When camp broke, Jeff Locke was the default fifth starter.
Kyle McPherson, the pre-season favorite, had imploded (and had an bad elbow, to boot; he hasn't thrown since early April). Jeff Karstens went down in March, and he hasn't returned yet. Jeanmar Gomez did enough to win a long role in the pen, while Francicso Liriano and Charlie Morton were in rehab mode.
It's not that Locke didn't have a decent spring, putting up a 3.38 ERA. But his hold on the back end of the rotation was tenuous at best. Even Jonathan Sanchez was slotted ahead of him. Funny what a difference a few weeks makes.
Sanchez is gone and pitching minor league ball for LA. James McDonald is out, too, and looking at another month before he returns. Locke has established himself behind the veteran trio of AJ Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and the now active Liriano. The lefty is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA, and in five of his last six starts has surrendered four hits or less, going six-to-seven frames in all but one outing. Yep, same guy who went 1-6 with a 5.82 in 2011-12.
The difference is confidence leading to more aggression behind his game. Now he works the inside half and keeps the ball down most of the time. His pitch mix hasn't changed; he still throws about 2/3 fastballs in the 90 MPH range, though using more two seamers this year, and splits the remainder fairly evenly between his curve and change. The ball-in-play results haven't changed that much, either.
Locke still gets 48-49% of his outs in the dirt, and his fly ball numbers have dropped some while his liner rate has gone up a few points to 22%. His swing-and-miss is around 8%. But his change is becoming more of a weapon, and he's been picking up pointers from guys like AJ Burnett on how to set up and attack batters, so he's maturing in the role.
Most strikingly is his strong reverse split; he holds righties to a .213 BA while lefties hit 50 points higher. It may be sample size or maybe a nod to his change, but he's shown that split throughout his brief MLB career (.251/.281). His WHIP is 1.22, which means he only has to deal with six baserunners every five innings, helping him to an excellent 82.5% strand rate
Can he sustain those numbers? His FIP says no; it has him pegged with a 4.47 average. That number doesn't bother us; it's based on walks and K's, with hits (7 per 9 innings) out of the equation. His K rate is under 6 per 9 innings, but he's not a strikeout guy and his success this year has been in part because he's learning to pitch to contact. But he does have some other numbers that cause some concern.
As noted, his strand rate is 82.5% and his batted-ball-in-play average is .224; those are due to regress (The MLB back-of-the-envelope averages are 75% and .297). If he doesn't get his liner rate down some, that BABIP rate will climb. He throws 3.8 pitches per batter; that could come down, too; the fraction at the end should be closer to three than four.
His walk rate is 3.76 per nine, high from a guy that came up with a rep as a control pitcher and especially one who doesn't collect K. Locke has worked 52-1/3 innings so far; he's never tossed more than 153
as a pro at any level, and workload may became an issue as the grind goes on.
The question is whether he can improve faster that his numbers regress; while his results have been good, his performance can still go up another level. He throws too many pitches off the plate, and that's where he can step up. We acknowledge that's part of his new aggressive stance, to not give in to guys, but you have to work on the black, not outside it. Strike throwing and pitcher's counts - command and control - will determine his eventual effectiveness.
Locke has so far proved that he belongs as at least a back-ender, and we think that his pitching will improve the more he trusts his pitches. That doesn't mean that the results will improve; regression almost always rears its ugly head. More worrisome from Locke's view is the oncoming number crunch.
Morton will be back; Karstens will be back; McDonald will be back, and Gerritt Cole is a hot month at Indy away from the show. More than performance may enter into the roster juggling in June; roster spots will be at a premium. And Locke still has an option...
Based on performance, Locke should stick, with the two disclaimers: he works a little more within the strike zone, and he doesn't lose out because of that option when the pitching musical chairs begins in earnest.
Showing posts with label jeff locke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jeff locke. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Young Guns - Jeff Locke
Jeffrey Alan Locke, 24, graduated from Kennett High School in New Hampshire in 2006 and pretty much ran the table for NH prep baseball. By the time he was awarded his sheepskin, he was the career leader in wins for the Eagles, an All-State player and the New Hampshire High School Player of the Year.
He even earned a cool nickname when a local writer dubbed him "The Redstone Rocket," referring to Locke's fastball and his hometown of Redstone. The Rocket picked up an even nicer bit of recognition when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the second round (51st overall) of the 2006 draft, signing him quickly by waving $675,000 under his nose.
Locke was sent to the short-season Gulf Coast Braves, where he went 4-3/4.22. Pitching in 10 games with five starts covering 32 IP, he whiffed 38 and walked just five. That performance earned Locke the nod as the Braves #17 prospect going in 2007 by Baseball America.
He moved up a notch in 2007 to Danville in the Appalachian League and ate up the college-level rookie league, going 7-1/2.66 with 74 K and eight walks in 61 frames. Locke was named to Baseball America's Rookie All-Star & Appalachian post-season All-Star squad. It also bumped him into the Braves Top Ten, as BA ranked him #8 in their system.
In 2008, he continued his journey upward by being assigned to the Low-A Sally League Rome Braves. He met reality there, posting a 5-12/4.01 record. His K's dropped to about seven per game while his walks went up to 2.5/9 in 139-2/3 IP. But his FIP was nearly a full run lower than his ERA and he continued to show fine control, an ability to get ground outs and a tiny home run rate.
The next year, in High A Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League, he was off to a fairly rough start. Locke was 1-5/5.52 into early June and his peripherals were a mess - his walks doubled to 5 per 9 and his WHIP was 1.599, although his whiff rate remained strong. Then came the news.
On June 3rd, 2009, the Braves traded Locke to the Bucs along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernández in exchange for Nate McLouth. The Pirates assigned him to their High Class A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats, also in the Carolina League. He scuffled there too, with a 4-4 record, 4.02 ERA and some shaky peripherals. It sure looked like the Braves soured on him for a reason. But a new year with a new team brought a new beginning.
In 2010, Locke was assigned to High A Bradenton (which replaced Lynchburg). He found his mojo and anchored the Marauders, ending up with a 9-3/3.54 slash and being named a Florida State League mid-season All-Star. Locke was promoted to the AA Altoona Curve in mid-July.
He looked sharp there, too, and ended the year with a combined 12-5/3.56 line with 139 K in 144 IP with 26 BB. Baseball America ranked Locke #8 on their Pirates Top Ten Prospects list and rated him as having the Best Changeup in the Pittsburgh system, while the Bucs added him to the 40-man roster during the off-season.
Locke returned to Altoona to begin 2011 and was a workhorse, going 7-8/4.03 with 114 K in 125 IP to earn a EL mid-season All-Star spot. He went to Indy, and after five solid starts was called up to the majors in September. He made his MLB debut on September 10th, and started four games. The lefty didn't impress, going 0-3 with an ERA of 6.48 and issuing twice as many walks (10) as strikeouts (5) in 16-2/3 innings of work. Still, Baseball America ranked Locke #10 on their Pirates Top 10 Prospects list.
He spent 2012 in Class AAA Indianapolis, where he posted a 10-5/2.48 line in 141-2/3 innings with his usual solid peripherals (BA chose him as the #9 IL prospect after the season). Locke made two appearances for the Pirates in early August, pitching 4-1/3 scoreless innings in relief as a call-up for Alex Presley, and before that had spent a couple of days in May with the big club, but wasn't called on.
Locke got his expected September promotion to Pittsburgh, and was handed Erik Bedard's old role. He finished the MLB season with a 1-3/5.50 mark, averaging about nine K's and three walks per nine with a WHIP of 1.369. His bane was the gopher ball; he gave up six homers in 34-1/3 frames. The 24 year old did finish on a high note, though, beating the Braves in his last start 2-1 for his first big league win.
He's a three pitch guy. His fastball sits at 90-91 and touches 94. He has a good curve and change, both big-league quality though neither is a consistent plus pitch yet. The lefty uses his off-speed stuff regularly, as 34% of his deliveries are soft serves. He's a groundball pitcher, but has been hurt pretty badly by the longball in the show. His 2012 fly ball/home run rate was 16.7%, and he gave up 1.57 HR/9.
Locke's reliance on off speed stuff has drawn comparisons to Zach Duke, but we think a fairer likeness is to Paul Maholm. Locke’s K rates in the upper minors and from his brief sample in the show are higher than Duke's, and he's shown more swing-and-miss stuff than Maholm, too. Like Kyle McPherson, he probably profiles best as a number four pitcher, although he'll have to become more efficient (his average 2012 line as a starter was was 5 IP, 3.5 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 5 K and 82 pitches) if he hopes to eat some back-end innings.
From an eyeball perspective, he needs to nibble less - he never got past the sixth inning - and trust his stuff enough to start aggressive and get ahead in the count. Locke fell into a rhythm of good game, bad game, and while he'll still be in the mix for whatever open spots there may be in 2013's rotation, that inconsistency cost him a golden chance to break out of the pack before spring camp.
He even earned a cool nickname when a local writer dubbed him "The Redstone Rocket," referring to Locke's fastball and his hometown of Redstone. The Rocket picked up an even nicer bit of recognition when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the second round (51st overall) of the 2006 draft, signing him quickly by waving $675,000 under his nose.
Locke was sent to the short-season Gulf Coast Braves, where he went 4-3/4.22. Pitching in 10 games with five starts covering 32 IP, he whiffed 38 and walked just five. That performance earned Locke the nod as the Braves #17 prospect going in 2007 by Baseball America.
He moved up a notch in 2007 to Danville in the Appalachian League and ate up the college-level rookie league, going 7-1/2.66 with 74 K and eight walks in 61 frames. Locke was named to Baseball America's Rookie All-Star & Appalachian post-season All-Star squad. It also bumped him into the Braves Top Ten, as BA ranked him #8 in their system.
In 2008, he continued his journey upward by being assigned to the Low-A Sally League Rome Braves. He met reality there, posting a 5-12/4.01 record. His K's dropped to about seven per game while his walks went up to 2.5/9 in 139-2/3 IP. But his FIP was nearly a full run lower than his ERA and he continued to show fine control, an ability to get ground outs and a tiny home run rate.
The next year, in High A Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League, he was off to a fairly rough start. Locke was 1-5/5.52 into early June and his peripherals were a mess - his walks doubled to 5 per 9 and his WHIP was 1.599, although his whiff rate remained strong. Then came the news.
On June 3rd, 2009, the Braves traded Locke to the Bucs along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernández in exchange for Nate McLouth. The Pirates assigned him to their High Class A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats, also in the Carolina League. He scuffled there too, with a 4-4 record, 4.02 ERA and some shaky peripherals. It sure looked like the Braves soured on him for a reason. But a new year with a new team brought a new beginning.
In 2010, Locke was assigned to High A Bradenton (which replaced Lynchburg). He found his mojo and anchored the Marauders, ending up with a 9-3/3.54 slash and being named a Florida State League mid-season All-Star. Locke was promoted to the AA Altoona Curve in mid-July.
He looked sharp there, too, and ended the year with a combined 12-5/3.56 line with 139 K in 144 IP with 26 BB. Baseball America ranked Locke #8 on their Pirates Top Ten Prospects list and rated him as having the Best Changeup in the Pittsburgh system, while the Bucs added him to the 40-man roster during the off-season.
Locke returned to Altoona to begin 2011 and was a workhorse, going 7-8/4.03 with 114 K in 125 IP to earn a EL mid-season All-Star spot. He went to Indy, and after five solid starts was called up to the majors in September. He made his MLB debut on September 10th, and started four games. The lefty didn't impress, going 0-3 with an ERA of 6.48 and issuing twice as many walks (10) as strikeouts (5) in 16-2/3 innings of work. Still, Baseball America ranked Locke #10 on their Pirates Top 10 Prospects list.
He spent 2012 in Class AAA Indianapolis, where he posted a 10-5/2.48 line in 141-2/3 innings with his usual solid peripherals (BA chose him as the #9 IL prospect after the season). Locke made two appearances for the Pirates in early August, pitching 4-1/3 scoreless innings in relief as a call-up for Alex Presley, and before that had spent a couple of days in May with the big club, but wasn't called on.
Locke got his expected September promotion to Pittsburgh, and was handed Erik Bedard's old role. He finished the MLB season with a 1-3/5.50 mark, averaging about nine K's and three walks per nine with a WHIP of 1.369. His bane was the gopher ball; he gave up six homers in 34-1/3 frames. The 24 year old did finish on a high note, though, beating the Braves in his last start 2-1 for his first big league win.
He's a three pitch guy. His fastball sits at 90-91 and touches 94. He has a good curve and change, both big-league quality though neither is a consistent plus pitch yet. The lefty uses his off-speed stuff regularly, as 34% of his deliveries are soft serves. He's a groundball pitcher, but has been hurt pretty badly by the longball in the show. His 2012 fly ball/home run rate was 16.7%, and he gave up 1.57 HR/9.
Locke's reliance on off speed stuff has drawn comparisons to Zach Duke, but we think a fairer likeness is to Paul Maholm. Locke’s K rates in the upper minors and from his brief sample in the show are higher than Duke's, and he's shown more swing-and-miss stuff than Maholm, too. Like Kyle McPherson, he probably profiles best as a number four pitcher, although he'll have to become more efficient (his average 2012 line as a starter was was 5 IP, 3.5 ER, 6 H, 2 W, 5 K and 82 pitches) if he hopes to eat some back-end innings.
From an eyeball perspective, he needs to nibble less - he never got past the sixth inning - and trust his stuff enough to start aggressive and get ahead in the count. Locke fell into a rhythm of good game, bad game, and while he'll still be in the mix for whatever open spots there may be in 2013's rotation, that inconsistency cost him a golden chance to break out of the pack before spring camp.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Jeff Locke Gets Call
The Bucs called up LHP Jeff Locke from Indy today, where he was scheduled to start. He replaces RHP Jason Grilli, who went on the bereavement list after his wife's grandfather's death and may not be back until the Pirates return home.
We're not exactly sure how the Pirates plan to use him. He could bump KC today, but we'd suspect by the circumstances that he's here as long-man insurance for the pen should Correia falter. Locke was 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA for the Tribe, putting up a 1.217 WHIP with 36K and 10BB in 47-2/3 frames. He pitched some last September for the big club, and not too well - he was 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA as a starter, with command issues in his first nibble at the apple.
He's a lefty that can get into the low 90s, and his change and curve are considered his best pitches. Locke's been able to get guys out from either side of the dish, and is thought to have a little more upside than Rudy Owens.
Locke came to Pittsburgh in 2009 with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernandez as part of the Nate McLouth deal with Atlanta; now the Pirates have all four guys on the active roster.
We're not exactly sure how the Pirates plan to use him. He could bump KC today, but we'd suspect by the circumstances that he's here as long-man insurance for the pen should Correia falter. Locke was 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA for the Tribe, putting up a 1.217 WHIP with 36K and 10BB in 47-2/3 frames. He pitched some last September for the big club, and not too well - he was 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA as a starter, with command issues in his first nibble at the apple.
He's a lefty that can get into the low 90s, and his change and curve are considered his best pitches. Locke's been able to get guys out from either side of the dish, and is thought to have a little more upside than Rudy Owens.
Locke came to Pittsburgh in 2009 with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernandez as part of the Nate McLouth deal with Atlanta; now the Pirates have all four guys on the active roster.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
#14 Jeff Locke
Jeffrey Alan Locke was part of the package that the Braves sent to the Pirates for Nate McLouth this past summer. The 22 year-old lefty (he just celebrated his birthday last week) is a highly touted arm, though his numbers have yet to approach his ballyhoo.
Rated as the #7 prospect in the Brave system by Baseball America coming into 2009, Locke was considered the number two lefty in their organization, behind only Cole Rohrbough.
Other teams knew of his upside; the Pirates had him on their wish list when the Braves made inquiries about Jay Bay in 2008, and during the last offseason, the Padres wanted him included in any potential Jake Peavy talks.
That's a lotta love for a New Hampshire kid that hasn't reached AA ball yet.
Born in New Concord, he pitched scholastically for A. Crosby Kennett High School. Going by the moniker of "The Redstone Rocket", (he hails from the Redstone neighborhood), the 6'2", 180 pound hurler was the first selection of the Braves in the second round in the 2006 draft.
He signed for $675K quickly enough to get some work with the GCL Braves. In 2007, he was moved to Danville of the Appalachian League.
Locke rolled through the Low A League, posting a 7-1 slate with a 2.66 ERA. He struck out 74 batters in 61 innings and walked just eight, with a WHIP of 0.918. The accolades rolled in.
He was rated the eighth-best prospect in the Braves farm system and the fifth-best prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America following the season, and named to their post-season All-Star team. The Braves picked him as the Danville Pitcher of the Year. Pretty heady stuff for a 19 year old.
In 2008, Locke moved up one more rung, to Class A Rome in the Sally League. He went 5-12 with a 4.06 ERA, but his peripherals were still decent. Locke more than doubled his workload, going 139-2/3 innings, with 113 Ks and 38 walks, with a 1.314 WHIP. As a younger guy, he stood his ground, and BA ranked him as the #14 prospect in the South Atlantic League.
He entered 2009 as the Braves #7 overall prospect, and was promoted one more step, to High A Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League. Locke hit his first bump in the road there.
Struggling with his control, he was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts. The ability to miss bats still showed, as he collected 43 whiffs in 45-2/3 innings, but his command disappeared, as he walked 26 guys and ran up a WHIP of 1.599.
Then, on June 3rd, the Braves traded Locke to the Pirates along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernández in exchange for Nate McLouth. The Bucs assigned him to the Lynchburg Hillcats, also in the Carolina League.
Locke pitched better with the change of scenery, going 4-4 with a 4.08 ERA, and his command returned. His K's dropped to 56 in 81-2/3 innings, but his walks were cut down to 18, just about two free passes per nine innings.
He's still raw, and the Pirates are tinkering with his mechanics. It's also probable that they had him throwing more heaters rather than mixing his stuff; the first commandment for young pitchers in the Buc organization is developing fastball command before working on the soft stuff.
Locke throws a sinking fastball in the 91-94 MPH range, has a plus curve that he delivers in the mid-70's, and is working on a change up. He keeps his pitches down, and has had very good groundball and home run rates throughout his career.
One red flag was his .360 opponent's ball-in-play average in 2009. That's high, and could be rooted in any one of several areas: command issues, a high ratio of fastballs per Pirate instructions, or a leather-challenged infield at Lynchburg. It's most likely a combination of the three, but still bears watching.
The other problem is repeating his delivery, and that's the mechanical issue the Pirate staff is working on now. It's not an unusual problem, especially with guys that were drafted straight out of high school. That may have been his bugaboo at Myrtle Beach, as an erratic motion leads to control problems.
He's been young at every level he's worked, and is still honing his craft. Locke's projection is as a number 2 or 3 man in a MLB rotation, and he's still on track to reach the show by 2012-13. But like virtually all high school draftees, it takes a little longer to get it together, and continued improvement is never a sure thing.
Locke has been on a level-per-year track, and we expect that to continue in 2010 with him moving up to Altoona.
(Next - #13 Bryan Morris)
Rated as the #7 prospect in the Brave system by Baseball America coming into 2009, Locke was considered the number two lefty in their organization, behind only Cole Rohrbough.
Other teams knew of his upside; the Pirates had him on their wish list when the Braves made inquiries about Jay Bay in 2008, and during the last offseason, the Padres wanted him included in any potential Jake Peavy talks.
That's a lotta love for a New Hampshire kid that hasn't reached AA ball yet.
Born in New Concord, he pitched scholastically for A. Crosby Kennett High School. Going by the moniker of "The Redstone Rocket", (he hails from the Redstone neighborhood), the 6'2", 180 pound hurler was the first selection of the Braves in the second round in the 2006 draft.
He signed for $675K quickly enough to get some work with the GCL Braves. In 2007, he was moved to Danville of the Appalachian League.
Locke rolled through the Low A League, posting a 7-1 slate with a 2.66 ERA. He struck out 74 batters in 61 innings and walked just eight, with a WHIP of 0.918. The accolades rolled in.
He was rated the eighth-best prospect in the Braves farm system and the fifth-best prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America following the season, and named to their post-season All-Star team. The Braves picked him as the Danville Pitcher of the Year. Pretty heady stuff for a 19 year old.
In 2008, Locke moved up one more rung, to Class A Rome in the Sally League. He went 5-12 with a 4.06 ERA, but his peripherals were still decent. Locke more than doubled his workload, going 139-2/3 innings, with 113 Ks and 38 walks, with a 1.314 WHIP. As a younger guy, he stood his ground, and BA ranked him as the #14 prospect in the South Atlantic League.
He entered 2009 as the Braves #7 overall prospect, and was promoted one more step, to High A Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League. Locke hit his first bump in the road there.
Struggling with his control, he was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts. The ability to miss bats still showed, as he collected 43 whiffs in 45-2/3 innings, but his command disappeared, as he walked 26 guys and ran up a WHIP of 1.599.
Then, on June 3rd, the Braves traded Locke to the Pirates along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernández in exchange for Nate McLouth. The Bucs assigned him to the Lynchburg Hillcats, also in the Carolina League.
Locke pitched better with the change of scenery, going 4-4 with a 4.08 ERA, and his command returned. His K's dropped to 56 in 81-2/3 innings, but his walks were cut down to 18, just about two free passes per nine innings.
He's still raw, and the Pirates are tinkering with his mechanics. It's also probable that they had him throwing more heaters rather than mixing his stuff; the first commandment for young pitchers in the Buc organization is developing fastball command before working on the soft stuff.
Locke throws a sinking fastball in the 91-94 MPH range, has a plus curve that he delivers in the mid-70's, and is working on a change up. He keeps his pitches down, and has had very good groundball and home run rates throughout his career.
One red flag was his .360 opponent's ball-in-play average in 2009. That's high, and could be rooted in any one of several areas: command issues, a high ratio of fastballs per Pirate instructions, or a leather-challenged infield at Lynchburg. It's most likely a combination of the three, but still bears watching.
The other problem is repeating his delivery, and that's the mechanical issue the Pirate staff is working on now. It's not an unusual problem, especially with guys that were drafted straight out of high school. That may have been his bugaboo at Myrtle Beach, as an erratic motion leads to control problems.
He's been young at every level he's worked, and is still honing his craft. Locke's projection is as a number 2 or 3 man in a MLB rotation, and he's still on track to reach the show by 2012-13. But like virtually all high school draftees, it takes a little longer to get it together, and continued improvement is never a sure thing.
Locke has been on a level-per-year track, and we expect that to continue in 2010 with him moving up to Altoona.
(Next - #13 Bryan Morris)
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Jeff Locke File
Name: Jeffrey Alan Locke
Height: 6-2; Weight: 180; Bats: L; Throws: L
Born: November 20, 1987 (North Conway, NH)
High School: A. Crosby Kennett HS (Conway, NH)
College: None
Drafted: Atlanta Braves took him in the 2nd Round (51st overall) of 2006 draft
Strengths: Locke throws a sinking fastball 90-94 for strikes. His curveball is above-average with a late bite, but his changeup isn't there yet. For a young lefty his command is good, he's aggressive, and he has some deception built into his delivery. Locke still may pick up a little more velocity as he matures. He has pretty good control, keeps the ball in the yard, and gets a lot of ground ball outs.
Weaknesses: As with most pitchers drafted out of high school, he's pretty raw. He has trouble repeating his delivery, so his mechanics need work, and he could use improvement defensively. Locke, even though he has good control, has days when he can't throw a strike, and his ERA blows up because of that inconsistency.
Projection: Locke is the least-polished of the three players coming from the Braves, but has plenty of upside. If he can improve his changeup, he has the ability to jump into the top or middle of a rotation. His overall ceiling is a tick behind guys like Tommy Hanson and Cole Rohrbough, but he has enough ability to become a #2-3 starter.
Locke was mentioned as trade fodder when the Braves went after Jake Peavy; that shows how highly Locke is regarded around the league, even as a project. Baseball America had him rated as the Braves #7 prospect. Atlanta's timeline for him to reach the show was 2011; that may be optimistic, but he is only 21 now; still time to see if he can turn potential into performance.
He's not quite up there with Brad Lincoln or Bryan Morris, but the Pirates think they've added another good arm added to the system, and one that projects higher than the bottom-of-the-rotation guys they've been bringing into the organization.
Bio: Locke was the Braves' second-round draft pick in 2006 (#51 overall) following his senior year of high school in Conway, New Hampshire. In high school, he was known as "The Kid" or the "Redstone Rocket," a nod to his home neighborhood.
Locke was assigned to the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie League) upon signing with the Braves on June 18, 2006. In 2007 the Atlanta Braves assigned Locke to the Danville Braves of the short-season Advanced Rookie Appalachian League, and he rocked.
But after his great 2007 debut at Danville (7-1, 2.66 ERA, 74 K in 61 innings), his 2008 campaign was much more pedestrian. Pitching at Rome in the Sally League, Locke ran up a 5-12 record with a 4.06 ERA and 38 BB/113 K's in 139-2/3 innings.
He was having a not so hot season statistically at Myrtle Beach in the high A Carolina League, with a 1-4 slate and 5.56 ERA. But his strike out rate is coming back (43 in 45-2/3 innings), which is a good sign. The Bucs assigned Locke to Lynchburg.
Minor League Honors:
05/04/2009 CAR Pitcher of the Week
10/08/2007 Baseball America Rookie All-Star
08/24/2007 APP Post-Season All-Star
07/23/2007 APP Pitcher of the Week
Height: 6-2; Weight: 180; Bats: L; Throws: L
Born: November 20, 1987 (North Conway, NH)
High School: A. Crosby Kennett HS (Conway, NH)
College: None
Drafted: Atlanta Braves took him in the 2nd Round (51st overall) of 2006 draft
Strengths: Locke throws a sinking fastball 90-94 for strikes. His curveball is above-average with a late bite, but his changeup isn't there yet. For a young lefty his command is good, he's aggressive, and he has some deception built into his delivery. Locke still may pick up a little more velocity as he matures. He has pretty good control, keeps the ball in the yard, and gets a lot of ground ball outs.
Weaknesses: As with most pitchers drafted out of high school, he's pretty raw. He has trouble repeating his delivery, so his mechanics need work, and he could use improvement defensively. Locke, even though he has good control, has days when he can't throw a strike, and his ERA blows up because of that inconsistency.
Projection: Locke is the least-polished of the three players coming from the Braves, but has plenty of upside. If he can improve his changeup, he has the ability to jump into the top or middle of a rotation. His overall ceiling is a tick behind guys like Tommy Hanson and Cole Rohrbough, but he has enough ability to become a #2-3 starter.
Locke was mentioned as trade fodder when the Braves went after Jake Peavy; that shows how highly Locke is regarded around the league, even as a project. Baseball America had him rated as the Braves #7 prospect. Atlanta's timeline for him to reach the show was 2011; that may be optimistic, but he is only 21 now; still time to see if he can turn potential into performance.
He's not quite up there with Brad Lincoln or Bryan Morris, but the Pirates think they've added another good arm added to the system, and one that projects higher than the bottom-of-the-rotation guys they've been bringing into the organization.
Bio: Locke was the Braves' second-round draft pick in 2006 (#51 overall) following his senior year of high school in Conway, New Hampshire. In high school, he was known as "The Kid" or the "Redstone Rocket," a nod to his home neighborhood.
Locke was assigned to the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie League) upon signing with the Braves on June 18, 2006. In 2007 the Atlanta Braves assigned Locke to the Danville Braves of the short-season Advanced Rookie Appalachian League, and he rocked.
But after his great 2007 debut at Danville (7-1, 2.66 ERA, 74 K in 61 innings), his 2008 campaign was much more pedestrian. Pitching at Rome in the Sally League, Locke ran up a 5-12 record with a 4.06 ERA and 38 BB/113 K's in 139-2/3 innings.
He was having a not so hot season statistically at Myrtle Beach in the high A Carolina League, with a 1-4 slate and 5.56 ERA. But his strike out rate is coming back (43 in 45-2/3 innings), which is a good sign. The Bucs assigned Locke to Lynchburg.
Minor League Honors:
05/04/2009 CAR Pitcher of the Week
10/08/2007 Baseball America Rookie All-Star
08/24/2007 APP Post-Season All-Star
07/23/2007 APP Pitcher of the Week
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