Elbow Room: How Scott Mathieson's Leg is Pitching Him Back to the Majors

BY ERIC LONGENHAGEN A Canadian kid throwing a baseball?  You can count the Canucks who get paid to do that on one hand.  If you’re a strapping young male from the Great White North, chances are you’re being fitted for a pair of skates right now.  Even though great hockey players are Canada’s second most coveted export (First? Those delicious Maple Cookies that make Oreos taste like dogfood), our neighbors to the north have given us a slew of impact baseball players as well.  Sadly, Phillies minor league pitcher Scott Mathieson is not one of those guys.

Originally from Vancouver, the Phillies drafted Scott Mathieson in the 17^th round of the 2002 draft.  He struggled early in his pro career, due to the severe spike in quality over his competition as he transitioned from something called the “British Columbia Premier Baseball League” into professional baseball (hardy Americana, that is).

Slowly but surely, Mathieson started to put things together. His fastball was topping out around 100mph. Scouts also saw a hard slider, viable curveball and a promising changeup mixed in to Mathieson’s repertoire.  By 2006, he had become the top right-handed pitching prospect in the Phillies’ system and pitched his way on to the Major League roster by the middle of the season.  Then, in an early September outing of that year, Mathieson felt an odd sensation in his pitching elbow.  His downward spiral had begun.

Mathieson would need Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Reconstruction, or what is now commonly referred to as “Tommy John Surgery”, a procedure named after the first professional athlete to undergo the Frakenstinian operation.  When Tommy John is performed, a player’s UCL is replaced by a tendon from somewhere else on the athlete’s (or a cadaver’s) body, usually from the foot, knee or hamstring.  This really isn’t a big deal.  Lots of baseball players have Tommy John Surgeries, return to the diamond and play just as well, if not better than they did before having the procedure.  Pitch velocity returns first, while command and movement of those pitches takes a little longer.  Success rates for Tommy John are staggeringly high, and players tend to return to action almost exactly 12 months from the day of the surgery.

But not Mathieson.

After months of strenuous rehabilitation, he returned to the mound at the end of 2007 and pitched in just seven minor league games before he blew out the elbow again.  He had two more surgeries, including another Tommy John, missed all of the 2008 season recovering, and drifted into the subconscious of even the most prospect-minded Phillies fan.  He became a ghost, effectively, and had to start all over, at the bottom of the minor league rung, for the third time.  Even the unluckiest Chutes and Ladders player would be sympathetic.

These are the Maple Cookies I was talking about. If any Canadians are reading this, we’ll trade you back Pamela Anderson for two trucks full of these bad boys.

But back he came.  Mathieson worked his way up to AA Reading in 2009 and pitched all of 2010 at AAA Lehigh Valley, a step away from the charter jets and swanky hotel rooms of The Show.  I had the pleasure of watching Mathieson pitch all of last year.  His fastball was back in the upper 90s (mph).  He was mowing down batters with extreme prejudice.  He stayed healthy all year.  You can’t help but root for a guy whose elbow is probably now made of a dead guy’s leg.  So I was sure that after a terrific 2010 season that he’d make the big league roster out of spring training in 2011 and make an impact in the Phillies bullpen this year.

But again, like an epic fail on repeat, Mathieson’s velocity took an inexplicable step backward.  He was topping out at 92mph at the beginning of the 2011 campaign.  I couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong with him.  I thought it might all be over.  Then he came in to Wednesday’s game.

There was practically a vapor trail coming off the ball.  Spectators gasped as they saw readings of 98, 99, 99, 98, 97, 99, light up the stadium’s radar gun.  A crowd of minor league baseball fans who were drifting into delirium from the scorching summer heat suddenly began stirring.  It was alive.

How and why Scott Mathieson suddenly got his ungodly heater back escapes me.  Was he slightly injured at the beginning of the year?  Out of shape?  Getting little sleep from watching late-night “Kenny vs. Spenny” reruns?  Has his strange workload positively impacted his arm strength? (Normally relievers pitch one inning every other game, or so.  Recently, Mathieson has been pitching two innings per appearance and getting three or four days rest between them.  I’ve never seen that before.)  In all reality, I have no fucking clue.  All I know is that if the Scott Mathieson I saw Wednesday night is here to stay, then he won’t be staying in the minor leagues too much longer.  He’ll be embarrassing major league hitters in front of thousands of paying customers who have long since forgotten his once buzz-worthy name.

I Feel A Draft: The Importance of MLB's Amateur Draft

BY ERIC LONGENHAGEN Tonight is Major League Baseball’s Rule 4 Draft (there is also a Rule 5 Draft, but not a Rule 1, 2 or 3 Draft.  Weird, right?) and it’s not usually on the mind of many formal sports fans, let alone casual ones. Of the three major American sports, baseball’s draft is the least bandied about, while the NFL and NBA drafts are highly publicized and score big TV ratings.  I have some theories as to why it doesn’t register with the public:

1. We haven’t seen the players - College Football and Basketball are prominent entities in sports television.  We know the coaches and, more importantly, we know the players.  Tim Tebow is popular enough that he has an autobiography coming out this week; and he a) wasn’t even one of the top few picks in his draft, and b) he isn’t very good.  No such recognition for baseball’s best amateurs.  The lay person wouldn’t know Trevor Bauer from Jack Bauer, even though he’s having one of the best seasons a college pitcher has ever had.  There’s very little college baseball on TV and the public has no way of connecting with any of these guys like they do for basketball and football players.

Chase Utley during his days at UCLA, likely the birthplace of his love for Led Zeppelin.

2. We won’t see the players, for a while, anyway - Unlike the NFL and NBA where fans can be wearing a new draft pick’s jersey within a month of their selection and see them on the field almost immediately, baseball players can take years to develop, if they do at all.  Shane Victorino was drafted in 1999 and only saw regular playing time in the majors starting in 2006. Our attention spans don’t last 5 minutes, let alone… oh look a butterfly… Sorry, I’m back.  It’s an out of sight out of mind problem.  You can’t blame people for not getting into the draft when the results likely won’t impact their favorite team for 3 or 4 years.

3. MLB Marketing – MLB’s core fan base is aging.  There’s a reason Cialiscommercials are seen with great regularity during MLB broadcasts. Whether it’s inherent in the game of baseball (which is relatively unappealing to the ever shortening attention span of World youth) or something MLB’s marketing department is bringing upon themselves (MLB refuses to allow clips of their games anywhere online, which doesn’t really make sense when you’re trying to appeal to the Youtube generation) it’s obvious they don’t do a good enough job alerting people of the draft.

The sad thing is that the draft is easily the most important function the MLB front office performs.  Not only is it the lifeblood of  on-field success, but financial success as well.  Young players are under their team’s control for the first six years of their service in the majors. Their salaries start well below what they’d be worth on the open market. And they earn their franchise much more in revenue for the cost of employment.  Take Washington Nationals phenomenon Stephen Strasburg, for example.  Strasburg was drafted in 2009, signed a four-year, $15 miillion deal (one of the largest deals ever) and made his major league debut in 2010.  He made only 12 starts before getting injured but was already worth at least $10 million in revenue during that time (I’d love to tell you how that number is calculated, but you’re not ready for that yet).

Young players are also far more predictable.  Old veterans have injury problems and natural, age-induced regressions in performance.  Yet fan bases and front offices crave big name free agent signings that, more often than not, are abject failures.  Emphasis on the draft is a way for small market teams to compete and a way for big market teams to exact dominance.  One of the poorest teams in all of baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays, have made it a point to allocate serious funds toward the draft and as a result are competing with the Red Sox and Yankees, the Goliaths of the sport. Tampa has worked to acquire 12 of the first 90 picks in this year’s draft, which is loaded with talent.  Trust me: this is serious business.

MLB Draft Prospect Scouting Report: Larry Greene

The Phillies selected High School 1B/OF Larry Greene with the 39th pick in the draft.  He has more power than any high school player in the draft and is often compared to...wait for it....Ryan Howard.  He swings with all his might every chance he gets.  He has great bat speed and hip rotation which help him generate his power.  He also strikes out a lot, a problem which will not only continue but likely get worse before it bets better, because he hasn't seen a lot of good pitching yet.

Defensively, Greene is likely pigeonholed at first base because he has no arm and is slow footed.  The Phils' experiment with Jon Singleton in left field sets a precedent for them to do the same with Greene, though I doubt it will stick.  You probably won't hear Greene's name again for several years as I expect him to spend 2 full years in Rookie Ball in the Gulf Coast League.  He's that raw.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Rangers use the compensatory pick the got for CLiff Lee to select Kevin Matthews, a high school pitcher from Georgia.  He's small but athletic.  He takes a huge stride off of the mound and has a curveball that shows promise/  That's really all I know about him, the Rangers really went into the boondocks with this pick.  I'll post the report on the Phillies pick after they make it but otherwise, I'm done for the night.  There's no way I can keep up with 1 minute between picks.  Thanks for stopping by.

MLB Draft Live Blog

Tampa selects a guy I know little about at 32, Jake Hager, a high school SS who will likely need a new position in pro ball.  Hager has experience with wooden bats and apparently did well with them in front of scouts.  The Rays might just be taking Hager as a decoy pick that won't sign.  They'd get compensation for the pick in the first round next year if he doesn't.

MLB Draft Live Blog

I dig the Rays selection of Mikie Mahtook.  Mahtook will definitely stick in centerfield with a good arm, good instincts and great speed making him above average at a premium defensive position.  He'll likely just be average offensively, though his swing has some indications that he'll hit for power.  I don't like to do player comparisons but he reminds me of Drew Stubbs.  Mahtook will end up as a fan favorite in Tampa due to his incessant hustle and wreckless playing style.  He is Sam Fuld's successor in the PR department.

MLB Draft Live Blog

 A superior talent to the player taken right before him at the same position, Levi Michael is the Minnesota Twins pick at the back end of round 1.  He's a switch hitter who is patient and recognizes pitches well.  Combine that with great ability to make contact and his with plus speed and you have a potential leadoff guy here.  He's good enough to stick at SS, though he'd be plus at second base.  Great value pick for the Twins here.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The WOrld Champion Giants select St. John's shortstop Joe Panik with their first rounder.  This is also kind of a reach, but shortstops are like QBs, they go early.  Panik has the defensive skill set to stick at shortstop which makes him valuable already.  Quick reactions, soft hands and smooth footwork all help his cause. He might be able to hit a little bit as well.  The only way he doesn't stick at short is if his fringy arm moves him to second base, where I satill think he'll end up an above-replacement player.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Braves add Florida State Lefty Sean Gilmartin with their first selection.  This is a reach.  He says he idolizes like Cole Hamels and his repertoire is just like Cole's: Average fastball (high 80s), lousy curveball, while his go-to pitch is his changeup (which is actually a pretty good pitch).  The problem here is, Cole was drafted right out of high school and was already in the majors when he was Gilmartin's age.  Gilmartin will either have to improve the curveball, pitch with plus command (like Cole did early in his career) or add velocity to his fastball or a new pitch altogether (like Cole has recently) if he wants to be Hollywood 2.0

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Reds select Robert Stephenson, a high schooler pitcher from Alhambra High School.  Stephenson is a lanky kid, 6'3" at just 180lbs.  Despite his skinny frame he pumps his fastball in at 93mph and scouts optimistic about Stephenson think he can add strength and velocity to his fastball as he fills out.  That 6'3" height allows him to pitch at a downhill plane, making it difficult for hitter to elevate the ball.  HE also throws a slow curveball and a changeup that he is still just learning.  Both of those secondary pitches need serious work, but Stephenson has time to work on them as the Reds are not hard up for pitching right now.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Boston Red Sox select high school catcher Blake Swihart, a guy that will take several years to develop into a viable major league catcher.  He'll have tons of work to do behind the plate as a pro because he has spent time playing all sorts of positions as a high schooler.  Doing so will like detract from his focus on improving his hitting, which has a chance to be fantastic.  He has great bat speed and the hip rotation in his swing indicates the future development of at least above average power.  As long as the Sox are patient, they'll be patting themselves on the back around 2016.

MLB Draft Live Blog

With the 25th overall pick the Padres selected high school pitcher, Joe Ross.  He is the younger brother of Oakland A's pitcher and future major, arm repairing surgery subject, Tyson Ross.  Joe's delivery is much smoother than his older brother's and it helps him produce a low 90s fastball that could pick up some velocity if Joe puts some more muscle on his skinny 6-2, 180lb frame.  He has two secondary pitches, a slurvy breaking ball and a changeup that has flashed plus.  I like his chances to stick in a rotation as a #3 starter, which is more than we'll be able to say for 95% of players taken in this draft. 

MLB Draft Live Blog

Tampa Bay has a ton of picks thanks to the compensation system and they use their first one on high school righty Taylor Guerrieri.  Guerrieri has a fastball that tops out at 97mph with sink and a filthy slurve.  He has a solid frame and delivery that scouts project to hold up well under a 200+ inning workload in pro baseball.  He still needs to learn how to control those pitches as well as develop a third pitch.  Concerns about his makeup exist, but teenagers do stupid shit sometimes.

MLB Draft Live Blog

As a Phillies fan, I'm terrified of what the Nationals have done recently.  They add another potential star here in Alex Meyer who has electric stuff.  Meyer sports a mid 90s fastball that touches 98mph. His low, quirky arm slot generates nice armside run on the heater.  He backs that up with a nasty mid 80s slider that moves A LOT.  He ability to develop a third pitch will be the key to true stardom.  If not, he'll still be an elite reliever.  Ending up in the bullpen really hurts his value but it could be much worse.  Still awkward and lanky, Meyer has shot up to 6'9" and doesn't control his body (or his pitches) with maturity and grace.  He's goofy and still growing in to his body.  One other potential red flag is that Meyer has really only put it together this season, struggling his entire college career otherwise

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Cardinals add Kolten Wong, a second baseman from Hawaii.  Wong can really hit, but that's his only above average tool.  He's good enough defensively to stay at second, but a move to catcher would give him a nice boost in value.  He likely doesn't have enough arm for the position, but has tried it before.  Wong has drawn raves for his makeup but refused to try out for Team USA in 2010 after he sucked during tryouts in 2009, so how competitive can he be?

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Blue Jays have a ton of picks today and they use their first one on Tyler Beede.  Beede is committed to Vanderbilt, a commitment that most Vandy signs live up to.  I have serious doubts about Toronto's ability to get him.  Beede is a big project.  He doesn't have great raw stuff right now but has plenty of room to grow and work on his filth.  His fastball is in the low 90s at its best.  He has a sinker/two-seamer that he throws in the mid to upper 80s.  His secondary offerings consist of an archy mid 70s curve and a changeup that shows some promise.  Toronto has essentially drafted a lump of clay that they will have to mold into a big league pitcher.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Rockies select Tyler Anderson, a pitcher from Oregon.  I'm not an Anderson fan.  All of his pitches are average or below.  He has a high 80s fastball, middling slider and curve and a changeup that he doesn't use.  He'll have to pitch with plus control and command to make it in the big leagues, unless the Rockies can tinker with his delivery and draw a better breaking ball out of him.  Last time the Rockies tinkered with someone's delivery, they ruined Tyler Matzek. So...

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Red Sox select UConn pitcher Matt Barnes, whom I have an extensive scouting report on already..click here

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Oakland A's select Vanderbilt righty Sonny Gray.  Gray is one of the more interesting guys in this draft.  His fastball sits in the low 90s when he starts but plays up when he comes out of the pen.  He has a nasty curveball but lacks a third pitch.  Reports have indicated that he's changed the grip on his changeup recently to a more "vulcan-like" grip that Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum employ and the results have been good.  Gray is very small (5' 10") and has a violent delivery which, along with the lack of 3rd pitch) have many pegging him as a bullpen guy.  I am usually very conservative, even pessimistic, when it comes to evaluating pitchers, so I am in the camp that pegs him as a power reliever.  However, if I'm the A's, I'm letting him try his hand with this new changeup in my High-A roation next spring.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Los Angeleeeees Angels select CJ Cron with their first round pick. Cron can really hit but has no defensive position.  He has a ton of power, especially when you consider the way the new college bats have harmed power numbers this year.  He's likely too big and slow to end up at first base, let alone catcher, and will have to seriously mash to get to the bigs as a bat alone.  I don't really like "all bat" picks, and I make no exception here.

MLB Draft Live Blog

I can't get over how Bud Selig says "Los Angeleees".  Cracks me up every time.  The DOdgers select Chris Reed, a pitcher from Stanford.  Stanford coaches are the bane of pro scouts' existence.  They tinker with talented players swing that sap away their power and they've done similar things with Reed, who has two above average pitches but was relegated to mere bullpen duty.  His fastball is just average but he has a sharp slider and a decent changeup that he throws for strikes.  He is a bit of a reach, but the Ddgers likely need to save some money since, you know....they don't have any.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Brewers use their second first round pick on Georgia Tech lefty, Jed Bradley.  Bradley has an above average fastball that sits mostly in the 91-93mph range and a fine changeup that misses plenty of bats.  He also throws a slider, but it sucks.  He has no control over it and it isn't sharp.  Look for the Brewers to teach him a curveball of some sort once they get a hold of him since, as ESPN's Keith Law says, "his arm slot is conducive of a curveball."  He and Taylor Jungmann give the Brew Crew a decent first round haul.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Marlins select High school pitcher Jose Fernandez.  Fernandez has a big arm, touching 97mph at times.  He back that up with two breaking balls, a mid 70s curve and a low 80s slider, the latter being the more devastating pitch.  Fernandez's release points on the breaking balls are inconsistent, which has led to shoddy control of both secondary pitches.  Unless he develops a pitch to get lefties out AND gets those secondary pitches under control, he'll end up as a reliever.  That is ultimately what I think will happen.  Look for him in a Marlins bullpen near you in a few years, as Fernandez is physically developed for a high schooler and will move quicker than others his age.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Mets select Wyoming high schooler Brandon Nimmo with their first round pick.  Nimmo has a ton of upside, notsomething that can be said of many of New York's recent picks.  Nimmo has had trouble getting on the field.  He's had knee issues as well as the issue that there's no high school baseball in Wyoming.  He's been forced to play American Legion ball which has made scouts wary of the quality of pitching Nimmo has faced.  He has the arm to play right field and is all upside.  He's a name that won't resurface for several years down the line while he develops in the lower recesses of the minor leagues.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Brewers farm system is a ghost town after trading away everyone of note when they acquired Shawn Marcum and Zack Greinke.  Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann is a decent start in re-laying the foundation.  There are things to like about Jungmann and things to dislike as well.

Good: He pitches with very little effort.  No violence in the delivery at all, it looks like he's playing catch.  The smooth delivery has enabled him to repeat his mechanics and pitch with great command of his pitches.  He barely walks anyone.   He also has a terrific curveball which is his primary strikeout pitch. 

The bad: His arm slot looks different to me on the curve, which big league hitters will pick up.  is fastball is just average, not going to miss bats.  He doesn't use his changeup enough.  That pitch has a lot of developing left to do, so I fear he might move more slowly than many think he will while he works on the change.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The best tolls package of any college player in this year's draft, UConn OF George Springer is an interesting pick for the Houston Astros in the first round.  You don't often see players with this type of physical ability in college, they normally sign straight out of high school.  Springer's one below average tool is his ability to hit.  his swing was a mess this season, especially at the beginning of the year, and led scouts to question his ability to make contact in pro ball.  That's a rather sizable question mark

MLB Draft Live Blog

I really like Cory Spangenberg but think a bunch of more talented players were still on the board here.  The Padres grab him here.  Primarily a third baseman at Indian RIver COmmunity COllege, Spangenberg will likely play second base or center field in pro ball.  I personally like him in CF though he was announced as a 2b.  He has a pretty, simple swing and will put the ball in play plenty, which will allow his best tool, his speed, to run out infield hits when he needs to.  He also has a great arm, which will be wasted if he stays at second base.  The one issue is his power.  If he has no power then opposing pitchers will pound the zone fearlessly, forcing him to put the ball in play instead of taking walks.  This will limit his on base ability and won't allow him to wreak havoc with his legs on the bases

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Chicago Cubs select high school SS Javier Baez.  Baez can really hit and could develop big time power once he starts to fill out and get stronger.  He won't however, stick at shortstop and a move to third base is a best case scenario for Baez's future value.  He has fantastic bat speed, and if he puts on good weight and learns to get better leverage in his swing he'll put together enough of an offensive package to justify a move to right field.  He has the arm to play anywhere and even caught a little bit in high school.  

Some scouts don't like his on-field demeanor which can be described as "showy" or "cocky".  I was a douche bag in high school, too. Actually, I still am.  He'll likely grow out of it. 

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Clevelnad Indians do pretty well for themselves here (compared to some of the picks that they were projected to take, anyway) and select Shortstop Francisco Lindor.  Lindor has crazy range at short and is a lock to stick at the position in the big leagues.  He is one of only 2 or 3 players in this whole draft that will be able to play SS at the big league level with any sort of competency.  Finding a shortstop is hard.  The Tribe get one that will be fine defensively and may provide them with above average offensive output as well.  I am not as high on Lindor's offensive potential as some scouts/analysts but think he'll be good enough that he's not an offensive liability.  He is verbally committed to FLorida State, but I doubt it will stand in the way of Cleveland's acquisition of Lindor.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Arizona Diamondbacks pick again at #7 and select Broken Arrow High School pitcher Archie Bradley.  Broken Arrow is a cool name for a high school.  The Diamondbacks got this pick as compensation when last year's first rounder, Barrett Loux, did not sign due to injury.  Bradley has a mid 90s fastball and the best curveball in the draft.  He is committed to play college baseball and football at Oklahoma, but will likely sign which is good for the DBacks since this pick is unprotected.  Bradley will need to develop a pitch that can can lefties out, either a good cutter, a changeup or a splitter, to become the #1 or #2 starter he has the potential to be.

MLB Draft Live Blog

Nationals fans need to be very happy with the way their team has drafted to past 3 years.  Rice 3b Anthony Rendon was the consensus #1 player in this draft at the beginning of the year.  He was Baseball America's COllege Player of the Year as an underclassman last year.  A shoulder injury at the beginning of this season has moved him off of 3rd base and into a DH role and has also hampered his offensive production.  When he's all healthy, he's a very mature, patient hitter that will provide above average onbase skills with above average power and terrific defense.  I doubted he'd play second base in pro ball but the fact that he was drafted by the Nationals who already have one of baseball's best 3rd baseman in Ryan Zimmerman (Evan Longoria is the other) and is likely to move quickly means he'll probably get a shot at second in the spring.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Royals add the draft's most talented position player to the league's best farm system.  Centerfielder Bubba Starling has demonstrated aptitude with all five tools: Speed, power,hitting, fielding and a howitzer for an arm.  His arm has earned him a two sport scholarship to play football and baseball at Nebraska, a commitment he's steadfastly adhered to and which will take a hefty chunk of change to pry him away from.  Bubba won't be in the majors for quite a while.  He's very raw, mostly because he's spread his focus out among the baseball diamond, the basketball court and the gridiron.  Once he gets his feet under him as a year round baseball guy, look out, he's a potential star.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Orioles take Dylan Bundy, making the first four picks pitchers.  Rice 3B Anthony Rendon is falling.  Bundy is a little right hander with a fastball in the mid-90s, getting up as high as 98mph.  He has a mid-70s curveball that has room for improvement but is still an above average offering.  He has a changeup that he rarely uses now that he employs a bat-breaking cutter that he throws in the upper 80s and as high as 90mph.  That'll be his primary weapon in getting left handed pitchers out.  He's also drawn rave reviews for his work ethic, spending countless hours in the gym.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Diamondbacks select UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer with the third pick.  Bauer is small and launches himself off of the mound with a giant stride, so naturally he's been compared to Tim Lincecum.  Those predictions are inaccurate at best.  Bauer has better numbers than his teammate Gerrit Cole, but not better stuff.  His Fastball sits 93-95 and touches as high as 98.  He also has a nasty curveball.  Concerns about Bauer abound.  His delivery is a tad but violent.  It might indicate risk for future injury, but he's been remarkably durable in college.  Part of that could be because he's only been asked to pitch once a week in college, as opposed to once every 5th day in pro ball.  Part of it could also be his unique long tossing program which some MLB teams do not allow their pitchers to participate in.  I like the pick for the Dbacks and hop Bauer stays healthy because he is fun to watch.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Mariners decide to surprise us by selecting a pitcher.  Everyone had them taking a hitter, either Anthony Rendon or Francisco Lindor.  Hulzten is a pretty safe pick, with the upside of a #2 starter.  He has a low 90s fastball to go along with an above average changeup.  His slider is a work in progress and is the linchpin for success at the MLB level.  He delivers the ball from a very low arm slot which makes it tough for lefty hitters to see.  If i had to pick one player to reach the majors first from this draft class, I'd pick Hultzen.

MLB Draft Live Blog

We're only one pick in and already I've laughed twice at how awkward Bud Selig is.  He must have been stuffed into countless lockers in high school.  We've also had dome controversy already.  Cuban lefty Onelky Garcia Speck (mid 90s fastball, good curveball at age 23) was declared draft eligible by MLB this morning.  This was something that MLB teams were unaware of.  International players are not subject to the draft and when Cuban players defect they try to establish residency in other countries.  MLB though Speck had established residency in the US.  So all day teams have been scrambling to slot this kid on their draft boards.  Turns out MLB was wrong and he has submitted papers that say he is a resident of Nicaragua, so he'll be a free agent.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The Pirates have been one of baseball’s laughingstock franchises for most of the past 20 years. DO I feel bad for Pirates fans? No. They have the Steelers and Penguins so I feel no pity whatsoever for them. That said, Pittsburgh started to do things the right, spending big bucks on the likes of Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie last year. This year they grab Gerrit Cole, a 6’4” righty from UCLA.


Cole was a 1st rounder in 2008 but chose to go to school instead. His delivery has improved since then, making scouts more optimistic about his ability to stay healthy and his ability to consistently throw strikes. He has the best raw stuff in the draft with a fastball that sits 95-97mph and has touched 101mph. The funny thing is, it’s not even his best pitch. His mid 80s changeup would miss bats in the majors today. His arm speed on the change is identical to that of his fastball and the pitch has impressive late fade. Cole also employs a slider which flashes plus, but is inconsistent.

Obviously Cole couldn’t generate that kind of velocity without using his entire body efficiently, and he does just that, especially with his lower half.

One concern for Cole is how often his fastball hangs up in the zone. I’d like to see him get in better shape, likely giving him more control over his body and better command of his pitches.

Cole’s numbers are not as impressive as his Bruin teammate, Trevor Bauer, but his tools are unmatched and looking at statistics in amateur baseball is a fool’s errand. Cole would have been my pick here as well.

MLB Draft Live Blog

The draft is just about ready to start.  If you want to read my piece on why the draft is so important, you can see it at phillybroadcaster.com.  I'll be sure to post a version of that post on this site as well.  Stay with me here for the rest of the night, just hit refresh while on the main page and the new posts will be flying in as fast as I can churn them out.