Even More Young Pitchers: Age 25 and Below
by John Sickels on Mar 30, 2026 12:27 PM EDT
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More Young Pitchers, Age 25 and Under
Let's pick up a few stragglers that I should have written about yesterday. Remember, I'm not writing about anyone who is a technical rookie, nor anyone who is 26 or older for the majority of the 2012 season.
As mentioned before, this is intended as a spur to discussion. There is an awful lot of good young pitching in the majors right now. I find myself being optimistic about most of them.
Henderson Alvarez, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays: Age 22. You have to love his command and the terrific K/BB ratio. Sabermetrically-speaking his K/IP ratio isn't terrific, but he picks up a lot of ground balls. Some regression to the mean seems possible but I don't see any reason to believe that he won't sustain at least above-average performance.
Zach Britton, LHP, Baltimore Orioles: Age 24. Currently bothered by shoulder problems. If that heals properly I'd expect him to be a solid mid-rotation starter for some time, but that could be a pretty big "if."
Alex Cobb, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays: Age 24. Beginning 2012 in the minors, coming off of August rib surgery. Last year's numbers should be repeatable assuming good health. He's a very solid pitcher and deserves more attention than he's received.
Danny Duffy, LHP, Kansas City Royals: Age 23. He's better than he looked last year and I expect gradual improvement as he puts the finishing touches on his command.
Juan Nicasio, RHP, Colorado Rockies: Age 25. Lucky to be alive, let alone pitching. He's looked good this spring and if he is OK psychologically I think last year's pre-injury numbers are very repeatable.
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Halvarez is awesome
The guy has the upside to be a number 2 starter especially if the slider starts to tighten up. This kid not only has great stuff (93-96 fastball, 98 peak, two types of changeups; both plus to plus-plus, a solid cutter, and a developing slider that has its moments) but hes like a spounge; learns and picks stuff up quickly, has great command and control of all his pitches. But the best part about him is his poise, guys cool as a cucumber out there.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 30, 2026 12:36 PM EDT reply actions
He doesnt have a slider and a cutter
Henderson stopped using the slider last year and went with a cutter. Farrell still calls it a slider because he thinks of a cutter as a short or tight slider. Sometimes he will say slider and sometimes cutter, hence the mixup of what Henderson throws.
I really like him but don’t think his command is great. His control is great because he is a strike thrower. But I wouldn’t say his command within the zone is great. And I wouldn’t classify his hard change as a plus pitch. IMO that is far too generous. It looks more like a 50 pitch.
He is exciting to watch but think people need to temper their enthusiasm.
by pedrophile on Mar 30, 2026 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with the last sentence especially
There’s promise there, but 64 inning can only tell so much. I’m cautiously optimistic, but let’s see what he does once MLB hitters make some adjustments after having seen him a few times, and what counter-adjustments he makes
by MjwW on Mar 30, 2026 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I completely disagree with this. First of all its strange that you say he doesnt throw a cutter in your headline, and then go on to say tha he throws a cutter.
Second Alvarez didnt stop using the slider last year. I saw every one of his starts. He throws two distinct pitches, one a true slider that breaks sharply when he gets out in front of it properly, and a tighter slider that cuts away from righthanders. If I had the technology available, I would show you exactly what I mean.
Now there has been some confusion this spring as to the identity of the pitches. Farrell already made clear the fact that he does in fact throw both but that Alvarez doesnt differentiate between the two since theyre very similar. If anything the confusion is the result of of Alvarez still rudimentary grasp of the english language, so Im more likely to trust the ever eloquent John Farrell in this regard.
To clarify, control is a pitchers abilitty to locate his pitches where he wants them in the zone, while command is his ability to make the pitch he throws do what he wants (i.e. sink, cut, curve, fade).
I agree that he has excellent control, he can put his fastball wherever he wants it, as well as his changeup. I disagree that his command isnt good. Maybe not a plus per say, but still very good for a 21 year-old. He can sink the baseball ball whenever he wants to, and it seldom gets flat. He can get his two seemer to move back to the outside corner almost at will. I dont think I saw him throw one change last year that didnt fade (of course Im sure there were instances).
As for his changeup, its been considered a plus pitch since he was in low-A, and almost every publication I have read has calls it a plus pitch. Law for the record calls it a plus pitch, as do Farrell and Walton.
My expectations are tempered. Did I say hes a future all-star or Cy Young winner. Cant a person demonstrate a little excitement over a player without being told to relax. As a Jays fan I finally have stuff to be excited about. You can relax if you like, but its not like Im being over the top. I wouldnt be surprised if Alvo finished the year with a sub 4 era, and probably better.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 30, 2026 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Confusion
He does not throw both a cutter and a slider. He only throws the cutter which can also be called a short slider. In essence he throws the one breaking ball. Comprende?
Second - I stated he stopped the slider last year. I didn’t say when in the year he stopped it.
To clarify - control is not the ability to locate pitches. Every major website and scout I have read has control as the ability to throw strikes. Command is the ability to throw quality strikes whether it be fastball or breaking ball.
You state his command is very good for a 21. If you take the qualifier off where is his command? When I state his command isn’t good I’m saying it’s not 55 on the scouting scale, personally I see it as a 45. His fastball has a lot of movement and can be inconsistent, same with the change. This isn’t to say his command is a major weakness, it is not.
Did I state his change wasn’t a plus pitch? I stated his hard change was more of a meh pitch. His regular change is a plus pitch and every time I discuss Alvarez I have said so. Can you please show me a single publication that has both his change ups as plus? BA, John Sickels, BP, Piliere, etc.
Please don’t put words in my mouth. Be as excited as you want. Your writeup of Alvarez was future HOF pitcher. If he was a sub 4 ERA as you state then I would be plenty happy.
by pedrophile on Mar 30, 2026 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
sure looks like he was throwing both a slider and cutter in his last start of the year
by NRC on Mar 30, 2026 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Im not sure how reliable that is
It has the cutter as low as 81mph. Also, it can only split the cutter and slider by which breaks more/less and velocity. A pitcher could throw just sliders and anything that hangs a little would then be classified as a cutter.
I have read interviews with Farrell that stated he threw just the short slider. Maybe it was taken out of context, I’m not sure.
by pedrophile on Mar 30, 2026 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions
"He does not throw both a cutter and a slider. He only throws the cutter which can also be called a short slider. In essence he throws the one breaking ball. Comprende?:
He does throw a cutter and a slider. Have you even watched Alvo pitch. I’m guessing you haven’t pedophile.
“John Farrell speaks only about the slider Alvarez is working to perfect, while the 21-year-old Venezuelan, from the same hometown as the Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez, talks about his two different pitches, cutter and slider.”
“I feel better with my slider this year than I did last year.”
Comprende? But since you’re so fluent in Spanish, you probably translated his interview differently right? lol
A slider and a cutter are very close to being the same pitch, with the only difference being the break on the pitch. Alvo throws a pitch with a bigger break, which is more of a true slider, but he also throws a harder pitch with less break, that just looks like a moving fastball at 91-92, his slider is at 88-89. They are similar, but they are not the same pitch.
http://bluejays.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18679735&c_id=mlb
The pitch to strike out Reynolds is a slider. But the break is different than say the one he threw to Montero against the Yankees in Toronto, and got him to pop up. That was a tighter slider, not a sweeping one.
“Second – I stated he stopped the slider last year. I didn’t say when in the year he stopped it.”
Splitting hairs. And you’re wrong in both cases. Nowhere does it say or has it said that he stopped using the slider. Alvo himself, has said he uses the slider.
To clarify – control is not the ability to locate pitches. Every major website and scout I have read has control as the ability to throw strikes. Command is the ability to throw quality strikes whether it be fastball or breaking ball.
“CONTROL: ‘Control’ is the ability of a pitcher to locate his pitches.”
“COMMAND: ‘Command’ is the ability of the pitcher to make the ball move the way it is intended to move. For example, when a pitcher has good ‘command’, his curveball will always curve, his slider won’t "hang" and his 2-seamer will sink. ‘Command’ refers to the action of the pitch.”
http://60ft6in.com/2011/08/17/control-vs-command/
People misuse these terms too much as the article points out, the main reason, is a quote from Curt Schilling, which has gained widespread acceptance. They basically think of command as a very high level of control.
“You state his command is very good for a 21…When I state his command isn’t good I’m saying it’s not 55 on the scouting scale, personally I see it as a 45…This isn’t to say his command is a major weakness, it is not.”
Having a 45 command is a weakness, since a 50 command is considered just average. That would mean he has below average command. Kyle Drabek has been said to have around a 45 command, and Alvo is nowhere near that territory.
“Did I state his change wasn’t a plus pitch?”
Yes, you did. Here’s what you said
“I wouldn’t classify his hard change as a plus pitch. IMO that is far too generous. It looks more like a 50 pitch.”
I mispoke about “both” changeups being plus, I meant to write his changeup singular was plus to plus plus. I was writing about both changeups in another context and when the sentence changed, I did not clarify that the changeup he always used since A-Ball was a plus-plus pitch. Of course, the new changeup he throws as chase pitch is not a plus yet, he just started throwing it like a month ago.
“Please don’t put words in my mouth. Be as excited as you want. Your writeup of Alvarez was future HOF pitcher.”
You tell me not to put words in your mouth, then proceed to put your words into my mouth. Where did I say he was a future Hall-of-Famer. I never even mentioned he was a future all-star. All I said was he had the upside or potential to be a number 2 started, which is perfectly reasonable. At which point you came in on your high horse, telling me to temper my enthusiasm, as though I were stating anything completely out on a limb.
“Anthony Gose has the potential to be an everyday centerfielder!”
Oh no, here come the enthusiasm, police.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 30, 2026 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions
really? Why all the attitude?
In that article the coach, who was a pitching coach in Boston, states he only throws the one pitch. Maybe the coach is wrong, it’s possible. But there is absolutely no reason to act the way you are, but whatever. I mean what is up with the Comprende and Spanish references?
You mispoke? And I stated his change wasn’t a plus pitch? Maybe you should read it again. I stated his hard change wasn’t a plus pitch. You once again stated I’m wrong. And then you also state his new changeup isnt a plus pitch. It appears you have an axe to grind.
Putting words in mouth? No, I didn’t say you ever said he was HOF. I stated based on your writeup thats how highly you think of him. No, you didn’t state HOF. You stated he had a plus fastball, two plus changeups, a solid cutter and a promising slider. That’s a fastball around 60-65, hard changeup 60, normal changeup 70 (you state plus to plus plus), 50 cutter and promising slider. Combined to go with excellent command. That’s HOF material IMO.
I came in on my high horse? I don’t think I’m giving any attitude, just saying we need to temper our enthusiasm. I think he’s fantastic. I also think he will go through growing pains. But getting on my high horse? Telling you what to do?
Not only do I disagree with your take on Alvarez I certainly disagree with you attempting to take this personal. It’s a disagreement on a baseball player. Does it really matter if I’m right or you are right?
by pedrophile on Mar 30, 2026 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
If you insist on continuing this here goes...
You’re tone has bee extremely dismissive and condescending. Capeche! So don’t accuse me of coming with an attitude. After all, I believe you were the first to introduce the word comprende? Your word, not mine.
I think I have shown in my dealings with other posters that I can disagree civilly, and have a respectful debate as long as that respect is reciprocated, which it has not been.
“Maybe the coach is wrong?”
And you’re not? I think he has a little more insight into the player in question than either of us, so I’m more inclined to accept his report than yours, sorry to say.
You said that he doesn’t throw a slider, and my quotes from both Farrell and Walton show that he does in fact throw a slider.
Now does he throw a slider and a cutter? That’s up for debate. You say he throws a cutter, so adding that to what the coaches have said, it would seem he does throw both.
Personally I have seen him throw two distinct, one which moves off the plane (a slider) and one that gradually moves away from the middle of the plate (cutter) and looks like a fastball cause it doesn’t really break. Once we get some footage up on mlb this year, I can show you why I identify two distinct pitches.
As far as the changeup goes. I admitted my miscommunication. I thought you were saying his changeup, which he has always had is a plus to plus plus pitch. I did not realize initially that you were differentiating between that and his new changeup that he just started throwing a month ago, which obviously wouldn’t be a plus, in fact Walton himself says it’s just ok, so you have a point there. But who cares if “one” of his changeups isn’t good. How many pitchers other than Shaun Marcum have more than one good changeup.
“No, I didn’t say you ever said he was HOF. I stated based on your writeup thats how highly you think of him.”
So now you’re psycho-analyzing my post, as innocuous as it was, and interpreting it based on non-objective standards (i.e. your opinion) to suggest that I think he’s going to be a Hall-of-Famer. Don’t mistake your opinion for fact. And for the record, I would rate his pitches as a 60 Fastball, 55-60 Changeup, 45 cutter, 40 slider.
Take this post personally if you’d like. But I think as history has shown, you’re overanalyzing what I’m saying, and extrapolating from that to infer intent. You’re conjecture is wrong on both accounts.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions
If you insist?
Where was the attitude? Comprende is just asking if you understand. It’s not rude. And the title was confusion. Because I was saying he didn’t throw a slider and a cutter - it looked like I was saying he threw neither and it wasn’t what I meant. I wanted to know if you understood what I was attempting to say.
Not just in this post but in many places in this thread you have been rude, not just to me but others.
“Maybe the coach is wrong”. You go on to state how he knows so much more than me. You are correct, he does. I am agreeing with the coach. It was you that was disagreeing with him. My point of “maybe he was wrong” was saying that maybe your point was correct and the coaches was incorrect. It happens.
I say he throws something between a slider and a cutter. Hey, he could throw one that occasionally becomes the other. It’s like Matt Moore with his curve/slider. He is very clear it’s a curve but occasionally in a game he will fail to get on top of it. You will see in the stats sliders. But he is very clear it’s not a pitch he throws on purpose.
Who cares if “one” of his changeups isn’t good? Why does caring matter? I’m just stating facts that one is plus and another is not. I also went on to state why they want both pitches in his repertoire, principally because if his slider/cutter is not a consistent weapon they want something else he can offer.
No I’m not psycho-analyzing your post. When you give scouting grades to a pitcher you end up with a final grade. The grade you gave was at or close to a HOF number. That is all. Maybe you were feeling excited or overly generous at that time. Or maybe that is how you feel. I don’t care about that, I’m not trying to get into your head. I just looked at the grades you gave and that is around a HOF number.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 1:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Like I said, I’m done with this argument if you are. But as a last point, I didn’t give any grades for Alvarez in my original post. Here’s exactly what I said.
“This kid not only has great stuff”
He does.
“A 93-96 fastball, 98 peak.”
Check.
“Two types of changeups”
Check.
“Both plus to plus-plus.”
I admitted I was wrong here. But one changeup is obviously plus to plus-plus.
“A solid cutter, and a developing slider that has its moments”
I don’t know how you interpret that as me saying he’s a potential Hall-of-Famer. Especially when I open with this:
“The guy has the upside to be a number 2 starter…if the slider starts to tighten up.”
You’d think if I thought he was a future Hall-of-Famer I would shoot for higher than number two starter. Not only that, but I further qualified my projection by saying that his becoming a number 2 starter was contingent on him developing his slider. So in essence that means that without the slider (which I fully believe will eventually come), the projection would be even less than a number two starter. Nowhere in that perspective can a person logically interpret Hall-of Famer.
I mean even if I did grade his “tools” that high (which I didn’t) Hall-of Famers aren’t simply the by-product of incredible tools. I mean Alex Rios had incredible tools. Anthony Gose’s tools are ridiculous, as some people say 70-speed, 70-defence, 70-arm. When scouts assess his tools like this, are they projecting future hall of famer?
Then saying Alvarez has a good fastball 93-96 (which he does), a plus changeup (which he does), a developing slider (which it is), and very good command and control, which Sickels, Law, and Bruce Walton have all said, shouldn’t be such a big deal. Especially when all of it is true.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 3:16 AM EDT up reply actions
He is a big deal, I haven't argued that
You did state he had three plus pitches with two of them being plus to plus plus and a solid pitch as his fourth pitch combined with excellent command. In scout speak that OFP would be off the charts good especially with the future value of the slider. It would be HOF good.
Btw - Gose has the 70 arm and 70 speed but his hit for average and hit for power are much lower. My guess is that these two tools would make his OFP be that of a solid major leaguer. Just a guess though.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 4:27 AM EDT up reply actions
"I mean even if I did grade his "tools" that high (which I didn’t) Hall-of Famers aren’t simply the by-product of incredible tools."
I was thinking the same thing on this score. Tool grades can be quite high without projecting top level success. Gerrit Cole is a great example with three pitches that all grade to future plus but doubts about his ability to wield them like an ace.
Very interesting on the control/command discussion. I have to admit that I’ve defined them as Schilling (gag) has, but I think James has a point. Food for thought.
by charles wallace on Mar 31, 2026 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
The question with Cole is consistency and command
He flashes a plus-plus change, but it isn’t a consistently plus pitch. His pitches also don’t play up as well as they should because he doesn’t command them well. I think part of the reason pedro mentioned the future HOF thing was because he also said in the scouting report that Alvarez has great command.
I’m not taking a side in the discussion, but I can see where pedro is coming from.
by nixa37 on Mar 31, 2026 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
For the record he does have very good command. Walton, Law, and Sickels (in this very thread) have said as much. As I quoted:
“It’s very rare, just the command of the strike zone that he has, the ability to throw his secondary pitches at any time, ahead in the count, behind in the count,” Walton said.
"You have to love his command… " John Sickels
https://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/3/30/2914017/yet-more-young-pitchers-age-25-and-below
"Pitches with very good command and has the control to limit his bases on balls"
http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/teams/players/bio/?id=8684 via scouting services inc.
Obviously those are just the opinions of a few people, and people are free to have a dissenting one. The point is, that it’s not like I was way out there to suggest he has very good command, and I will continue to think so until I either see differently this year, or until someone with a reputable background in scouting or prospect analysis convinces me otherwise.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m trying to think of player who looked like they have everything it took to become a star position player, or pitcher, tools for days, makeup, etc, and either failed for some reason other than injury or off-field issues, or simply weren’t that great. I’m sure there have been a lot of them, just no names seem to come to mind yet.
Cole is a good example of exellent pitcher tools: plus-plus fastball, plus breaker, etc, then again, we don’t know whether he’ll fail, succeed, or not live fully up to his potential.
Maybe JD Drew? 5 tools that graded out as above average or better. Then again injuries played a factor. He was a decent player though, don’t get me wrong. But when he was drafted they were comparing the guy to Mickey Mantle.
I agree the comman/control debate is an interesting one. For the longest time I thought of it the way most people do, but then someone brought up to me the point that I was basically saying command, was just very very good control, which would just make it a subset and not it’s own category. It’s worth discussing, as the general consensous (to which I too, once belonged), is of another opinion.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
definitely
I’m just talking about when you take scouting grades and if someone gets an OFP of around 70 then scouts will consider that HOF talent.
Any number of things may happen to a prospect. All I was stating was based on the plus fastball, plus to plus plus changeup (both offerings) etc. this would be seen in scouting terms as a HOF talent. Not that the player would actually live up to this talent. Three plus to plus plus pitches and excellent command is beyond what is expected to become an ace.
Of course it isn’t just about the scouting. I was just stating that is how they would categorize that type of talent.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
the command/control is interesting
There are a couple questions I have with it.
1) If Schilling, players, announcers, etc. all seem to see it a different way then why is the Bill James definition correct? I would think the players definition has been around a lot longer than Schilling.
2) I do prefer this other method. But if players, media, analysts, etc. use the same definition Schilling uses then if you use a different definition you will have problems understanding scouting reports or analysts or pitching coaches etc.
I would prefer this other method if it is used everywhere. Right now if a pitcher throws 150 IP with 20 walks that player is automatically given great control. And frequently they are given great command except for scouting based analysts.
Right now the command control is already a mess, it would be nice if there was a standard approach to it.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
My questions on the command/control debate (not directed at you)
Who is C. Sven Jenkins and why does he think he is right and everyone else (except Bill James who he admits he had to dig to find) is wrong?
I mean, I can understand factoring consistent movement into command since it’s hard to hit your spots without getting similar movement every time, but why would be call that by itself command? Isn’t the consistency of movement already factored into a pitches grade anyway?
by nixa37 on Mar 31, 2026 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I did a search, everywhere had control as ability to throw strikes, command is location of said strikes
http://www.google.ca/search?q=command+control&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=3v6&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&sclient=psy-ab&q=baseball+command++vs+control&oq=baseball+command++vs+control&aq=f&aqi=g-bs1&aql=&gs_l=serp.3..0i8i10.12407l13784l1l14347l9l9l0l0l0l8l471l3076l2-3j4j2l9l0.frgbld.&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=734394a01e20b8c6&biw=1252&bih=645
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly
And where does he get the idea that Schillings statement is the origin of that belief? If you look at the link you will see pitching coaches, college programs, analysts, etc. that all see it as control=strike throwing.
Maybe he is confusing “ability to have consistent shape” with command? I don’t really know.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It is factored into the grade
It’s why Teheran doesn’t get a 60 curve because it’s not consistent enough. Yet. He probably gets a 60 future value for it because some will believe he will realize that potential.
by pedrophile on Mar 31, 2026 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
As Pedrophile says, you've got command/control all messed up.
Control is the ability to throw pitches inside the strike zone. Command is the ability to throw them where you want inside the strike zone. Sometimes pitchers like Alvarez can get away with subpar command because the movement on their pitches makes them hard to hit, even if they catch a lot of the plate. I think this is especially true before the pitcher makes it around the league multiple times.
by PissedMick on Mar 30, 2026 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Read his link though
I’m inclined to listen to James over Schilling. It’s probably safe to say that a lot of people have been aping the Schilling line — including me — without reflecting on the source.
by charles wallace on Mar 31, 2026 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
A lot of people think the changeup is his best pitch, and I’ve seen it rated as a plus pitch by pretty much everyone. Haven’t really seen anyone say it was anything less
by Aidin on Mar 30, 2026 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure you read my post?
His change up is his best pitch - the regular version. His hard changeup is a weaker offering.
by pedrophile on Mar 30, 2026 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
The sample size here is small
but this thread doesn’t say good things about the reading comprehension of Jays’ fans.
by PissedMick on Mar 30, 2026 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
You’re not Russian are you, otherwise that would have made sense. lol Hazards of typing on an Ipad I guess, premature post-alation. Anyway, I’m done arguing if you are. I’ll just let Alvarez be whatever he will be.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
FWIW
“So why does Alvarez not know that his cutter is a slider?
"He thinks ‘cut’ when he throws it because it keeps him on top of the ball," Walton said. "He’s just telling you probably what he’s thinking when he throws it."
And just in case anyone should ask, what is the difference between a cutter and a slider?
"A cutter to us is something that slides in to a lefty, that doesn’t get off plane," Walton said. "His slider gets off plane. It goes down and has tilt."
"It’s very rare, just the command of the strike zone that he has, the ability to throw his secondary pitches at any time, ahead in the count, behind in the count," Walton said.
“You have to love his command… " John Sickels
https://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/3/30/2914017/yet-more-young-pitchers-age-25-and-below
“Pitches with very good command and has the control to limit his bases on balls”
http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/teams/players/bio/?id=8684 via scouting services inc.
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 31, 2026 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
If he were still a prospect
what grade would Henderson earn? B+ or possibly an A-?
by RedHopeful on Mar 30, 2026 1:51 PM EDT reply actions
I forget, what was drabek rated as last year?
by STZ513 on Mar 30, 2026 6:58 PM EDT via Android app up reply actions
big duffy fan
The velo was impressive last year, especially for a lefty. I believe he will take a step forward. I really still see a possible #2 yet.
by St.Steve on Mar 30, 2026 4:48 PM EDT reply actions
I like Duffy too, and he kind of reminds me of our prospect Dan Norris, or rather the other way around. lol
by JaysFanToronto on Mar 30, 2026 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Duffy
I met him at a local signing and for what its worth, he seemed like a very solid young man. It will be fun rooting for the guy.
by Remember85 on Mar 30, 2026 9:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Derek Holland?
You know, the lefty who throws 95-mph, tied for 2nd in MLB in ‘11 with 4 SHO’s, threw 8.1 shutout innings in game 4 of the WS, has less than 2 full seasons worth of starts (63) for his career, won’t be 26 until October, etc.? He hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet.
"I'm a unitard!" - Ralph Wiggum
by stupidsexyflanders on Mar 30, 2026 7:38 PM EDT reply actions
You mean the guy who was listed in yesterday's post?
Maybe you should check all of them before complaining next time.
by nixa37 on Mar 30, 2026 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
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