A couple of items from the 2016 Arizona Fall League:
***Washington Nationals pitching prospect Austin Voth threw five shutout innings yesterday for the Glendale Desert Dogs. Although his 5.16 ERA in 29.2 innings doesn’t stand out, he’s been very effective lately, throwing 15 consecutive shutout innings.
During the regular season he posted a 3.15 ERA in 157 innings for Triple-A Syracuse in the International League, with a 133/57 K/BB and just 138 hit allowed.
A fifth round pick in 2013 from the University of Washington, Voth works with an 89-93 MPH fastball (it can touch 95) along with a change-up and slider. Although his stuff is generally considered average, he’s been consistently successful in pro ball since his sharp command helps all of his pitches play up. We should see him in the majors sometime in 2017.
***Kansas City Royals pitcher Josh Staumont is very different than Voth. Tied for the AFL lead with 30 strikeouts, Staumont threw four shutout innings yesterday for the Surprise Saguaros, giving him a 4.50 ERA in 24 innings. He’s allowed just 15 hits but has walked 16.
Staumont has one of the most electric fastballs in pro baseball, clocked as high as 102 MPH. His curveball flashes plus and he has a workable change-up, but his stuff moves so much he can’t control it: he walked 104 men in 123 innings during the regular season. He also gave up just 104 hits.
A second round pick in 2015 from Azusa Pacific, Staumont could see the majors sometime in 2017, although it remains unclear if starting or relieving is his long term role.
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