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Josh Wilkie DOB: 7/22/84 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 190 Bats: R Career Stats |
Sickels puts it best: “Even after five years of minor-league success, scouts don’t care much for Josh Wilkie. He doesn’t throw hard (85-89) and his best pitch is his changeup. All he does is throw strikes, collect grounders (2.58 GO/AO last year), and get people out.” His AAA numbers have been sustained, so it’s possible that Wilkie will get a chance albeit in long/middle relief and with a (very) short leash, despite a long history of keeping the ball in the yard (12HR in 309⅓ IP). |
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Adam Carr DOB: 4/1/84 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 220 Bats: R Career Stats |
Drafted as a pitcher after a college career as a hitter, Carr has had a long road to the 40-man roster. After spending ’09 as a starter in High-A, Carr returned to Harrisburg for another go ’round and came to camp with a less-violent delivery that solved his command issues and enabled him to become a two-inning man out of the Harrisburg ‘pen and the closer at Syracuse with a mid-90s fastball and a serviceable slider that he can either throw for strikes or get hitters to chase. |
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Cole Kimball DOB: 8/1/85 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 225 Bats: R Career Stats |
Like Carr, 2010 was a breakthrough season for Kimball, culminating in a trip to the AFL and is now considered a dark horse to make the big club bullpen out of spring training. Spent his first three seasons (06-08) as a starter before moving to the ‘pen in 09, in an apparent effort to learn how to pitch vs. throw his mid-to-high 90s heat, refining a mid-80s splitter and a low-80s curve. Struck out 101 in 79 IP, but also walked 39, so there’s some concern that his command issues aren’t fully solved. |
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Rafael Martin DOB: 5/16/84 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 195 Bats: R Career Stats |
Perhaps a sentimental choice because of the unlikely route that Martin took to get from the Mexican League to the Eastern League, Martin posted a 3.61 ERA as a reliever with respectable WHIP, BB, and K rates. He turns 27 in May, so with a full season of pro baseball in the U.S., he’ll be expected to show more at AAA in ’11. |
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Elvin Ramirez DOB: 10/10/87 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 208 Bats: R Career Stats |
Picked up in the Rule 5 draft from the Mets, Ramirez is the classic gamble that the sudden uptick in velocity (up to 100 m.p.h) seen in the DWL and a drop in walks is a lasting change. The 23-y.o. has appeared in just three games at AA and has averaged 4.8 BB/9 in six minor- league seasons. A former starter, Ramirez’s secondary pitches (CV, CU, SL) are considered mediocre at best. He’ll have to make the team out of spring training, as the Mets are unlikely to refuse him and/or clear waivers. |
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Rob Wort DOB: 2/7/89 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 170 Bats: R Career Stats |
Dean Weaver was supposed to be the reliever to watch in Hagerstown in 2010, but Wort passed him by and finished up the season in Potomac. He was on Sickels’s “cutting room floor” with the abbreviated comment that he “has potential as a relief sleeper.” In my limited time seeing him (four appearances), he showed an odd trend of pitching better with runners on than the bases empty. |
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Dean Weaver DOB: 5/7/88 Ht. 6′ 4″ Wt. 207 Bats: R Career Stats |
Weaver finished the season strong (five hits, no runs, five walks, 10K in last 10 appearances), but suffered through a midseason slump upon his return from the DL in June and split time closing with Rob Wort until Wort was promoted. An FIL invitee, Weaver is likely to start in Potomac. |
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Ben Graham DOB: 11/23/87 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 205 Bats: R Career Stats |
Graham was a two-level pitcher and an invitee to the Florida Instrux, which puts him on our watchlist. Graham throws sidearm and most of his pitches have sharp movement, except for a floating curve that’s likely to be abandoned if it hasn’t already. |
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Mark Herrera DOB: 3/11/90 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 230 Bats: R Career Stats |
Another one of the few bright spots in the Vermont bullpen, Herrera features a low-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider. He had a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings at Vermont, which earned him an invite to the FIL. |
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Neil Holland DOB: 8/14/88 Ht. 6′ Wt. 190 Bats: R Career Stats |
Holland was the sole Vermont pitcher named to the 2010 New York-Penn League All-Star team. He went 3-1 with three saves in 19 games with a 2.20 ERA, which also earned him a trip to the FIL. Holland dropped his arm angle during his college stint at Louisville, and now throws an 86-88 fastball, a “frisbee” slider, and a changeup as a sidearmer. |
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Wander Suero DOB: 9/15/91 Ht. 6′ 3″ Wt. 175 Bats: R Career Stats |
Suero was an 18-year-old in the DSL that caught our eye during the process of writing the season reviews, most notably for his strikeout rate of 10.2 per nine innings. |
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Andy Santana DOB: 12/5/90 Ht. 6′ 2″ Wt. 187 Bats: R Career Stats |
Santana didn’t pitch much in the DSL — just 13 games — but his age (19) and his won-loss record (5-0) not to mention his ERA (1.27) stood out while I was doing the DSL season review. Also posted a 1.165 WHIP and had more innings pitched (28⅓) than hits allowed (19). |
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Wilkamania from last year. Good times. Don’t think he had a good Winter League, though. I thought he was getting close to that call up but a bad close to the year and Joe Bisenius shot the door on him.
Rafael Martin seems to kind of stalled to me. Syracuse I guess?
Keep in mind I’m giving these couple of impressions before the scouting reports come up.