Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steve4192
Experience and dumb luck.
Leake is still learning his craft, and he had a crappy year last season. I expect him to improve a little bit and have a few more bounces go his way this year. I'm not expecting any dramatic improvement, but an ERA+ of 100 (give or take a few points) and his usual outstanding hitting seems likely IMO.
Plus if I remember right he had a pretty solid 2nd half last year. I think what people fail to remember is, he is our #5 starter. We aren't going to get a ton of stats out of our #5 as compared to some of the teams that have larger pay rolls. Just my opinion tho!!!
:beerme:
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dougdirt
What leads you to believe that? His 2011 success was based on a .272 BABIP. Don't confuse this with me saying he sucks, but I am just not sure I see the improvements coming forth either. Perhaps a little one as his HR/FB rate gets back to the 13-14% instead of 16%.
Like you said... the HR/FB ratio was just as inflated if not more inflated than his BABIP was deflated in 2011.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
I would think Leake has a greater chance than most pitchers to improve.
He's the type of pitcher who will have to have a deep knowledge of the hitters. He can't get buy on pure stuff. As he learns more, if he gets good coaching, he should improve. Knowledge and understanding of pitching will be key for him.
Looking at Leake's stats last year, his LD rate against and homers against were higher than the previous year.
He also threw more fastballs and fewer sliders and cutters.
If he gets the opportunity, I think he can be a good pitcher, but he can't continue to make the same mistakes. 26 homers from him are unacceptable.
So, I'm cautiously optimistic he will do better, but he needs to make adjustments. He's not suddenly going to throw 97mph, he'll have to adjust his game.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Spring is the season for scouts. Scouts see a guy with command of four pitches and dream dreams.
They're paid to do that.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kc61
I would think Leake has a greater chance than most pitchers to improve.
He's the type of pitcher who will have to have a deep knowledge of the hitters. He can't get buy on pure stuff. As he learns more, if he gets good coaching, he should improve. Knowledge and understanding of pitching will be key for him.
Looking at Leake's stats last year, his LD rate against and homers against were higher than the previous year.
He also threw more fastballs and fewer sliders and cutters.
If he gets the opportunity, I think he can be a good pitcher, but he can't continue to make the same mistakes. 26 homers from him are unacceptable.
So, I'm cautiously optimistic he will do better, but he needs to make adjustments. He's not suddenly going to throw 97mph, he'll have to adjust his game.
He needs to quit serving them up.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jojo
Spring is the season for scouts. Scouts see a guy with command of four pitches and dream dreams.
They're paid to do that.
I don't understand why this is news anyway. Wasn't this Leake's scouting report
practically his first day on the job?
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Superdude
I don't understand why this is news anyway. Wasn't this Leake's scouting report
practically his first day on the job?
Ya. He skipped the minors because he was a "finished product".
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dougdirt
Stuff. And let's not confuse ST performance with regular season likelihood. Johnny Cueto has been hit around and been walking a lot of guys this spring. Oh and his ERA isn't near 7.00, it is over 7.00.
While I know it is different because Leake was supposed to be competing for a job, he still has to "get ready" for the season and that doesn't always mean going out and trying to get every last batter out like it is October 1st. You need to work on things that aren't working for you. Maybe that means you throw 20 straight fastballs.
Spot on. Some (most?) people just don't get it.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
He's the best 5th starter in the division. He's not dominant but if you throw him up against other 5th starters -i'd take my chances.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cooper
He's the best 5th starter in the division. He's not dominant but if you throw him up against other 5th starters -i'd take my chances.
Sure, but he probably doesn't face the other teams #5 all that often throughout the season.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Lets not forget it's still spring training
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cooper
He's the best 5th starter in the division. He's not dominant but if you throw him up against other 5th starters -i'd take my chances.
Yep.
While I believe Chapman would have been a better choice, only St. Louis, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, and San Francisco can lay claim to possibly having better value for a fifth man.
Of those, both St. Louis and Atlanta are scratching lottery tickets, with prospects that might be good.
That leaves Washington's Detwiler, LA's Capuano, and San Fran's Vogelsong as contemporaries. Capuano's old and neither Detwiler nor Vogelsong are exactly poster children for consistency. Both have enjoyed mid-career turn-arounds not normally seen in BOR pitchers.
In short, Leake's pretty solid, all in all.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
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Originally Posted by
TheBigLebowski
Never liked Mike Leake. If scouts are "raving" about him, then let's use that as ammo to trade him somewhere.
Same here. I'll never believe in the guy. His stuff isn't that good. Scouts are wrong all the time... nice that they never need to attach a name to anything.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cooper
He's the best 5th starter in the division. He's not dominant but if you throw him up against other 5th starters -i'd take my chances.
Off hand, I would take Lohse, Wily Peralta, or Fiers over him from Milwaukee.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ghosts of 1990
Same here. I'll never believe in the guy. His stuff isn't that good. Scouts are wrong all the time... nice that they never need to attach a name to anything.
They typically attach their name to what matters, and that's the work they get paid for performing.