Today's out of left field comment: Zander's last name reminds me of vermouth, so I hope he makes the majors and gives me an excuse to drink a manhattan every game that he pitches
Could really use this 2023 draft getting off to a hot start in their pro debut, I feel the farm system is going the inverse of my weight- its getting thinner and thinner
Didn't really like the draft but I like most of the players they took. Several of the college arms can move fairly quick as relievers, with the chance of starting if their control/command improves. I saw Strickland pitch in the SEC tournament and he looked pretty good (I think he started or came in relief early). Curtis might have the best potential as a starter if his health concerns are behind him. Furtado is a wild card, if he ever gets some control he could be nasty. Mueth we just need to be patient with and hope it all comes together.
I still call the college arms Ben's Bullpen Brigade (other than Skenes), Woods seems like the perfect lefty swing man, Strickland the right hand version. Cotto and Furtado power lefties. Reed and Reilly power righties. Curtis the long man or potential starter.
Everyone says that the Pirates should try to be like the Rays (not sure I agree entirely, but Ok... anything is better than now). This is basically the Rays modus operandi... look for pure stuff and lots of movement and don't worry terribly about control or other issues. The Rays also seem to dislike over-the-top pitchers. Of course, the Rays seem to be able to fix a lot of control issues. The Pirates not so much.
I like most of the players, just thought they went to much on pitchers rds4 through rd12 and drafted similar style players in rd2 and rd3 that we already had in the system.
These are all prospective bullpen arms. The Pirates can dilly around trying some of them as starters. but Mueth and Reilly are the only ones with any real chance to stick. Bullpen arms are highly liquid commodities, easy to move in trades, and you really can't have enough of them. It is also easier to hit on a couple of them than other types of prospects, at least for a short time (long enough to trade them for some value). Second-tier pitchers of this type are also harder to project and may have more potential upside than toolsy no-hit prospects or all-hit, no field position prospects like you find in the later rounds. I think it is an OK strategy, provided they can develop some... always with this caveat.
Yep the only thing I think different on is Curtis instead of Reilly as a potential starter. Not saying if one of the guys developes great control they can't be more but control and command are seriously lacking in the group.
I'm not even sure the Pirates are going to mess around trying Reilly as a starter. They didn't last year, but that may have just been limiting his innings after the college season. If they can fix his often out-of-synch delivery, he will have 2 or 3 plus pitches, but you are probably right. It would serve both him and the Pirates best to move him rapidly into a bullpen role rather than spending several years trying and maybe (probably) failing to sort things out as a starter with his improved mechanics.
Not my favorite flavor of draft either, but if they can find a way to turn a handful of these college relievers into high octane option in the majors, there's definitely still some good value to that. Whether or not I believe that they can actually do that is a whole separate question lol
Today's out of left field comment: Zander's last name reminds me of vermouth, so I hope he makes the majors and gives me an excuse to drink a manhattan every game that he pitches
I just gave up manhattans so I hope he's a bust.
Cheers! In advance of debut day!
Could really use this 2023 draft getting off to a hot start in their pro debut, I feel the farm system is going the inverse of my weight- its getting thinner and thinner
Didn't really like the draft but I like most of the players they took. Several of the college arms can move fairly quick as relievers, with the chance of starting if their control/command improves. I saw Strickland pitch in the SEC tournament and he looked pretty good (I think he started or came in relief early). Curtis might have the best potential as a starter if his health concerns are behind him. Furtado is a wild card, if he ever gets some control he could be nasty. Mueth we just need to be patient with and hope it all comes together.
I still call the college arms Ben's Bullpen Brigade (other than Skenes), Woods seems like the perfect lefty swing man, Strickland the right hand version. Cotto and Furtado power lefties. Reed and Reilly power righties. Curtis the long man or potential starter.
Everyone says that the Pirates should try to be like the Rays (not sure I agree entirely, but Ok... anything is better than now). This is basically the Rays modus operandi... look for pure stuff and lots of movement and don't worry terribly about control or other issues. The Rays also seem to dislike over-the-top pitchers. Of course, the Rays seem to be able to fix a lot of control issues. The Pirates not so much.
I like most of the players, just thought they went to much on pitchers rds4 through rd12 and drafted similar style players in rd2 and rd3 that we already had in the system.
These are all prospective bullpen arms. The Pirates can dilly around trying some of them as starters. but Mueth and Reilly are the only ones with any real chance to stick. Bullpen arms are highly liquid commodities, easy to move in trades, and you really can't have enough of them. It is also easier to hit on a couple of them than other types of prospects, at least for a short time (long enough to trade them for some value). Second-tier pitchers of this type are also harder to project and may have more potential upside than toolsy no-hit prospects or all-hit, no field position prospects like you find in the later rounds. I think it is an OK strategy, provided they can develop some... always with this caveat.
Yep the only thing I think different on is Curtis instead of Reilly as a potential starter. Not saying if one of the guys developes great control they can't be more but control and command are seriously lacking in the group.
I'm not even sure the Pirates are going to mess around trying Reilly as a starter. They didn't last year, but that may have just been limiting his innings after the college season. If they can fix his often out-of-synch delivery, he will have 2 or 3 plus pitches, but you are probably right. It would serve both him and the Pirates best to move him rapidly into a bullpen role rather than spending several years trying and maybe (probably) failing to sort things out as a starter with his improved mechanics.
Not my favorite flavor of draft either, but if they can find a way to turn a handful of these college relievers into high octane option in the majors, there's definitely still some good value to that. Whether or not I believe that they can actually do that is a whole separate question lol
BC's getting prepared to finish out those 6-2 losses without things getting totally out of hand.
Only if they learn how to throw some strikes that aren't in the middle of the plate.