31 Comments

So Harrisburg visits Altoona next week, which means six days of Dylan Crews. If Skenes gets another start they will face each other. Crews had a couple doubles last night but is still below the Mendoza line in AA after two weeks at that level.

Expand full comment

Why Andujar instead of a prospect? Is this just another delaying tactic by BC? Any notion of trying to trade him should have been put to rest when he was DFAd in May and no one wanted him for nothing.

Let’s see Gonzales, Triolo or (my choice) Gorski and try to move forward instead of backward.

Expand full comment

It wouldn't have been for nothing, he had a contract for over a million that would have been paid by a claiming team. There's still only so many at bats to go around, so I don't mind Triolo and Gonzales in Indy. Gorski should be at least moved up to Indy and I wouldn't mind seeing him on the Pirates.

Expand full comment

need to call up Nick and Triolo to join their buddies

seen enough of Capra and Zastrynsky

Expand full comment

Liked first stream of Michael Kennedy. That change could be a lethal pitch for him. Barco also looked very sharp

Expand full comment

Didn't even go back and watch Skenes, but did watch Kennedy. The change is nice. Slider has some good sweep to it. I wonder about if the velocity is more 'this is my last outing, or second to last, I'm going to let it all go', because the couple of FCL games I watched it was more 88-90.

Expand full comment

It'll be worth watching going into next year. Cause we also have Bubba, who was sitting lower than usual for most of High-A season before he finally began ramping up to what was expected.

Expand full comment

That's fair. Just from an extra year of growth wouldn't be surprised if the velocity jumped naturally in 2024. Also, his arm slot was a little bit on the lower side, or was that just me?

Expand full comment

Yeah, which seems to be an arm slot they've been seeking in pitchers lately

Expand full comment

Yea cuz Zander the same way. Except it looks like he gets a lot more run on the the fastball from it than Kennedy does

Expand full comment

Also seeing A LOT more two-seamer type "sinker" movement from the pitchers. A lot

Expand full comment

what was Kennedy's velocity?

Expand full comment

Savant had him up to 92.9, but mostly 90-91

Expand full comment

At his age, still just EIGHTEEN, he might get a couple ticks up on his fastball.

Expand full comment

Eighteen? EIGHTEEN!!!!

Expand full comment

Hey that's my thing lol

Expand full comment

higher than what I previously heard so that's good!

Expand full comment

Give me all of the intriguing left handed arms!

Expand full comment

Everyone can take a deep breath again because Paul Skenes was VG last night at AA. Also noticed the attendance at Erie increased by about double from Thursday to Friday, but some increase just for the weekend would be normal.

Great news at Bradenton in that 6'4" LHSP Hunter Barco and 6'3" RHSP Wilber Dotel both had VG starts. Someone tell me the story of how Dotel is 7-2, 2.89 ERA but in 74.2 IP he has 40 Walks and only 58 K's, and he is not a GB machine either?

Andujar was promoted - have we checked all of the many REBUILD boxes for 2023? It would appear to be a pre-trade attempt by BC, but why wait until Sep? Maybe just a pat on the back for a good season? Hard to figure, but has nothing to do with making this team better in 2024.

Expand full comment

Went back and watched Kennedy, gonna watch Barco and Skenes today before the game starts.

Expand full comment

Skenes certainly looked better last night but it doesn’t mean any more than his first AA outing when he struggled. It will take him time to adjust to professional hitters just like it has everyone else no matter what all the pundits said about his being ready for the majors when he was at LSU.

Comps for him are hard to find but how about Justin Verlander? He was the #2 overall pick in 2004 and debuted with the Mets in July 2005. He only pitched 11 innings that year and his ERA that was over 7. It wasn’t until 2006 that he started to get it and it took time for him to become a dominating pitcher. Expecting Skenes to be dominant now is, and always was, unrealistic.

Expand full comment

I’ve been trying to figure Dotel out all year. His velocity is all over the place and he doesn’t have a big secondary pitch. But hitters just don’t seem able to square up against him.

Expand full comment

He's someone I'm very excited for next season. He appears to have a, verging on, quality FF and sinker. The slider looks good, when it's on. I think his biggest issue right now is stamina. The FF and SI are sharp, with velo and shape, for three to four (at most) innings. He then loses velo and shape as the game winds on. Kind of same for Ercolani.

Expand full comment

We need a 1st baseman. Why not give Nunez a shot?

Expand full comment

Cause he's Key without the defense or speed. He has a near 50% groundball rate.

Expand full comment

who cares? rather see him than Rivas

Expand full comment

That's old Ke' to you! We now have player of the month Ke'!

Expand full comment

True. True lol

Expand full comment

I'm a big Nunez fan, but he has had a year of missed games due to injury, and just needs to settle in at AAA. Still only 22 - noticed that Triolo played 1B last night.

The Pirates could see 1B as being the position to leave open for a Utility Player like Triolo, or a place for EndyRod getting a break from Catching, while still grooming Nunez.

Expand full comment

I really hope not. The tryouts at 1B have to stop in '24.

Expand full comment