Today is Jeremy Hellickson Day

by John Sickels on Aug 2, 2025 1:01 PM EDT

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3 months ago: ANAHEIM CA - JULY 11: U.S. Futures All-Star Jeremy Hellickson #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch during the 2010 XM All-Star Futures Game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 11 2010 in Anaheim California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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Today is Jeremy Hellickson Day.

Prediction: 5.1 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, no decision, Rays win 5-3.

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Read More: Jeremy Hellickson (P - TAM), Tampa Bay Rays

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Hellboy's Line

4 innings, 6 runs, 3 k’s, 3 bb.

by King Billy Royal on Aug 2, 2025 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

fail

lol

by daveh33 on Aug 3, 2025 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

What was your prediction?

by King Billy Royal on Aug 3, 2025 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions

didnt post it

lol.

[i’m drunk… which id the case about half the time when i’m posting after 1 am in the summer]

by daveh33 on Aug 3, 2025 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Hmmm

Easy to criticize when you didn’t do your homework.

by King Billy Royal on Aug 3, 2025 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I can't blame you for being off on your prediction

but as a amatuer want to be scout… I have to take joy in being close. The Rays fan in me though hopes he doesn’t spend too much more time in AAA

by Dbullsfan on Aug 3, 2025 1:46 AM EDT up reply actions

9 IP 0 R 0 H 0 BB

"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN

by hero66 on Aug 2, 2025 1:36 PM EDT reply actions

31 K

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9

by doublestix on Aug 2, 2025 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

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by bestbostonsports on Aug 2, 2025 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

How good is he?

I like Hellickson, but is his stuff worthy of his being the #1 pitching prospect in baseball? Can he be a #1?

by drwmsu1 on Aug 2, 2025 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

He's got 2 above-average pitches and a plus change.

He’s also got plus command. Can he be a #1? Depends on what your definition of a #1 is. Is he an “ace” probably not, but he has the potential to be one of best 30 or so starters in baseball and his ceiling is as high as anyone on the Rays except perhaps Price.

Tools Whore

by Tyler on Aug 2, 2025 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Well said.

by King Billy Royal on Aug 2, 2025 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks Tyler

I appreciate your insight. I don’t have John’s or BA’s book in front of me (and haven’t read up on Hell Boy since i got them), but my memory seems his velocity is good, not great, with that plus to plus-plus command. He seems like he should be really good, but can he be great? I guess he reminds me of a right handed Matusz—whom i like a lot—a guy with a lot going for him, but not overwhelming stuff. More of a true #2 than Ace, but perhaps as you stated a top 30 guy in the game.

Interesting on your note on his ceiling. I’ve always loved Garza’s stuff, and had him pegged as the next highest ceiling on the team. Not likely to realize it (but still very good), but he’s filthy stuff wise.

I am curious if Hellickson can be more the guy you see him as, or more of a James Shields type.

by drwmsu1 on Aug 2, 2025 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions

More of a Shields type, but that's not a bad thing.

Shields can dominate when his command is on.

by Hillstop on Aug 2, 2025 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Shields

Shields is a very good pitcher. My point is that for what many consider the #1 pitching prospect, that isn’t an exceptionally high bar to clear.

Looking back over the past few years, with strasburg, Price, Lincecum, (even Joba and Buchholz) etc., the ceiling of the #1 pitching prospect normally seems much higher than it does (to me anyway) for Hellickson.

by drwmsu1 on Aug 2, 2025 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions

The higher ceiling pitchers are mostly in the lower minors, which I think makes a huge difference

I mean, if you asked me to choose between Teheran and Hellickson, I would take Hellickson every time. Floor is way underrated for pitching prospects. Look at Joba and Buchholz. Their stuff was labeled as ace potential, but neither have reached it yet, and I’m not sure either will ever get there.

Hellickson certainly could be an ace, if his command is good enough. Someone else pointed this out, but his repertoire is very similar to that of Cliff Lee. He would need impeccable control to be that good, but I could see it happening.

by Hillstop on Aug 2, 2025 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Obviously it's the exception and not the rule

But there is precedent to having a true ace without having a plus-plus pitch by having several plus pitches with plus control and plus command. If Hellickson refines his command some more, he could fall into that mold.

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by Brickhaus on Aug 2, 2025 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I would put the ceiling as a Cliff Lee type

more realistically though he is a very solid #2 like a James Shields

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I still don’t understand how “one of the best thirty or so starters in baseball” is not the textbook definition of “ace”. I can’t think of any definition that makes more sense.

I know it’s a matter of semantics, but it seems like for the purposes of discussion there really ought to be some alignment on what a no. 1 starter is.

by OremLK on Aug 3, 2025 5:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Well, let's take a look

By FIP these guys would be “aces”, as they’re in the top 30: Clayton Richard, Anibal Sanchez, Randy Wells, Jason Hammel, Hiroki Kuroda

By ERA these guys would be “aces”: Livan Hernandez, CJ Wilson, Jason Vargas

By WAR we have: Wells, Hammel, Sanchez, and Colby Lewis

I’m not sure how you want to determine those top 30 guys, but I don’t see any conceivable way to do so because there just aren’t 30 aces in the game.

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by gatling on Aug 3, 2025 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

5.2 IP, 6H, 4R, 3 ER, 2BB, 4 K, L

Rays lose 5-2

by ThomasG on Aug 2, 2025 2:06 PM EDT reply actions

Mine is very close to this

5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER,2 BB, 5 K, L

by Yankees10 on Aug 2, 2025 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

This is long overdue

Finally here

…they should send down Huntington & Nutting, because they aren’t ready, either. - royshowell

by Marinerfanjake on Aug 2, 2025 2:07 PM EDT reply actions

6 IP 4 H 2 ER 6 K

Rays win, 4-2.

by Cory Alexander on Aug 2, 2025 2:59 PM EDT reply actions

Mad

this isn’t going to be televised. MLBN would do themselves a big favor by reserving the right to broadcast games like this where a ‘special’ player is making his debut.

by blackoutyears on Aug 2, 2025 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

nationally televised that is

by blackoutyears on Aug 2, 2025 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

+0.5

I like the idea where a special player is making his debut but honestly, then casual baseball fan has no clue about Hellickson. Since ratings are what drive networks, I would think think it would be more important when someone such as Strasburg or Chapman make their debuts (although Chapman is nowhere close to the prospect of Hellboy).

by King Billy Royal on Aug 2, 2025 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I think that for people that watch mlbn if they advertised it and hyped it up ppl would watch

maybe not as many as a strasburg but quite a lot

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

if it were a regular network I wouldn’t propose it, but I think MLB’s own outlet shoudl be able to pull it off, even with the attendant concerns of advertising and programming concerns.

by blackoutyears on Aug 2, 2025 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

And to add

we’re talking about MLBN here. Not a venue for the casual fan per se.

by blackoutyears on Aug 2, 2025 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I would bet the average MLBN fan has no clue who Hellboy is

Sometimes we forget that the majority of baseball fans have little knowledge of their own team’s prospects, and no clue of other team’s prospects.

by King Billy Royal on Aug 2, 2025 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I think

the average fan really rather watch Hellickson’s debut — whether they know him or not — then the filler programming MLBN would run in its place. I think you’re arguing just to play devil’s advocate. Maybe you should save your energy for the Bumgarner thread? lol

by blackoutyears on Aug 2, 2025 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I like this idea, set up where they can choose say 25/50 games a year

and broadcast them. Kind of like NBC can pick the sunday night games they want in football towards the end of the season.

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm still sticking with my aggresive line I had in the other post

it isn’t the dominant twins line-up without the m&m’s and punto. I don’t see Hellickson being afraid of the major league stage either, he has pitched well in the futures game as well as the AAA championship last year. 7 innings 5 hits 2 runs 1 bb 8 k.

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 3:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Punto?

I think having Punto out makes the lineup better…

by Hillstop on Aug 2, 2025 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know

that .251, 1 HR (12 Xtra base hits), in 80 games might lead to some trepidation for the rookie!

by Jersey Transplant on Aug 2, 2025 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Think he'll have a bad night but a good career.

3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 2 HR (Young & Thome)

by Jersey Transplant on Aug 2, 2025 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

via drb

by daveh33 on Aug 2, 2025 6:26 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

MLB TV rocks!

…they should send down Huntington & Nutting, because they aren’t ready, either. - royshowell

by Marinerfanjake on Aug 2, 2025 7:02 PM EDT reply actions

perfect 1st inning 2 ground outs (to the mound) and a pop up 3 swinging strikes 13 (9/4) pitches

made Delmon Young look silly on a couple swings

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 7:17 PM EDT reply actions

Has 2 strikeouts in 2nd

…they should send down Huntington & Nutting, because they aren’t ready, either. - royshowell

by Marinerfanjake on Aug 2, 2025 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Hellickson is looking very good

2 K’s through 2 IP

by Hillstop on Aug 2, 2025 7:29 PM EDT reply actions

gives up a run on a walk and 2 seeing eye singles but gets 2 more K's

4 innings, bb 2 h, r, and 5 K.

No chance he gets 8 K’s right :)

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 8:09 PM EDT reply actions

Hell, I'll admit it

This is ridiculous.

by Hillstop on Aug 2, 2025 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions

it is hard to explain but as someone who has seen him pitch (before tonight) in AAA

the movement combined with location makes his pitches nearly impossible to make solid contact (and sometimes no contact at all). That is how he is so successful despite giving up some HR’s. There is rarely any baserunners on because he doesn’t walk or give up hits and the hits he gives up are mostly singles or homers.

by Dbullsfan on Aug 2, 2025 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions