Chapman's progression coming at key time

[OnBaseMachine]

Jocketty has not seen Chapman pitch in person since Spring Training, but has been watching a few of his outings online and of course, gets the reports from Louisville and the organization's scouts.

The conclusions from the Reds are that Chapman is more refined since spring, but still has work to do to be ready for the Majors.

"He has improved. [Special assistant] Mario Soto has told me he's improved each time out," Jocketty said. "He still needs to get better command of some of his pitches. He needs to be more efficient. He's still learning the whole game -- the backing up bases and things like that.

"He's got to get into the sixth and seventh innings, throwing 100-110 pitches."

full article:
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

[Will M]

full article:
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=cin

sounds like Chapman to the pen at some point is not what the Reds plan. sounds like he is starting all the way. so when he is ready who does he replace? midseason callup if Harang or Arroyo is dealt?

[Kingspoint]

With our starters turning it around over their last 9 starts (2 for each of them and 1 for Bailey, who starts Friday), there's no hurry at all. He could stay in the minors another two, three or four months easily if no injuries occur to our starters, and their improvements (specifically Harang or Arroyo) continue.

A very possible scenario is that a trade has to occur (Harang) in order to bring him up to the Majors.

And, I haven't even mentioned the possibility of another AAA pitcher forcing his way onto the Big League Club.

I can't believe I'd ever see the day that the Cincinnati REDS would have this much pitching on the team. Of course, if the improvements don't continue with our starters, it could be Cueto, Bailey, Arroyo or Harang that he replaces. I doubt that, though, very much, at least not until July, at the earliest, and only because of injury or a trade. Harang has shown that his work with Bryan Price is paying off.

[OnBaseMachine]

It sounds like Chapman mainly worked on his secondary pitches yesterday. From the Louisville Courier-Journal:

Chapman (3-1) consistently hit the upper-90s with his fastball, but he also changed speeds to get batters out.

“There's no doubt that his off-speed (stuff) was the best today,” manager Rick Sweet said. “He threw some very good back-to-back sliders, changeups. There is no doubt the slider-changeup was much more effective today and much more consistent.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...+Rochester+5-2

[Jharb74]

His off speed stuff was pretty good. I was there in person. I once saw him hit 99 then the next pitch for strike 3 at 76.

When he got hit in the leg with that line drive you could hear a collective gasp from the whole crowd. Not to mention how nervous all the coaches looked.

[Señor Rojo]

Chapman is special, no doubt. That said, I am encouraged to see Walt taking a cautious approach to bringing him up to the show. I remember people pleading for Homer Bailey to be called up and I was at his debut when he threw roughly 30 pitches in the first inning. So what does that have to do with Chapman? Part of it has to do with what the management decides to do with him. As Kingspoint mentioned, there are also extenuating circumstances regarding who would be moved down to bring Aroldis up. Eventually, he will probably take the place of Harang or Arroyo, given their age and paychecks.

[OnBaseMachine]

Another article on Chapman:

But the velocity and natural movement on Chapman's pitches are unusual. In the first inning Sunday, Chapman threw fastballs of 97 and 99 mph by cleanup hitter Luke Hughes, then got him swinging on a 79 mph changeup. That's not fair.

It's also the kind of stuff that will have him heading up the road to Cincinnati soon if it keeps improving. Chapman's change and slider were their best yet on Sunday.

“There's a saying, ‘In the big leagues they can hit a rocket ship coming through there,'” Nieto said. “So you have to learn how to pitch, and it looks like he's on his way to doing that, because he changed speeds pretty good today and he kept us pretty much off balance. … He's pretty special.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...+Slugger+Field