2005 Update:
Live armed Pedro clone has seen his stuff jump into another world since last yr. Not the same
guy from a stuff and command perspective. Physically is the same.. Loose med. sized build with
huge hands. Still has room to grow and fill out, stuff can't possible get much better than it already
is. Springy delivery. Balanced and poised over the rubber. Gets out over front leg very well.
Body direction good, everything moves quickly straight towards the plate. Repeates deliv. very
well. Arm is longer and looser in the back than last yr, runs it down leg and pulls it back up
smoothly. Ball explodes out of hand w/minimal effort which makes it look a bit light to hitters
since he does it easy. Has consis. sat 95-96 both times for me, touching 97 about a dozen
times/game. 70 life. Will cut 95 eight or nine inches and then run 94 eight or nine inches the other
way on successive pitches. Boring life breaks tons of bats and induces weak contact. FB actually
develops more movement the harder he throws it. Developed gd feel when he didn't have this
kind of stuff and still pitches doesn't throw. CV velo has spiked and now throws it about 78mph
w/same hard break. Can now take it to live hitters. Flashes truly plus break and loc. occ. but at
this point it is clearly his 3rd pitch. With how much better it has got I have no doubt it can
become solid plus. CH is strikout pitch and has the potential to be one of the top CH's in all of
baseball. Huge difference off FB with gd armspd and big time sink. Can manipulate it anyways he
wants, hard armside run or straight and flat. Likes to throw it soft and once or twice a game he'll
baby it trying to really slow it down and he loses his deception but otherwise it's a consis. plus
pitch right now. Is locating twice as good as last yr and it now looks like he will develop plus
command to go along with pure top of the rotation stuff. Works everything to both sides of the
plate w/much improved feel and pitchability. Giving up some hits but most are soft in nature,
otherones tend to be slightly bad loc. w/softer FB. No one is putting good wood on his 96-97.
Last yr he was relying on avg to slightly above stuff and was much more of a thrower. This yr
he's pitching with premium stuff. Plus makeup. Competitive and energetic on the mound. Brings
out best stuff when he really needs it and doesn't want to get beat. Is undersized for a top of
rotation guy but stuff, heart and feel are all there to be a number one starter in the not too distant
future. Poor man's Pedro comments may be off base.
