2015 season rest on..
- Thread starter 57stratdawg
- Start date
I don't know. If this staff has proven one thing it's that they can take a toolsy player and turn him into a big time prospect once the switch flips: Stratton, Renfroe, Girardo, Lindgren, etc. Woodruff could easily be the next on that list.
Woody and Holder - Need to come back
I would not second guess any of our coaches. I guess there will always be that Ricky Bowen type pitcher, but our coaches have a record of getting the best out of someone when all of us fans have given up on that player. Ricky Bowen had some great outings at MSU, but for the most part he had electric stuff in the bullpen but could not perform in a game. Giardo got worse every year and was at the bottom of the staff in 2012. Giardo came back for his senior year and Butch got something to click and he was a very dominating pitcher in 2013. Giardo made himself a lot of $$ by coming back and so could Woody. Woody has the talent and the tools to be a 1-3 round pick, it is just a matter of getting all the parts to work together.
Holder could also gain if he comes back. Holders curve ball is unhittable and the best that I have ever seen in college but the lower seams on the pro ball (and college ball next year) will have an adverse impact on his awesome curve and he really needs to develop that 3rd pitch. Unless he has a fastball like Mariano Rivera, he will need that 3rd pitch because some umps just want call that big breaking ball a strike and they will toast his current fast ball if they know that is what is coming.
I would not second guess any of our coaches. I guess there will always be that Ricky Bowen type pitcher, but our coaches have a record of getting the best out of someone when all of us fans have given up on that player. Ricky Bowen had some great outings at MSU, but for the most part he had electric stuff in the bullpen but could not perform in a game. Giardo got worse every year and was at the bottom of the staff in 2012. Giardo came back for his senior year and Butch got something to click and he was a very dominating pitcher in 2013. Giardo made himself a lot of $$ by coming back and so could Woody. Woody has the talent and the tools to be a 1-3 round pick, it is just a matter of getting all the parts to work together.
Holder could also gain if he comes back. Holders curve ball is unhittable and the best that I have ever seen in college but the lower seams on the pro ball (and college ball next year) will have an adverse impact on his awesome curve and he really needs to develop that 3rd pitch. Unless he has a fastball like Mariano Rivera, he will need that 3rd pitch because some umps just want call that big breaking ball a strike and they will toast his current fast ball if they know that is what is coming.
Why
can't he (Holder) develop this third, or fourth, pitch in the minors?
It happens all of the time.
can't he (Holder) develop this third, or fourth, pitch in the minors?
It happens all of the time.
Hell, major league pitchers develop pitches all the time. Freddy Garcia has 6-7 different pitches he used last year regularly... He didn't develop all those in college. The good pitchers adapt and succeed, the others can't and eventually become career minor leaguers or go home.
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I'd love to see Thompson get one more shot at "cracking the code" on Woodruff. He definitely has the stuff. He looked solid in the regional until Henderson dropped that fly-ball. That seemed to happen several times this year. He would look pretty good and then run into some adversity and fall apart.
Yeah, but we're not talking about Garcia negotiating his first professional contract. Holder is a very risky draft prospect to an organization, and that will hurt him in negotiations. I understand he has some leverage with returning to college, but the gap between those two aren't as big as they usually are with most prospects.
Yeah
I'm not going to get into the debating of who he is or isn't like, I'm just speaking to those saying he has to come back because he only knows two pitches.
Most pitchers learn how to throw different things once they get to the minors (or perfect current pitches, for those with 3 to 4 already).
I'm not going to get into the debating of who he is or isn't like, I'm just speaking to those saying he has to come back because he only knows two pitches.
Most pitchers learn how to throw different things once they get to the minors (or perfect current pitches, for those with 3 to 4 already).
Yea, I was echoing Kurt's point. Holder won't not get drafted early because he only throws two pitches (he's actually been developing a cutter and throwing it some), but his draft stock won't be as good because he's a risky prospect. Scouts put little emphasis on what you know, it's more about how to use what tools you have well and how well you are willing and able to learn and adapt.