Mound Musings: Looking to the Future

Last Sunday, as it always is, was one of the highlights of my season. The Futures Game is a showcase of exceptional talent, both in the batter's box and on the mound. I mean, where else can you see so many quality young arms, on their way up, and all pitching in the same place, and on the same day? Admittedly, it's a little disappointing that they typically only throw one inning, but there are a lot of things to watch for.

It was yet another interesting Futures Game. Overall, I really thought the arms were outstanding, but what I was most concerned with was the trend toward rushing the best arms to the top level in the game. For the most part, the raw ability was clearly on display, but the most advanced pitchers have already spent some time in the major leagues. I think many of the pitchers featured in this year's Futures Game will be impact players – someday – but I doubt we will see many of them this year. That doesn't detract from the excitement! There were some arms we need to have on our watch lists.

Kyle Wright (Atlanta Braves)

The Braves' organization is literally overflowing with blue chip, young pitchers. And, with Mike Soroka now up (although he's currently on the disabled list), Wright might be the top name on their depth chart. I currently have them ranked, Ian Anderson, Wright and Luiz Gohara, but Wright impressed me in this game and probably closed the gap between Anderson and himself. Wright is just 22 and was drafted out of Vanderbilt in the first round of the 2017 draft. He tossed just 17 innings in pro ball last year, but the team felt he was ready for Double-A this season. That's pretty aggressive, and he has pitched fairly well, considering. He has the flashy fastball, but he has a full repertoire of promising secondary stuff, and that's what earned him the top spot on this list. I'm particularly impressed with his overhand curve, but he also offers and quality slider, and a good, but still improving, change. He's not quite ready for the show, but he's ahead of Anderson, who is three years younger, and probably Gohara, who has the bigger arm but lags behind Wright a bit with his off-speed stuff. The way he's moving along, it's possible he could be in Atlanta sometime next season.

Justus Sheffield (New York Yankees)

What I like best about the Futures Game is the ability to see, albeit briefly, minor league arms I never get to watch as much as I'd like. That often equates to me moving pitchers up or down on my kid's watch list. Such was the case with Yankees' 22-year-old southpaw, Justus Sheffield. There's no question Sheffield has considerable raw ability, but like many lefties, he was challenged with finding and locking in a consistent release point. I'm moving him up because, at least in this small sample, he appears to be making strides in that department. He displayed his usual hop on the fastball that is his ticket, working in the mid 90s, and there was sharp movement on his slider. His changeup is coming, but doesn't appear to be there quite yet. He is just 5'10" which is somewhat limiting, but the life on his pitches helps. Sheffield is not going to be an ace, but if he continues to improve his command, making that lively fastball difficult to sit on, he can be a solid midrotation starter. He did leave one pitch out over the plate, and it cost him, but I liked the fact that he seemed comfortable pitching in and up. I think the Yankees will likely give him this season at Triple-A, but he could get a look early next year.

Adonis Medina (Philadelphia Phillies)

He's one I was very anxious to see again, but I was a little disappointed. Medina was already on my watch list, and it wasn't all bad, but I was hoping to see more progress. He has a wide variety of pitches in his repertoire including a lively fastball, a good change and developing breaking pitches. It's all about locating and sequencing at this stage of his development. I really like the off-speed stuff, especially his curvy/slider that still fluctuates between a lollipop and a biting hook. Right now, at least in this look, he was inconsistent with the pitch, but it will be tough to hit when he hits his spots. For the most part, he was missing with the pitch, and they were easy takes for the hitter. Medina is a guy with a lot of potential, and he's just getting his feet wet in High-A this season. It will be interesting to watch him as he hopefully gets everything working.

Jesus Luzardo (Oakland A's)

Luzardo jumped out at me in this game. He gave up a couple of hits and a run in two innings of work, but there were so many positives. He's only 20, and he missed 2016 with Tommy John surgery, so he has limited pro experience, but that just means he could be a bit farther away from making the show. He's on course though. Great movement on his mid 90s fastball, a swing and miss slider, and an already well-developed changeup are his ticket. The fastball and the change stood out. It is pretty rare to see someone at his experience level display a changeup that completely fools hitters, but he threw a couple with excellent arm speed and the same release point as his other pitches. And, being left-handed, he's even a bit further ahead of the game. I think he'll probably need at least another year in the minors to build up stamina, and to refine his already impressive stuff, but keep a close eye on him.

Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds)

This was easily my favorite raw arm in the game. You rarely see a pitcher with an 80-rated fastball (20-80 scale), but this guy has earned that distinction – and he's literally still a kid. Greene is 18 years old, and he throws a four-seamer at 102 mph (he actually hit 103 on one pitch) like he's playing Wiffle Ball in the backyard. He could add to that as he matures, and that's scary. Not surprisingly, his secondary stuff lags behind the smoke, and he needs to work on locating better. If (when) he learns to pitch up in the zone and develops more reliable breaking stuff, he might be nearly unhittable. Like Luzardo, he just needs more time, and the Reds have no reason to rush him, but he is a true impact pitcher in the making.

And, here are some Futures Game short takes:

There were actually several other pitchers in this game who caught my eye. Marlins' hopeful Jorge Guzman looks (at least today) like a power bullpen arm. He has an explosive fastball and a sharp slider, but he'll need another pitch if starting is to be in his future. Tigers' prospect Matt Manning showed the ability to change speeds, but he has to stay on top of his very promising breaking pitches. Pirates' righty Mitch Keller has a nice repeatable delivery, but he still needs to lock in his release point. I even saw some good things from Alex Wells, maybe the only real soft-tosser in the game. Finally, you have to love Touki Toussaint's breaking ball, and I loved Yoan Lopez who should carve out a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen someday soon.

Some Notable Rotation Happenings:

• The Rockies top starter, Jon Gray, looked very good in his last start before the break. After a brief stint at Triple-A Albuquerque, he seemed to have regained a lot of confidence (and command). Gray is one of the rare breed who have the tools to be successful, even in the pitching horror show that is Coors Field.

• I'm becoming more and more convinced that pitchers who always prefer to pitch down in the zone, like the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka, are far more vulnerable these days. The new trend toward swinging for the fences is making the ability to pitch up in the zone (always a positive in my eyes) virtually mandatory.

• Jeff Samardzija, who missed the start of the year, went back on the disabled list after just two outings, again with inflammation in his shoulder – the same issue that cost him more than a month earlier in the season. Shoulder injuries are frequently lingering and hard to predict, making his future this season somewhat cloudy.

• Several teams seemed to see the weekend before the break, and the break itself, as an avenue to help some players get over minor injuries. I'm hoping that was the intent of the Mariners when they placed the oft-injured James Paxton on the disabled list. I anxiously anticipate his return after the minimum 10 days.

• In what has to be one of the biggest questions looming as we head to the second half, the Cubs (and fantasy owners) really hope Yu Darvish can get and stay healthy. He claims he recently has been feeling better than he has in a long time, so there's reason for optimism, but a big finish to 2018 is far from a guarantee.

• The Red Sox lost Eduardo Rodriguez to an ankle injury, and unfortunately, the injury involved ligament damage. It won't require surgery, and it was his right (landing) ankle, which provides hope he can be back in about a month. Still, in the hotly contested AL East, this could prompt a more intense trade approach.
  

Endgame Odyssey:

The Braves placed Arodys Vizcaino back on the disabled list with recurring shoulder inflammation. He's walked a tightrope trying to hold down the closer's job, but the door reopens for A.J. Minter. The Angels continue to lean toward Blake Parker as their primary closer, but he just doesn't really fit in that role to me. With a bit better command, Justin Anderson could still steal the gig. A couple of likely trade targets have done their best to prove they are healthy. The Orioles' Zach Britton, and the Mets' Jeurys Familia are looking more likely than ever to be dealt. Where they go will impact their value. The Blue Jays activated Ryan Tepera just before the break, and he will likely step back into the closer's role, albeit gradually, until Roberto Osuna returns in early August. Maybe it had something to do with the time off ahead, but last Sunday the Twins brought closer Fernando Rodney into the game in the fifth inning. He retired both hitters he faced, one via the strikeout, but it was odd to see him so early. I can't think of a reason he would be in danger of losing his job, so I'll let it pass. The Cardinals could potentially shuffle their bullpen roles under their new manager. Just before the break, Bud Norris was passed over for their flamethrower, Jordan Hicks. Norris has been dinged up, so it could simply be a health-related decision, but it is a situation worth monitoring.