Young lefty with a chance to have plus stuff across the board to go along with plus command.
Athletic build, not smallish but not overly big by any means. Even prop. Can paint another 15-20
pounds on him before he is done growing. Built like JP Howell. Added strength would help
durability over course of season and stuff over course of game. Polished delivery lends itself to
plus command down the road. Smooth circle in back with arm. Fast arm. Gathers himself at top
of delivery but is plenty quick out of stretch. Stays back well and arm and body work in unison.
Back side pulls through with minimal effort, all energy in deliv. directed straight towards plate.
Repeats deliv. well. Generates very good downhill planage for someone of his stature. Moves in
and out with his FB, goes in on hitters with no fear. Flashes plus velo to go along with avg LH
life. You can project on his FB a little bit with some strength gains and his athleticism and it
should be a plus offering from the left side. Establishes FB early and unlike many young arms he
doesn't live off his plus breaking ball (which he could). CV is solid plus pitch right now, gd hard
downward bite and plus velo. Delivery allows him to consis. spin strikes. @ lower levels I could
see him simply going FB FB CV in the dirt all night. @ High level hitters began to lay off it and
he started to have to locate better in the zone with it and he got hurt more for his mistakes. Better
command within the zone is only thing he can stand to improve with CV as quality of pitch is
where it needs to be. CH has solid avg arm side fade and sink to it, excellent arm speed and a solid
idea of where it is going. Considering he didn't have a change in the spring I can see it naturally
progressing to a plus pitch to go along with his two plus pitches and plus command he projects
to have of everything. Most of the trouble he had in High A can be attributed to the fact that this
is his first full pro season and his body wore down towards the end. He began to elevate his FB
earlier than excpected in outings and his slot would drop a little, signs he was a little tired. From a
velo perspective he was also inconsis. from outing to outing. None of this is a long term concern
for me as he naturally progresses from a strength perspective he should be fine. Plus stuff across
board has the makings of a number 2 or 3 starter in the big leagues, sooner rather than later.
Should start next year back in the Cal League to get his confidence back up, I see him in the Texas
League by the all star break. ETA should be late 2006.
