2026 ST Thread
- Thread starter Enscheff
- Start date
UNCBlue012
Well-known member
I'd like to see Fuentes face tougher competition. Usually is appearing in games later and is facing back of the lineup players, but it's been a very good spring from him.
bravesfanMatt
Steve Harvey'd
they need him to start a road game so he can face real MLB hitters now.
IslandBrave
Mashin' to Mississippi
Didn’t he start against the Yanks last week?
UNCBlue012
Well-known member
Yes, but he faced half regulars and half minor leaguers. No Judge, Rice, Stanton. I'd like to see Fuentes face those types of players because that is who he is going to have to face when he is in the MLB. I am not dogging Fuentes for what he is doing because the stuff is major-league ready. I just want him to face more competitive competition before I get myself on board with deploying him on the 26 man OD Roster.
Southcack77
Well-known member
That's like an effing UGA fan complaining about life.
Cry me a river - signed Dolphins/SCar fan.
bravesfanMatt
Steve Harvey'd
come on guys.. State is a saints fan and a Ms state fan and he has to date his sister. stop your whining.
msstate7
Well-known member
gonna
Don't forget the grizzlies
bravesfanMatt
Steve Harvey'd
Is that your Sister's nickname or the basketball team... or both
msstate7
Well-known member
His heater took a bit of a step back today, so I agree with the 60 grade for now. It was closer to a 70 in shorter stints.
Slider moves a little move horizontally than average, but doesn't sink as much as an average MLB slider, so 50 feels right too.
Splitter moves more arm-side than average, but doesn't sink as much. Since sink is the most important movement for a split, I agree with the slightly below average grade.
All in all, Didier feels more like a late inning BP arm than a SP right now.
bravesfanMatt
Steve Harvey'd
He also has a 'sweeper', I think it is more of a change up, that he didn't even show today. I think that is average to plus if remembering correctly.
Who are about to move to Nashville.
UNCBlue012
Well-known member
One important thing to remember with Didier is that iVB isn’t his game, VAA is. If his VAA is hovering around -4, he’s in a good spot. If it’s closer to -3, that’s elite.
More broadly, iVB and velocity aren’t the only indicators of a quality fastball. You can win with VAA, a flatter fastball or steeper sinker, with elite run on a sinker, or with efficient cut and ride that creates glove-side movement like you see with guys like Kyle Bradish or lefties like Justin Steele and Max Fried, which helps their breaking stuff play up.
At the end of the day, what matters most is avoiding the “dead zone” and having a distinct fastball profile.
Either way, he's very young and still developing. So having his upside with the downside of a high-end bullpen arm is incredible.
More broadly, iVB and velocity aren’t the only indicators of a quality fastball. You can win with VAA, a flatter fastball or steeper sinker, with elite run on a sinker, or with efficient cut and ride that creates glove-side movement like you see with guys like Kyle Bradish or lefties like Justin Steele and Max Fried, which helps their breaking stuff play up.
At the end of the day, what matters most is avoiding the “dead zone” and having a distinct fastball profile.
Either way, he's very young and still developing. So having his upside with the downside of a high-end bullpen arm is incredible.
