Five pitchers closing season out on strong note

Which pitchers have been getting better as the season gone on?

Photo Credit: WTM

It’s common for some pitchers to wear down towards the end of the year. It’s a long season, and some aren’t ready for the full workload that comes with it.

Learning to get through the final few months of the season without seeing too much dropoff in their stuff is a key part of any pitching prospect’s development.

There are some, however, that have gotten better as the season has gone on.

Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington are two notable pitching prospects who have done well recently.

They’ve both recently been promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis and have done exceptionally well. Chandler has allowed just three earned runs in 18 innings since being promoted, and each of those came in the first inning of his most recent start.

That’s 17 other innings he has pitched since being promoted to Triple-A, and he has not allowed a run.

Harrington looked easily on his way to pitching a Maddux, needing just 63 pitches to get through seven shutout innings. Ryan Borucki was on a rehab assignment and was scheduled to pitch, so they took Harrington out after the seventh.

Friday, he threw six innings of one-run baseball and was perfect through the first five frames.

They get the majority of the recognition, but some other pitchers have done well, especially in the past 30 days.

Alessandro Ercolani, Greensboro Grasshoppers

Last 30 Days: 19.1 IP, 14 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 26 K, 2-0, SV

It’s really been the month of May that has kept him from having a wire-to-wire fantastic season. He’s been a multi-inning guy out of the bullpen down the stretch, allowing his stuff to play up even more.

He combined with Carlson Reed (more on him later) on Friday, throwing a combined one-hitter. Ercolani walked a batter and struck out six in three innings pitched, picking up the save.

Of the 41 pitches he threw in three innings, Ercolani got whiffs on 15 for an insane 36.5% swinging strike rate.

It’s been a lot of that for Ercolani, who has allowed just two earned runs over the past 30 days and has done well in limiting the walks.

JP Massey, Greensboro Grasshoppers

Last 30 Days: 18.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 8 BB, 21 K

Massey didn’t pitch much in the middle of the season, totaling 6.1 innings between June and July. Walks have been an issue with Massey, walking 28 through 41 innings pitched from April through July.

It’s been the last three games for Massey that have allowed him to stand out. He has allowed just three earned runs in 13 innings pitched, but the stuff is really starting to show through. He picked up 17 whiffs while striking out eight in his last start and is starting to show why he was selected to the Futures Game last year.

Carlson Reed, Greensboro Grasshoppers

Last 30 Days: 23.2 IP, 12 H, ER, 9 BB, 32 K

Reed has been fantastic since getting promoted to High-A from Bradenton, posting a 0.48 ERA with Greensboro after tossing six shutout innings on Friday.

Throw in his last start with Bradenton, and things look even better.

He threw five innings where he allowed two unearned runs and struck out nine to close out his time in Single-A. So, in his last 30 days, Reed has allowed just one earned run in 23.2 innings pitched, striking out 32 batters in the process.

Walks have still been a bit of an issue, although he has just three over his last two starts (10.1 innings pitched), one of which set a new career mark in strikeouts by reaching double-digits for the first time (10).

Reed has one of the best sliders in the system, with a good change-up as well, but his success has been due to his added command of the fastball in the zone.

Carlos Jimenez, Bradenton Marauders

Last 30 Days: 19.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 14 BB, 19 K

It has never been a question of his stuff, but always whether he would throw enough strikes to succeed. There was a point where it seemed that Jimenez was going to be making a full shift to the bullpen, but mounting injuries have pushed him back into the rotation.

He’s posted scoreless outings in four of his last five appearances, including two that spanned five innings. The walks have still been there, but nearly half came in one game on August 16.

Jimenez has only allowed three earned runs and nine hits through 19.2 innings, showing that the stuff remains hard to hit, but control will always remain a huge question mark for him.

Connor Oliver, Bradenton Marauders

Last 30 Days: 17.2 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 18 K

Oliver has been a confusing player to follow this year in Bradenton. He’s shown flashes of exactly why the Pirates likely targeted him in a trade but has struggled with consistency for the majority of the season.

He doesn’t have an overpowering fastball but relies on above-average movement and plus extension to help it play up.

A strong start on July 27 closed an otherwise rough month on a good note, and he’s continued that in August.

He’s posted a 2.45 ERA in August and struck out five in 4.2 innings his last time on the mound. The walks are still an issue, but this month is tracking to easily be his best since joining the Pirates’ organization.

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