great job there.

here’s what you’re apparently too disinterested to understand; you saying what you’re saying in every thread i post in adds nothing to the conversation that’s taking place. i’ve counted 5 separate times now that you’ve directly come at me, without at all addressing the points that i make.

and you thinking that people agreeing with you means that you’re right is one of the major problems with our species, though that’s probably over your head.

now you’ll probably dismiss this too, so i won’t go on, but if you bother posting on this site, you should at least have some interest in a LHP who adds 4-6 MPH on his fastball at age 25. i mean, if that doesn’t excite you, you don’t belong here.