Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
M2
Doesn't need to. Plenty of sub-6'0" RH starters these days. And all reports are he's picking up a few ticks on the heater, which if you combine it with improving location in the zone is going to make him pretty good at that pitching thing.
Reports of increased velocity in ST should be taken with a HUGE grain of salt. You know that.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TRF
Latos, 39 doubles 3 triples 25 HR's 22 more IP.
that's significant.
Add three more starts to Leake and you are looking at 28 HR's 50 doubles.
That's quite a difference.
Arroyo 41 doubles 0 triples 26 HR's 23 more IP
Bailey 29 doubles 9 triples 26 HR's 29 more IP
Not. Even. Close.
Maybe a better way to look at it would be slugging against instead of raw totals. Leake had the worst Slg% against in all of NL among qualified pitchers. .479
If you break it down home/road though you get a huge difference.
.547 Home
.410 Road
Clearly he has to learn some way to limit the damage at home and then his value would be much higher. That .410 slugging would put him on same level as pitchers like Bailey and Cliff Lee. I have a feeling if he doesn't improve at home he will be traded next off season as he would have much more value to another team than one that plays in GABP. As is he was very good for a 5th starter but I do see room to be more than that. Hopefully he figures it out at home or just does a better job of keeping ball down.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TRF
Reports of increased velocity in ST should be taken with a HUGE grain of salt. You know that.
And I do, but he was working in the low 90s yesterday (at least that's what my audio feed said). Plus, I don't think he needs to throw harder to be a better pitcher, just a nice addition if he does.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Scrap Irony
Among the 80 starters that logged the most innings in the National League last season, Leake ranked 55th in WAR, 38th in IP, 67th in K/IP, 8th in HR/IP, 66th in ERA, 64th in FIP, and 35th in x-FIP.
So by WAR, that basically makes him a middle #4, if you assume 16 teams with 5 starters..
By ERA, he's at the top end of the #5's.
By FIP, he's the last #4 in the league.
I would agree on that based on his performance last year. I still think there's room for improvement.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
M2
And I do, but he was working in the low 90s yesterday (at least that's what my audio feed said). Plus, I don't think he needs to throw harder to be a better pitcher, just a nice addition if he does.
There's an article from the last few seasons where Leake is quoted as saying that he forces himself to "slow down" his fastball to generate more movement, the implication being that his pitches straighten out as he works into the 90s.
I think Leake has to be a soft-tosser in order to survive -- which pretty much caps his growth at #5/swingman level.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TRF
Is he going to grow three inches? gain 4-5 mph on his fastball?
no.
He's Arroyo without the height or guile. Bronson doesn't have 3 pitches, he has like 19. he'll change angles and armslot on a batter at any given time. Leake cannot do that.
And he sure as heck isn't going to blow a 95 mph fastball by anyone.
Mike Leake is a 5th starter that is actually a 5th starter. Chapman could have been an ACE pitching in the 5th starters spot this year.
Aroldis Chapman > Mike Leake in every aspect of the game on the mound. Leake is a decent hitter.
LOL
There it is.
Mike Leake's sin is that he is not Aroldis Chapman.
Let it go.
Aroldis in the rotation is not going to happen. It sucks, but it's not Mike Leake's fault. Quit blaming him for a decision he had nothing to do with.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steve4192
LOL
There it is.
Mike Leake's sin is that he is not Aroldis Chapman.
Let it go.
Aroldis in the rotation is not going to happen. It sucks, but it's not Mike Leake's fault. Quit blaming him for a decision he had nothing to do with.
Well, a lot of people did hate Adam Dunn because he wasn't Albert Pujols....
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Caveat Emperor
There's an article from the last few seasons where Leake is quoted as saying that he forces himself to "slow down" his fastball to generate more movement, the implication being that his pitches straighten out as he works into the 90s.
I think Leake has to be a soft-tosser in order to survive -- which pretty much caps his growth at #5/swingman level.
Or he adds that velocity back in as he refines his control and learns to pair his movement with the velocity - which very well might be what the scouts and Buster Olney were raving about.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
M2
Or he adds that velocity back in as he refines his control and learns to pair his movement with the velocity - which very well might be what the scouts and Buster Olney were raving about.
He could morph into a butterfly too-that happens a little less frequently than pitchers adding velocity as they age though. :D
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
He's not added velocity, jojo. He's putting it back in his arsenal. He's always had the ability to throw low to mid 90s-- he's just now learning how to use it and movement together.
And that's certainly possible.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Caveat Emperor
There's an article from the last few seasons where Leake is quoted as saying that he forces himself to "slow down" his fastball to generate more movement, the implication being that his pitches straighten out as he works into the 90s.
I think Leake has to be a soft-tosser in order to survive -- which pretty much caps his growth at #5/swingman level.
There are plenty of mid to top of the rotation starters who have similar velocity to Leake's.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
757690
There are plenty of mid to top of the rotation starters who have similar velocity to Leake's.
That have a sub-90 MPH average FB? Can't imagine thats a long list -- and I'd bet all of them are taller than Leake and/or left-handed.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Scrap Irony
He's not added velocity, jojo. He's putting it back in his arsenal. He's always had the ability to throw low to mid 90s-- he's just now learning how to use it and movement together.
And that's certainly possible.
Ya well, loose lips sink ships and time will tell so don't book a fishing trip with a watch maker.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Well, that as added a lot.
Re: Buster Olney says scouts are raving about Mike Leake
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RANDY IN INDY
Well, that as added a lot.
It makes as much sense as Mike Leake gaining a bunch of velocity while increasing his command of pitches he has learned to throw with much more movement.