Well, we expected it after yesterday's announcement that Gerrit Cole was going to miss a start because of shoulder fatigue. He was placed on the 15 day DL today, clearing a spot for Jeff Locke on the roster and giving his shoulder time to recover. The move is retroactive to June 4th.
The brass sounded as if they were going to take the cautionary road with Cole. He's been a busy hurler over the past two seasons, tossing 196-1/3 IP last year and leading the team with 76-1/3 frames this season. The Cole Train was 18-11/3.39 for the Bucs over the past two years with 185 K in 213 innings, and was a staff workhorse, and his long-term health certainly overshadows any short-term needs.
The brass said that they had noticed some "red flags," and Cole complained of a dead arm after his last start. The good news is that tests revealed no structural damage; the Bucs think there may be a mechanical problem with Cole's delivery that needs tweaked.
Hopefully, rest is the answer, A staff that's already lost AJ Burnett to free agency, Wandy Rodriguez to non-performance and Jameson Taillon to TJ surgery will be hard pressed to replace Cole for any length of time.
Pittsburgh has already called up Brandon Cumpton and Locke from Indy, with Vance Worley in the hole, so there's not much left to draw on from the farm. This drives home the dubious nature of the front office's dice-roll decision to not bulk up the Pirate rotation during the off season.
Showing posts with label gerrit cole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gerrit cole. Show all posts
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Morning After: Gerrit Cole's First Start
The line was plenty good enough for a first game. Fighting through butterflies and expectations, Gerrit Cole went 6-1/3 frames, giving up two runs on seven hits with out a walk and a pair of K. And the two strikeouts were the most impressive line.
He got his first against the first batter he faced, Gregor Blanco. Three fastballs, the last one at 99, and see ya' later. The other was against Buster Posey, the reigning NL MVP, on a nasty hook. But it wasn't the whiffs that impressed; it was the mindset that kept that number down.
Cole pounded the strike zone - 81 pitches, 59 strikes - mainly with fastballs down in the zone. 65 pitches, in fact, were heaters (two and four seam; he had a lot of run on his two-seamer) and he sat at 95-96, reaching 99 a couple of times. He said after the game that if no one's on base, he's just gonna challenge guys, especially with a lead (are you listening, Jeff Locke?).
The righty was ahead of hitters all night - we can only remember three times or four times that he fell behind a batter 2-1 or deeper, and he pumped first strikes like they earned him bonus money.
He was efficient, throwing ten or fewer pitches in three frames, and effective. Cole at one point retired 13 straight G-Men. He did show a pretty nice curve and once or twice spun a changeup, but he pitched to contact. His hit total is a little misleading as he generated a lot of fairly weak contact and late swings. But it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops.
Cole's location could use some fine tuning; he plunked Blanco on an 0-2 pitch, for example. He was up a few times, and those pitches tend to flatten out. The 22 year old sometimes had problems picking up the corner, although he left very few balls in the red zone. He's also gonna to have to mix his pitches more just to keep guys from sitting on them, as Tony Abreu did in the seventh when he turned on an inner half 98 MPH delivery and smoked it to right.
But we're sure he threw what Russell Martin wiggled, and given it was Cole's first night, we're equally sure that the veteran catcher kept it simple. His mix will improve as Martin picks up what stuff works and brings him along, and having the minds of vets like AJ, Frankie and Wandy to pick won't hurt, either.
The thing we looked for as a possible red flag was his temperament. One of the knocks on him in the minors was that he would get frustrated in certain situations and go beyond himself on the mound as a result. But he looked pretty calm on the hill - and he was in a couple of jams - and showed poise during the post-game media frenzy, crediting Martin, the defense and the bats for his performance; he praised everyone but himself.
Post-game snippet: Clint Hurdle brought up #1pick Jason Jennings during the press conference, who threw a complete game shutout in his debut and hit a homer. Cole asked "Did he do that against defending World Champs? Confident and a little cocky, just what we were hoping for.
So hey - one down, many to go. Pretty good start for young Mr. Cole. The future? Who knows right now what even the rest of week holds? If the rain washes out the next game or two, Clint Hurdle has a lot of rotation options (although we think Morton might be by-passed if there is a cancellation for one more Indy start). The Bucs will have to do some shufflin' when Wandy, Jeanmar Gomez and J-Mac come off the DL.
But we get the feeling that another start or two like last night's for Gerrit Cole will have the other guys scuffling to keep their spot. He's still an unfinished product, but what he needs to learn is at the MLB level, and we're looking forward to the process.
He got his first against the first batter he faced, Gregor Blanco. Three fastballs, the last one at 99, and see ya' later. The other was against Buster Posey, the reigning NL MVP, on a nasty hook. But it wasn't the whiffs that impressed; it was the mindset that kept that number down.
Cole pounded the strike zone - 81 pitches, 59 strikes - mainly with fastballs down in the zone. 65 pitches, in fact, were heaters (two and four seam; he had a lot of run on his two-seamer) and he sat at 95-96, reaching 99 a couple of times. He said after the game that if no one's on base, he's just gonna challenge guys, especially with a lead (are you listening, Jeff Locke?).
The righty was ahead of hitters all night - we can only remember three times or four times that he fell behind a batter 2-1 or deeper, and he pumped first strikes like they earned him bonus money.
He was efficient, throwing ten or fewer pitches in three frames, and effective. Cole at one point retired 13 straight G-Men. He did show a pretty nice curve and once or twice spun a changeup, but he pitched to contact. His hit total is a little misleading as he generated a lot of fairly weak contact and late swings. But it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops.
Cole's location could use some fine tuning; he plunked Blanco on an 0-2 pitch, for example. He was up a few times, and those pitches tend to flatten out. The 22 year old sometimes had problems picking up the corner, although he left very few balls in the red zone. He's also gonna to have to mix his pitches more just to keep guys from sitting on them, as Tony Abreu did in the seventh when he turned on an inner half 98 MPH delivery and smoked it to right.
But we're sure he threw what Russell Martin wiggled, and given it was Cole's first night, we're equally sure that the veteran catcher kept it simple. His mix will improve as Martin picks up what stuff works and brings him along, and having the minds of vets like AJ, Frankie and Wandy to pick won't hurt, either.
The thing we looked for as a possible red flag was his temperament. One of the knocks on him in the minors was that he would get frustrated in certain situations and go beyond himself on the mound as a result. But he looked pretty calm on the hill - and he was in a couple of jams - and showed poise during the post-game media frenzy, crediting Martin, the defense and the bats for his performance; he praised everyone but himself.
Post-game snippet: Clint Hurdle brought up #1pick Jason Jennings during the press conference, who threw a complete game shutout in his debut and hit a homer. Cole asked "Did he do that against defending World Champs? Confident and a little cocky, just what we were hoping for.
So hey - one down, many to go. Pretty good start for young Mr. Cole. The future? Who knows right now what even the rest of week holds? If the rain washes out the next game or two, Clint Hurdle has a lot of rotation options (although we think Morton might be by-passed if there is a cancellation for one more Indy start). The Bucs will have to do some shufflin' when Wandy, Jeanmar Gomez and J-Mac come off the DL.
But we get the feeling that another start or two like last night's for Gerrit Cole will have the other guys scuffling to keep their spot. He's still an unfinished product, but what he needs to learn is at the MLB level, and we're looking forward to the process.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
The Young Guns - Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole, 22, was born in Newport Beach, California, and went to Orange Lutheran High School. After being unscored on as a soph JV pitcher, Cole was promoted to the varsity. And no wonder; the scouts lined up to watch a junior prep pitcher who could hit 94 on the gun. As a senior, Cole had an 8–2/0.47 slash with 121 strikeouts in 75 IP.
He was named an AFLAC All-American, USA Today All-USA high school player, first-team EA Sports All-America selection and a second-team Baseball America All-America. Cole was ranked as the top high school prospect by Perfect Game Crosschecker and the fourth-best high school player by BA, and polished those accolades by hitting 96-97 on the radar while on the high school showcase circuit.
Baseball America rated him the 17th best prospect available in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, and the Yankees made him their #1 draft pick that year with the 28th overall selection. Cole was a pinstripes fan, too, with the Bronx Bombers lore drummed into him by his dad, who was raised in Syracuse. But he never seriously negotiated with New York, determined and comfortable with his decision to attend UCLA, even if it left a reported $4M sitting on the table.
Cole put up a line of 4-8/3.49 in his freshman year as a Bruin, and in 85 frames whiffed 104, walked 38 and yielded a .191 OBA. He set UCLA's freshman single-season record with 104 strikeouts, earning All-Conference and Freshman All-America honors from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The righty also claimed a spot on the 2009 US Collegiate National baseball team, and was chosen as the top prospect on the team by Baseball America after posting a record of 4-0/1.06 with 46 K in 34 IP.
In 2010, Cole and Trevor Bauer may have been the best one-two punch in college baseball, leading the Bruins to 51 wins, the most in school history. They were ranked second in the nation, and finished that way, advancing to the finals of the CWS before South Carolina took the crown. Though smacked around by the Gamecocks at Omaha, Cole posted an 11–4/3.37 slash with 153 K in 123 IP, third best in the nation for collegiate strikeouts.
He was again named to the Collegiate National Team roster, going 2-0-1/0.72 ERA in five games (four starts) with 23 strikeouts and four walks in 25 frames and was named the top team prospect for the second consecutive summer by Baseball America.
In his junior year, Cole went 6–8/3.31, with 119 strikeouts in 114-1/3 innings for the Bruins, struggling during the second half of the year. His pitches were delivered up in the zone, and were flat. But those problems were thought to be mechanical due to overthrowing, and he was considered one of the top two choices to go #1 in the upcoming draft, along with Anthony Rendon.
The Bucs ended the suspense quickly when they made Cole the first overall pick in the 2011. As a Scott Boras client, it was de rigueur to sign at the deadline, and with fifteen minutes to spare, Cole chose a minor league contract with an $8M bonus over the Bucs other offer, an $8.5M major league contract running through 2016, because of the length of the payouts.
The Pirates didn't assign him to a team after that late August 15th signing, but did the next best thing when they rostered Cole with Mesa of the Arizona Fall League after working on his delivery a bit at Pirate City. He was 2-0/3.00 and whiffed 16 in 15 IP with the Solar Sox. The rookie was selected to start the AFL Rising Stars game, where he didn't last an inning because of a high pitch count (and two homers/five runs surrendered).
Cole was invited to spring training in 2012 by the Bucs as a non-roster player just to get a feel for the ropes. He was optioned early in March to High Class A Bradenton, where he joined RHP Jameson Taillon, who was drafted #1 the year before. Cole was named a FSL Mid-Season All-Star after going 5-1/2.55 with 69 K in 67 IP in 13 starts for the Marauders.
He jumped to Class AA Altoona on June 15th. He made 12 starts for the Curve and went 3-6/2.90, striking out 60 batters in 59 frames. Cole became the first pitcher in franchise history to throw 100 mph, hitting triple digits numerous times. He also gave Pirate fans palpitations when he got smacked in the puss with a liner while pitching against Harrisburg. Not only did he escape with just a bruise, but picked himself up and finished the frame.
But he did have trouble finishing off batters and innings. Cole was too often at the 90 pitch mark by the fifth or sixth inning, and only got through the seventh one time. That's a situation they hope to work out next season.
Cole was a member of the 2012 All-Star Futures Game, and had a mixed outing, striking out a pair but giving up a two-run homer to Cubs prospect Jae-Hoon. He did give the fans what they wanted, though, when he hit 100 mph on the radar gun.
On August 29th, Cole was just a step away when he was promoted to Indy. He allowed the first three batters he faced to score, then tossed five shutout innings with seven whiffs after the settled down. But there was no great comeback in the playoffs, when he gave up eight runs in two innings against the Charlotte Knights. The Buc FO likes its prospects to weather a storm; Cole's ship took on a lotta water at Indy, so it'll be interesting to see how quickly he can plug the holes.
His repertoire consists a four-seamer that he throws between the mid-to-upper nineties, touching three figures occasionally. He also serves a sinking two-seam fastball, slider and changeup. The hard slider is his out pitch while his changeup is improving. It's also reported that Cole played with a slurve last year, after ditching his high school curve ball during his Bruin years.
The 6'4", 220 pound hurler likes to pitch inside, something the Pirates work on constantly at the lower levels, and so using both sides of the plate shouldn't be a problem. His home run rate was excellent, giving up one long ball every 19 innings. Cole did give up 3 walks per game, but K'ed nine, and his 3:1 ratio was pretty strong. His toolkit is filled.
But Cole's still not a sure ace, although he has all the upside to become a number one. For all his hype at UCLA, Cole went just 21-20 in college and 9-7 during his minor league tour last year. He likes to work upstairs with his fastball, which is fine, but he has to keep his mechanics in line to keep the ball from missing in the middle of the plate. His pitches are sometimes flat, and that's usually caused by overthrowing.
He has such a good heater that he often gets by with just pumping it down the middle and getting some weak flies or blow-by strikes, but can stand to polish his command within the strike zone. Cole also needs to develop a better game plan, but that should come with experience. He has only worked 132 pro innings, and the pitching coaches and his catchers will help focus him to both get him deeper into games and to keep him from hitter's counts. So he has a punchlist to complete before he's ready to step on a MLB mound.
Cole will start next season at Indy. The ideal timeline is to bring him up in late June or early July, so as not to start his clock too soon. That, of course, depends on how the Bucco rotation shakes out and how Cole progresses. The Pirates' hope is for him to be established in 2014, and have Taillon, who should start in Altoona in 2013, take his spot and be ready to join him sometime that season.
He was named an AFLAC All-American, USA Today All-USA high school player, first-team EA Sports All-America selection and a second-team Baseball America All-America. Cole was ranked as the top high school prospect by Perfect Game Crosschecker and the fourth-best high school player by BA, and polished those accolades by hitting 96-97 on the radar while on the high school showcase circuit.
Baseball America rated him the 17th best prospect available in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, and the Yankees made him their #1 draft pick that year with the 28th overall selection. Cole was a pinstripes fan, too, with the Bronx Bombers lore drummed into him by his dad, who was raised in Syracuse. But he never seriously negotiated with New York, determined and comfortable with his decision to attend UCLA, even if it left a reported $4M sitting on the table.
Cole put up a line of 4-8/3.49 in his freshman year as a Bruin, and in 85 frames whiffed 104, walked 38 and yielded a .191 OBA. He set UCLA's freshman single-season record with 104 strikeouts, earning All-Conference and Freshman All-America honors from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The righty also claimed a spot on the 2009 US Collegiate National baseball team, and was chosen as the top prospect on the team by Baseball America after posting a record of 4-0/1.06 with 46 K in 34 IP.
In 2010, Cole and Trevor Bauer may have been the best one-two punch in college baseball, leading the Bruins to 51 wins, the most in school history. They were ranked second in the nation, and finished that way, advancing to the finals of the CWS before South Carolina took the crown. Though smacked around by the Gamecocks at Omaha, Cole posted an 11–4/3.37 slash with 153 K in 123 IP, third best in the nation for collegiate strikeouts.
He was again named to the Collegiate National Team roster, going 2-0-1/0.72 ERA in five games (four starts) with 23 strikeouts and four walks in 25 frames and was named the top team prospect for the second consecutive summer by Baseball America.
In his junior year, Cole went 6–8/3.31, with 119 strikeouts in 114-1/3 innings for the Bruins, struggling during the second half of the year. His pitches were delivered up in the zone, and were flat. But those problems were thought to be mechanical due to overthrowing, and he was considered one of the top two choices to go #1 in the upcoming draft, along with Anthony Rendon.
The Bucs ended the suspense quickly when they made Cole the first overall pick in the 2011. As a Scott Boras client, it was de rigueur to sign at the deadline, and with fifteen minutes to spare, Cole chose a minor league contract with an $8M bonus over the Bucs other offer, an $8.5M major league contract running through 2016, because of the length of the payouts.
The Pirates didn't assign him to a team after that late August 15th signing, but did the next best thing when they rostered Cole with Mesa of the Arizona Fall League after working on his delivery a bit at Pirate City. He was 2-0/3.00 and whiffed 16 in 15 IP with the Solar Sox. The rookie was selected to start the AFL Rising Stars game, where he didn't last an inning because of a high pitch count (and two homers/five runs surrendered).
Cole was invited to spring training in 2012 by the Bucs as a non-roster player just to get a feel for the ropes. He was optioned early in March to High Class A Bradenton, where he joined RHP Jameson Taillon, who was drafted #1 the year before. Cole was named a FSL Mid-Season All-Star after going 5-1/2.55 with 69 K in 67 IP in 13 starts for the Marauders.
He jumped to Class AA Altoona on June 15th. He made 12 starts for the Curve and went 3-6/2.90, striking out 60 batters in 59 frames. Cole became the first pitcher in franchise history to throw 100 mph, hitting triple digits numerous times. He also gave Pirate fans palpitations when he got smacked in the puss with a liner while pitching against Harrisburg. Not only did he escape with just a bruise, but picked himself up and finished the frame.
But he did have trouble finishing off batters and innings. Cole was too often at the 90 pitch mark by the fifth or sixth inning, and only got through the seventh one time. That's a situation they hope to work out next season.
Cole was a member of the 2012 All-Star Futures Game, and had a mixed outing, striking out a pair but giving up a two-run homer to Cubs prospect Jae-Hoon. He did give the fans what they wanted, though, when he hit 100 mph on the radar gun.
On August 29th, Cole was just a step away when he was promoted to Indy. He allowed the first three batters he faced to score, then tossed five shutout innings with seven whiffs after the settled down. But there was no great comeback in the playoffs, when he gave up eight runs in two innings against the Charlotte Knights. The Buc FO likes its prospects to weather a storm; Cole's ship took on a lotta water at Indy, so it'll be interesting to see how quickly he can plug the holes.
His repertoire consists a four-seamer that he throws between the mid-to-upper nineties, touching three figures occasionally. He also serves a sinking two-seam fastball, slider and changeup. The hard slider is his out pitch while his changeup is improving. It's also reported that Cole played with a slurve last year, after ditching his high school curve ball during his Bruin years.
The 6'4", 220 pound hurler likes to pitch inside, something the Pirates work on constantly at the lower levels, and so using both sides of the plate shouldn't be a problem. His home run rate was excellent, giving up one long ball every 19 innings. Cole did give up 3 walks per game, but K'ed nine, and his 3:1 ratio was pretty strong. His toolkit is filled.
But Cole's still not a sure ace, although he has all the upside to become a number one. For all his hype at UCLA, Cole went just 21-20 in college and 9-7 during his minor league tour last year. He likes to work upstairs with his fastball, which is fine, but he has to keep his mechanics in line to keep the ball from missing in the middle of the plate. His pitches are sometimes flat, and that's usually caused by overthrowing.
He has such a good heater that he often gets by with just pumping it down the middle and getting some weak flies or blow-by strikes, but can stand to polish his command within the strike zone. Cole also needs to develop a better game plan, but that should come with experience. He has only worked 132 pro innings, and the pitching coaches and his catchers will help focus him to both get him deeper into games and to keep him from hitter's counts. So he has a punchlist to complete before he's ready to step on a MLB mound.
Cole will start next season at Indy. The ideal timeline is to bring him up in late June or early July, so as not to start his clock too soon. That, of course, depends on how the Bucco rotation shakes out and how Cole progresses. The Pirates' hope is for him to be established in 2014, and have Taillon, who should start in Altoona in 2013, take his spot and be ready to join him sometime that season.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole Have Strong Outings
- RHP Charlie Morton made a rehab start at Indy tonight. He worked 7-2/3 frames, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with 8 K's while serving 98 pitches. The Bucs were hoping to have him primed and set for Saturday, the 14th, to go against the G-Men when the first need for a fifth starter on the schedule appears. It's also the first day he's eligible to come of the DL, so it looks like the planets are in line for him. The Pirates will have to trim a player from the active roster when he takes the hill, likely flipping a coin between Matt Hague and Josh Harrison, both who bring different skill sets to the bench.
- Gerrit Cole made his debut at High A Bradenton tonight, and threw pretty well. He went four innings, allowing a run on four hits and a walk with seven whiffs, throwing 63 pitches. The Marauders reported that he hit 97 on the gun.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Notes
-- Daniel Hudson of Arizona goes against Kevin Correia tonight at 7:05. Root Sports will televise the game.
-- The lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Xavier Paul RF, Andrew McCutchen LF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Chris Snyder C, Brandon Wood 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Kevin Correia P.
Neil Walker was scheduled to be off today, so that's why Harrison is at second. Paul gets his second start replacing Garrett Jones in right.
-- As been rumored the last couple of days, RHP Jose Ascanio (7.11 ERA) was DFA'ed and LHP Tony Watson (2-3, 2.45) called up from Indy. Ascanio had been ineffective since his return from the DL, and Clint Hurdle was looking for a second lefty to stash in the pen.
-- Kevin Correia is going after victory #9. He's won just once at PNC Park and seven times on the road. That's not too hard to explain; he has twice as many starts away from the Three Rivers and less than half the ERA: 5.47 here, 2.42 away.
-- West Virginia Power players RH starter Jameson Taillon, RH reliever Brandon Cumpton, who was just named Sally League Player of the Week, and OF Dan Grovatt were named to Low Class A South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star team today.
-- A small word of advice to Bucco fans - guys have been either praising or badmouthing Gerrit Cole's selection by the Pirates since, oh, a month or so before he was even picked. Give the kid a little time; that's the only thing that will prove his true value.
And it'll take awhile. The Pirates have until August 15th to sign him, and he's represented by Scott Boras, so between his innings worked in college this year (114+) and his agent, there will probably be no great rush to start him in the system this season. As Cole himself said in a media conference call, "We have to take care of business throughout the summer and it will probably eventually take care of itself.”
-- The choice of ULCA's Cole and Trevor Bauer by Pittsburgh and Arizona was the first time since 1978 that two college teammates were taken in the top three picks of the draft. Arizona State had last earned that honor when Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks were taken first and third overall.
-- The lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Xavier Paul RF, Andrew McCutchen LF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Chris Snyder C, Brandon Wood 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Kevin Correia P.
Neil Walker was scheduled to be off today, so that's why Harrison is at second. Paul gets his second start replacing Garrett Jones in right.
-- As been rumored the last couple of days, RHP Jose Ascanio (7.11 ERA) was DFA'ed and LHP Tony Watson (2-3, 2.45) called up from Indy. Ascanio had been ineffective since his return from the DL, and Clint Hurdle was looking for a second lefty to stash in the pen.
-- Kevin Correia is going after victory #9. He's won just once at PNC Park and seven times on the road. That's not too hard to explain; he has twice as many starts away from the Three Rivers and less than half the ERA: 5.47 here, 2.42 away.
-- West Virginia Power players RH starter Jameson Taillon, RH reliever Brandon Cumpton, who was just named Sally League Player of the Week, and OF Dan Grovatt were named to Low Class A South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star team today.
-- A small word of advice to Bucco fans - guys have been either praising or badmouthing Gerrit Cole's selection by the Pirates since, oh, a month or so before he was even picked. Give the kid a little time; that's the only thing that will prove his true value.
And it'll take awhile. The Pirates have until August 15th to sign him, and he's represented by Scott Boras, so between his innings worked in college this year (114+) and his agent, there will probably be no great rush to start him in the system this season. As Cole himself said in a media conference call, "We have to take care of business throughout the summer and it will probably eventually take care of itself.”
-- The choice of ULCA's Cole and Trevor Bauer by Pittsburgh and Arizona was the first time since 1978 that two college teammates were taken in the top three picks of the draft. Arizona State had last earned that honor when Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks were taken first and third overall.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Likely Suspects
OK, it's draft day; here's the likely suspects in a year when no one stands head and shoulders above the pack:
Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA - The word is that Cole will be the Bucco pick tonight. If so, the Pirates are going for the highest upside pitcher available.
Cole has a heater that ranges from 94-96 MPH and has touched 100. He also throws a two-seamer with movement, a couple of ticks slower than the four-seamer. His changeup is already pretty good, but his slider is still a work-in-progress. It needs to stay tight, and sometimes it gets loopy and hittable.
He's an inning-eater for the Bruins and as strong in the later innings as at the start, but lately been less than dominating. Cole's mechanics need some tweaking; some scouts think that his current arm action is an injury waiting to happen, although others think it's just fine.
The 6'4" 220 lb'er is projected to be a top of the rotation starter in the show who could be big-league ready by 2013. Cole is also the consensus top pitcher in this year's lottery.
There are two schools of thought involved here: the old school says you never have enough pitching, and the spreadsheet school that says top picks are much more productive when used on hitters, who are easier to project, than on pitchers.
Of course, old school guys tell you that hitters are easier to pick up on the market or in deals, so...
But the Bucs love themselves some pitching, and while nothing definitive has broken yet, the tea leaves are tilted pretty heavily toward Cole leaving the California surf for a career by the Three Rivers.
Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia - Hultzen has been all that in 2011, vaulting his name to the uppermost levels of MLB draft boards. But he's been faintly praised as "the safe choice," a guy that's already hit his peak and projects to become a #2 pitcher; pretty good, but good enough for the number one selection?
He throws throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a change-up and a slider, all with pinpoint control, and has a repeatable smooth and easy motion. But the scouts think it's his command, not his stuff, that makes him so tough on the hill, and have reservations that he can take it to "ace" level, where nastiness rules.
Taking either one and adding them to the mix of Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia and all the other young arms the Bucs have amassed should give the Bucs a formidable rotation down the road, and it's possible either one of these players could join the big-league staff by 2013 and immediately become the number one guy.
Remember, the Bucs have invested heavily in prep arms, and it may take quite awhile before any of them break into the show, where a college kid could jump in the fast lane and fly through the minors. But pitchers are a risky bet, even at the elite college level, and so still lurking is the shadow of...
Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice - Last year, Rendon was the man, and was compared to Bryce Harper. But 2011 was his personal year from hell. He had shoulder and ankle injuries (the ankle was hurt playing for Team USA in 2010 and required surgery), no help from his teammates (with no protection in the order, nobody in their right mind would pitch to him) and had to deal with a new stick, courtesy of NCAA bat regulations that went into effect this season.
It's not like he was creamed spinach for the Owls. He hit .332/6/37 despite being walked an ungodly 79 times in 297 plate appearances (27%), leading to an unreal .552 OBP. His slugging percentage was .531; he had 20 doubles and a couple of triples to go with six long balls. He can rake; he has a short, easy maintenance kind of stroke. Rendon hit .388 with 20 homers as a freshman and .394 with 26 homers as a sophomore, posting a .530 OBP and .801 slugging percentage.
The injuries are said to be his major red flag. In the pros, he would have sat on the DL awhile and been back when at 100%; in college, he played through the pain and never allowed his shoulder time to heal, and in fact may be aggravating it.
The shoulder issue moved him from third to second base, but he has a rep as an outstanding glove guy when healthy. His shoulder problem is said to be a muscle sprain that requires rest, not the knife. Still, three injuries in three years is a factor that will weigh heavily.
So for the Pirates, the choice is to roll the dice on a pitcher that could top their rotation in a couple of seasons, or a somewhat safer bet on fragile (think Dewey) batter that could do the same. All three have special talents; all three have flaws. We'll find out soon what way the FO goes.
Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA - The word is that Cole will be the Bucco pick tonight. If so, the Pirates are going for the highest upside pitcher available.
Cole has a heater that ranges from 94-96 MPH and has touched 100. He also throws a two-seamer with movement, a couple of ticks slower than the four-seamer. His changeup is already pretty good, but his slider is still a work-in-progress. It needs to stay tight, and sometimes it gets loopy and hittable.
He's an inning-eater for the Bruins and as strong in the later innings as at the start, but lately been less than dominating. Cole's mechanics need some tweaking; some scouts think that his current arm action is an injury waiting to happen, although others think it's just fine.
The 6'4" 220 lb'er is projected to be a top of the rotation starter in the show who could be big-league ready by 2013. Cole is also the consensus top pitcher in this year's lottery.
There are two schools of thought involved here: the old school says you never have enough pitching, and the spreadsheet school that says top picks are much more productive when used on hitters, who are easier to project, than on pitchers.
Of course, old school guys tell you that hitters are easier to pick up on the market or in deals, so...
But the Bucs love themselves some pitching, and while nothing definitive has broken yet, the tea leaves are tilted pretty heavily toward Cole leaving the California surf for a career by the Three Rivers.
Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia - Hultzen has been all that in 2011, vaulting his name to the uppermost levels of MLB draft boards. But he's been faintly praised as "the safe choice," a guy that's already hit his peak and projects to become a #2 pitcher; pretty good, but good enough for the number one selection?
He throws throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a change-up and a slider, all with pinpoint control, and has a repeatable smooth and easy motion. But the scouts think it's his command, not his stuff, that makes him so tough on the hill, and have reservations that he can take it to "ace" level, where nastiness rules.
Taking either one and adding them to the mix of Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia and all the other young arms the Bucs have amassed should give the Bucs a formidable rotation down the road, and it's possible either one of these players could join the big-league staff by 2013 and immediately become the number one guy.
Remember, the Bucs have invested heavily in prep arms, and it may take quite awhile before any of them break into the show, where a college kid could jump in the fast lane and fly through the minors. But pitchers are a risky bet, even at the elite college level, and so still lurking is the shadow of...
Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice - Last year, Rendon was the man, and was compared to Bryce Harper. But 2011 was his personal year from hell. He had shoulder and ankle injuries (the ankle was hurt playing for Team USA in 2010 and required surgery), no help from his teammates (with no protection in the order, nobody in their right mind would pitch to him) and had to deal with a new stick, courtesy of NCAA bat regulations that went into effect this season.
It's not like he was creamed spinach for the Owls. He hit .332/6/37 despite being walked an ungodly 79 times in 297 plate appearances (27%), leading to an unreal .552 OBP. His slugging percentage was .531; he had 20 doubles and a couple of triples to go with six long balls. He can rake; he has a short, easy maintenance kind of stroke. Rendon hit .388 with 20 homers as a freshman and .394 with 26 homers as a sophomore, posting a .530 OBP and .801 slugging percentage.
The injuries are said to be his major red flag. In the pros, he would have sat on the DL awhile and been back when at 100%; in college, he played through the pain and never allowed his shoulder time to heal, and in fact may be aggravating it.
The shoulder issue moved him from third to second base, but he has a rep as an outstanding glove guy when healthy. His shoulder problem is said to be a muscle sprain that requires rest, not the knife. Still, three injuries in three years is a factor that will weigh heavily.
So for the Pirates, the choice is to roll the dice on a pitcher that could top their rotation in a couple of seasons, or a somewhat safer bet on fragile (think Dewey) batter that could do the same. All three have special talents; all three have flaws. We'll find out soon what way the FO goes.
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