Originally Posted by
MadduxFanII
The first stats I can find on Newcomb start in 2013, when he was at Hartford.
That year, he walked 4.63 per nine in 72 IP.
2014, at Hartford, he walked 3.66 per nine in 93 1/3 IP.
After being drafted that year, he threw three innings in rookie league ball, walking 1 (3 BB/9). After being promoted to Burlington in the Midwest League, he walked 3.86 per nine in 11 2/3 IP.
In 2015, he started back at Burlington and walked 4.98 per nine innings in 34 1/3 IP. After being promoted to High-A, he walked 4.52 per nine in 65 2/3 IP. And after being promoted to AA, he walked six per nine in 36 IP.
In 2016, he spent the whole year at AA Mississippi and walked 4.56 per nine in 140 IP.
In 2017, he walked 5.15 per nine at AAA in 57 2/3 IP. Since being promoted to the bigs, he's walked 5.06 per nine in 58 2/3 IP.
So...look. Sean Newcomb walks a lot of guys. It's what he's done literally going back to the first moments in which we have recorded statistics for him. You can offer whatever rationalizations for those you want, construct whatever pleasing narratives seem to make sense around them, and that's fine, that's what fans do, and that's basically harmless, but at a certain point you just have to accept that Newcomb is not just one simple mechanical adjustment or mindset tweak away from firing strikes with regularity. We're long past the point where you have to say that it's far likelier Newcomb will never figure out control than it is that he will.
And I have no problem giving him every possible opportunity - and then some - to beat those odds. He's huge, he's left-handed, he's got big-time stuff and we're not competing for anything. So, yeah, absolutely, give him the rest of this year and next to see if he can make it as a starter. I doubt you'll find many people saying the Braves need to make a permanent decision on him right this second. Give the dude his shot. But let's not pretend that's anything but a longshot.