Paul and Doug breakdown the game of the year that wasn't as Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish fail to match the hype of their matchup.
Paul Sporer and Doug Thorburn discuss some relievers in the email section before breaking down the worst inning of Justin Verlander's career. They also discuss Yu Darvish's 130-pitch night and how much it matters.
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A slap hitter adapts, but his days are still numbered.
Last season, according to Baseball Prospectus 2013, Munenori Kawasaki was “unspeakably bad.” I’ll speak a bit about how bad he was anyway: Kawasaki hit .192/.257/.202. He had one extra-base hit (a double) in 115 plate appearances. And he was released by the Mariners, a team whose shortstops were hitting .160/.233/.188 this season heading into Wednesday night.
Jason Cole catches up with the Mariners' top pitching prospect.
There’s no doubting Mariners prospect Taijuan Walker’s immense raw talent. Ranked by Baseball Prospectus as Seattle’s no. 1 prospect (and no. 9 in baseball) entering this season, the right-hander has all the tools a scout wants to see in a potential big-league starter. Walker and his sky-high ceiling have been well-publicized in recent years; he isn’t exactly a pop-up prospect.
An AL scout weighs in on the evaluation of catcher receiving skills.
I asked a former catcher and current pro scout for an American League team what he looks for when evaluating a catcher’s receiving skills. Due to team policy, he wished to remain anonymous.
News and notes from around the league for May 23, 2013.
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Ben and Sam talk about some recent conflicts between veterans and young players, then discuss Don Mattingly's comments about the Dodgers' lack of grit.
Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez has made some swing adjustments that could turn him into a big-league regular.
Pitching Prospect of the Day: Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K; potential solid-average fastball; easy plus curveball; average changeup; early-season struggles in the PCL; profiles as a very good number-three starter.
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The Orioles summon one of baseball's top pitching prospects to plug a hole in their rotation.
The Situation: The Orioles have dropped six of their last seven and now find themselves four games back in the AL East. Injury and underperformance in the starting rotation have already forced the Birds’ hand, with Freddy Garcia logging four underwhelming starts over the past three weeks. Rather than turning to T.J. McFarland or Jake Arrieta for Thursday’s start north of the border, Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter will turn the ball over to the no. 2 prospect in the Orioles’ system (and no. 13 prospect in baseball), Kevin Gausman, in an attempt to inject the rotation with some life, not to mention some electric stuff.
Background: Gausman was a sixth-round selection by the Dodgers out of Grandview High School (Aurora, CO), but he turned down first-round money in favor of two years at LSU, where he immediately made an impact, finishing eighth in the SEC in strikeouts, ninth in hits allowed, and fifth in batting average against. After a strong summer as part of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, Gausman dominated the SEC as a sophomore, leading the conference in strikeouts and finishing third nationally while serving as the Tigers’ Friday night starter and earning All-American honors from multiple publications. He was the first pitcher selected in the 2012 draft, going fourth overall to the Baltimore Orioles, and he signed a $4.32 million dollar deal, $120,000 over slot allotment.
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The Diamondbacks GM on the importance of catcher receiving skills.
A former minor league pitcher, pitching coach, and scout, Kevin Towers served as the General Manager of the San Diego Padres from 1995-2009. After spending 2010 as a special assignment scout for the Yankees, he was hired as the GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a role in which he remains today.
Daily Roundup: Around the League: May 23, 2013
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