Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve4192
As Sir_Charles brought up with Stubbs having a potential bounce-back season, the same holds true for Leake IMO.
I really don't get why people are so quick to give up on him. He is just one year removed from posting a 3.86 ERA with a 1.175 WHIP and has an elite bat for his position. Yes, his 2012 was lackluster and uninspiring, but this is a kid who has posted three straight seasons of league average-ish pitching before his 25th birthday, all without the benefit of being able to hone his skills in the minor leagues. Do you have any idea how incredibly rare that is?
I could definitely see him taking a big step forward in 2013 much like Homer Bailey did in 2012.
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Agreed. Yes Mike's numbers went down last year. But good lord, have people so quickly forgotten that he's 3 years removed from playing college ball? This is the same guy who put up Strasberg-like numbers (
link) his final year in college. He's producing like a middle of the road starter in the majors at 25 years old. I see LOADS of upside with Leake. Just because he's not a power pitcher doesn't limit his odds of success. IMO, working with Hanigan instead of Mesoraco will do wonders for Leake. When he gets the ball up in the zone, flyballs turn into HR's. When he doesn't, they're ground outs. I think people overlook his dominating performances to easily.