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Four pitching prospects

In a very deep dynasty league, I'm looking at four pitching prospects and am having difficulty deciding which one of them I should pick up. Some of them you might already be following; others you might not be. Here are my thoughts about them, and I'd like to hear yours.

Star-divide

Wily Peralta is the most dominating of the four. Before his Tommy Johns surgery two years ago, he touched 98 mph with a hard-breaking slider. Since he's come back, he's been very productive, though BA thought he'd end up in the bullpen. John referred to him as a high-upside arm. So far this year, at age 20 in A ball, he's struck out 77 while walking only 17 in 60 IP, for an FIP of 2.31, half a point better than the #2 person in the Midwest League. The issues with him, though, is that he's averaged only 4 IP per start, often pulled out after only 3 or so innings, and may end up in the bullpen. I also haven't been able to find any current accounts of his stuff.

J.J. Hoover is another guy with good stuff and excellent results in A ball. John named him as one of his sleepers. He has a low 90s fastball, and potentially 3 other average or better pitches. At 21 in A ball, he has a K:BB ratio of 67:9 in 61.2 IP and an FIP of 3.21. With the exception of a few early starts, he's pitched 5 or more innings in almost all of his starts, and projects to be a starter.

Zeke Spruill is the only one of these pitchers who John gave a B- too (the others are C+ or lower). His fastball is also in the low 90s with movement and projection, and 3 other pitches that have potential, has good control, yet he's had difficulty striking out many batters in A ball at 19. That being said, his other components have been positive (only 12 walks in 70.1 IP, and a FIP of 3.63).

Scott Diamond has already had success in AA, despite being seen as having less potential than the other 3. At age 22 in AA, his 63:33 K:BB in 81 IP is respectable, as is his 3.58 FIP. He's a lefty with a fastball in the upper 80s and a plus curveball, along with a knack of getting groundballs. It's uncertain, though, if his stuff is good enough to carry him into the majors.

So, what are your thoughts about these four pitching prospects? Who am I under-rating, over-rating? Who is the real deal and who just isn't? Finally, if you could have only one, who would you take (if any of them)?

1 recs  |  Comment 9 comments

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i dont get it.

four pitching prospects but you only posted it 3 times?

by kershaw_equals_stud on Jun 28, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Sorry about that

 Had a lot of troubles, as you might imagine

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jun 28, 2009 6:08 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

paragraphs fixed

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jun 28, 2009 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Throw Diamond out the window

start with that before anything else. He’s a decent prospect but his upside is a back-end starter because he’s got at best an average fastball in the high 80’s, a strong cutter, and a below-average breaking ball.

Spruill has an absolutely filthy fastball-slider combo and the possibility of a couple more useable pitches which is always nice, but he’s also very far away from reaching that potential. Hoover probably has the best chance of being a productive big league starter but Spruill probably has a higher upside. I don’t really know anything about Peralta, but it seems from what you said like you’d have to understand that he’s almost certainly going to end up in the pen.

by was385 on Jun 28, 2009 7:47 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Ironically...

Diamond is probably not the diamond in the rough out of the three. I really like the other three though. Hoover seems like the best bet in a dynasty league though because he trumps Spruill by producing a little better so far this year and trumps Peralta by showing an ability to go deeper into games. That said, Spruill and Peralta have tantalizing potential and both should be watched very, very closely.

by Ion293 on Jun 28, 2009 8:57 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I think that's an interesting point about Hoover

My basic concern with him, though, is that he’s done very well in A ball, but not particularly outstandingly for a 21 year old in A ball.

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jun 29, 2009 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Peralta

I think he has the most upside. All things being equal I go with ceiling.

by tugboat11 on Jun 29, 2009 12:09 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Spruill

is the best

Grab Some Pine Meat!

by Gobroks on Jun 29, 2009 7:28 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Why?

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Jun 29, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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