Ian Anderson's stuff

The curve improvement is huge. If the curve last night was the real curve and in his debut he was just overthrowing it or something, then that takes him from fringy starter with a future possibly in the pen to a decent starter candidate.

One of the most impressive things to me has been the pitchability. Guys Anderson's age tend to come up and rely on pure stuff like they have their whole lives. They have to learn how to execute the pitches properly, set batters up, know what to throw when, etc. Anderson has done a brilliant job of that the first two games. He's had guys inbetween with his fastball and game all through both starts. That's even more impressive considering the non-elite delta.

Between the improved curve and the command he's shown, he's done a lot to put my concerns he was a future reliever to rest. I said all along he probably had the ceiling of a number 3 starter and I still think that. I just now think it's much, much more likely he fully realizes that ceiling.
 
striker42 said:
The curve improvement is huge. If the curve last night was the real curve and in his debut he was just overthrowing it or something, then that takes him from fringy starter with a future possibly in the pen to a decent starter candidate.

One of the most impressive things to me has been the pitchability. Guys Anderson's age tend to come up and rely on pure stuff like they have their whole lives. They have to learn how to execute the pitches properly, set batters up, know what to throw when, etc. Anderson has done a brilliant job of that the first two games. He's had guys inbetween with his fastball and game all through both starts. That's even more impressive considering the non-elite delta.

Between the improved curve and the command he's shown, he's done a lot to put my concerns he was a future reliever to rest. I said all along he probably had the ceiling of a number 3 starter and I still think that. I just now think it's much, much more likely he fully realizes that ceiling.
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Honestly you are the only one that has even mentioned him looking like a possible pen arm so I'm not really sure that was ciphered on by anyone else.

He's obviously a starter with that type of control.
 
speaking of pen arms and stuff....

Is Minter's stuff better? Is it just command and control? Is it mental? Is it luck?

He looks future closer Minter again.
 
Russ2dollas said:
speaking of pen arms and stuff....

Is Minter's stuff better? Is it just command and control? Is it mental? Is it luck?

He looks future closer Minter again.
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He looks to be in better shape, but I don't know if that means anything for how he's throwing. He's been absolutely golden. I've been hard on the guy in the past, but he's really put it together for this stretch.
 
Minter stopped throwing that garbage cutter. It was too close in velocity to his fastball and he needed something with more vertical drop. His slider is 3 slower and more effective.
 
Tapate50 said:
Honestly you are the only one that has even mentioned him looking like a possible pen arm so I'm not really sure that was ciphered on by anyone else.

He's obviously a starter with that type of control.
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he was also pretty much the only one insisting Anderson had command issues when no one who actually watched him ever mentioned it. command issues are obvious. if it’s never mentioned in a scouting report, it’s probably not a thing. his command is very obviously fine.
 
Russ2dollas said:
Enscheff thanks for the analysis.

I am going to assume Soroka will be pitching next year as a starter but not up to his standards. I'm thinking about a Bauer, Fried, Soroka, Anderson, Other starting 5 and they are good thoughts.
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Bauer on a 1 year deal does seem like a near certainty if he really goes that route. Fits AA's MO perfectly, assuming they have any money at all.

Of course when someone offers Bauer $150M+ guaranteed over 6 years, it's going to hard for him to turn it down for 1 year at $30M.
 
atl717 said:
Minter stopped throwing that garbage cutter. It was too close in velocity to his fastball and he needed something with more vertical drop. His slider is 3 slower and more effective.
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Hmm, Minter's zMov on the SL the last 4 seasons (he's never had anything classified as a cutter):

3.6"
3.1"
3.5"
1.6"

So your assessment on the vertical drop is spot on. He added 2 inches of sink to his SL this year.
 
Enscheff said:
Bauer on a 1 year deal does seem like a near certainty if he really goes that route. Fits AA's MO perfectly, assuming they have any money at all.

Of course when someone offers Bauer $150M+ guaranteed over 6 years, it's going to hard for him to turn it down for 1 year at $30M.
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Assumptions again but if Soroka, Fried and Anderson are all healthy going into spring training I would think 1 of the prospects can step up by then and AA only would have to look at a back of rotation starter and thereby fill some of the minor holes left.
 
Enscheff said:
Hmm, Minter's zMov on the SL the last 4 seasons (he's never had anything classified as a cutter):

3.6"
3.1"
3.5"
1.6"

So your assessment on the vertical drop is spot on. He added 2 inches of sink to his SL this year.
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Then it had such bad break that it looked like a cutter before this year. It sucked, and he constantly hung it over the middle of the plate.
 
Enscheff said:
Hmm, Minter's zMov on the SL the last 4 seasons (he's never had anything classified as a cutter):

3.6"
3.1"
3.5"
1.6"

So your assessment on the vertical drop is spot on. He added 2 inches of sink to his SL this year.
Click to expand...

Yeah I don't know what they classified it as, but the pitch he was throwing that was typically 91-94 was terrible. It was Minter's cutter. I suspect it was called a slider at times and a fastball when it was flatter. But it was far too hard and looked too much like his fastball to the point where he was basically a one pitch guy last year. He's taken velocity off that pitch where it acts like a true slider, and actually compliments his fastball.
 
Tapate50 said:
Honestly you are the only one that has even mentioned him looking like a possible pen arm so I'm not really sure that was ciphered on by anyone else.

He's obviously a starter with that type of control.
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Watching his first start I saw a guy with two good pitches (fastball and change) and a third pitch that lagged behind. Without at least 3 major league pitches, you're usually best suited for the pen.

Not sure why him showing good control means he's a starter instead of a reliever. Good control over 2 pitches isn't usually enough to go more than a couple innings. You saw that last night with him breaking out the curve more the third time through the order.
 
I think Enscheff said it the game thread, but Anderson makes his living upstairs so if he misses the top of the zone low, he's going to give up some dingers. But he's looked good so far and it will be interesting to see how the league adjusts once they have seen more of him.
 
PawPawMaxwell said:
Assumptions again but if Soroka, Fried and Anderson are all healthy going into spring training I would think 1 of the prospects can step up by then and AA only would have to look at a back of rotation starter and thereby fill some of the minor holes left.
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Bauer.
 
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