How good of a baseball player is Leake

[Griffey012]

Obviously he is a great young pitcher we have all heard the rants, raves, ooos, and aaa's about him as a pitcher. But as an overall baseball player he is even better. Tonight was the first night I have actually been able to see his start on tv and not listen to it on the radio. When he is at the plate, you wouldn't know it was a pitcher unless someone told you. He looks better than Owings at the plate. The rest of our guys on the team could learn something from his approach at the plate, it is great.

It is very rare this day in age you see a player so young have some expertise about the entire game of baseball...hopefully he rubs off on the rest of our guys, because I think we have plenty of guys who are lacking in the baseball IQ department.

[mattfeet]

Good post. Agreed on all counts.

-Matt

[Mutaman]

Originally Posted by Griffey012

Obviously he is a great young pitcher we have all heard the rants, raves, ooos, and aaa's about him as a pitcher. But as an overall baseball player he is even better. Tonight was the first night I have actually been able to see his start on tv and not listen to it on the radio. When he is at the plate, you wouldn't know it was a pitcher unless someone told you. He looks better than Owings at the plate. The rest of our guys on the team could learn something from his approach at the plate, it is great.

It is very rare this day in age you see a player so young have some expertise about the entire game of baseball...hopefully he rubs off on the rest of our guys, because I think we have plenty of guys who are lacking in the baseball IQ department.

He can really run too. In the 5th, after his great walk, when Stubbs hit the roller to second, its was Leake's speed, hustle, and baserunning ability, that enabled him to run in front of Castillo and avoid the tag.

In the sixth, he struck Castillo out and didn't get the call, then he picked him off first and didn't get the call (Keith Hernandez said he had him). He could have easily had a shutout tonight.

The Mets Bob Ojeda was really raving about Leake after the game.

I think we got something here.

[sivman17]

ROY this year (he's better than Jason Heyward)
Cy Young down the road, perhaps

[mattfeet]

Cy Young THIS year.














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[JayBruceFan]

He is a good athlete

He pitched and played a little 1B in college

[Griffey012]

Originally Posted by Mutaman

He can really run too. In the 5th, after his great walk, when Stubbs hit the roller to second, its was Leake's speed, hustle, and baserunning ability, that enabled him to run in front of Castillo and avoid the tag.

In the sixth, he struck Castillo out and didn't get the call, then he picked him off first and didn't get the call (Keith Hernandez said he had him). He could have easily had a shutout tonight.

The Mets Bob Ojeda was really raving about Leake after the game.

I think we got something here.

Another high baseball IQ play, instead of waiting for the player to field that ball like most players would do, he simply ran right in Castillio's path, making have to hold back and field the ball like a normal grounder instead of how you would normally approach a slow roller, which may have ultimately been the reason Stubbs was safe (although stubbs is lightning fast so he may have beat it out anyway).

On the pick off play, it actually looked like Castillio slid just enough to the outfield side of the bag Votto missed his arm with the swipe tag. It was very close nonetheless.

[redsfan_12]

Originally Posted by sivman17

ROY this year (he's better than Jason Heyward)
Cy Young down the road, perhaps

That's a bold statement cotton

[Griffey012]

Originally Posted by JayBruceFan

He is a good athlete

He pitched and played a little 1B in college

They mentioned some interesting stuff about how him and Ike Davis would switch back and forth between 1st and pitching late in ball games, depending on whether a lefty was at the plate or not. Would be a nice strategy to be able to use late in games.

[NorrisHopper30]

Greg Maddux 2.0?

[Vottomatic]

Originally Posted by Mutaman

He can really run too. In the 5th, after his great walk, when Stubbs hit the roller to second, its was Leake's speed, hustle, and baserunning ability, that enabled him to run in front of Castillo and avoid the tag.

In the sixth, he struck Castillo out and didn't get the call, then he picked him off first and didn't get the call (Keith Hernandez said he had him). He could have easily had a shutout tonight.

The Mets Bob Ojeda was really raving about Leake after the game.

I think we got something here.

It was Reyes whom he struck out, not Castillo. The ump was giving him that pitch all game, and he throws a breaking ball right down the middle that Reyes didn't swing at and I guess the ump thought it was low (it wasn't), but the broadcast team (Thom and Welsh) said openly "that was a good pitch right there, Gary Darling just missed that call". Reyes should have been out and there would have been 2 outs before the guy on first stole second base.

Anyway, he did have him picked off first but Votto (my man) missed the tag. And Cabrera totally screwed Leake by misplaying the perfect throw to second by Hernandez.

I'm starting to get the feeling that Cabrera's teammates are wondering about his defensive play. I wouldn't mind seeing Janish get a few games to show what he's got. It wouldn't hurt anything.

[DaytonFlyer]

Originally Posted by NorrisHopper30

Greg Maddux 2.0?

Reminds me a lot of Greg Maddux in the way he pitches. Not a lot of velocity on his fastball, but the movement is impressive and the LOCATION is impeccable. I was worried about the walks after his first start, but he is showing that he was just getting squeezed that day. Really impressed.

Hopefully Dusty doesn't pitch his arm off.

[TheBigLebowski]

I admit I wasn't thrilled with the pick when we made it but, boy oh boy - was I ever wrong. Leake is a complete stud. However, I must disagree that he is a better hitter than Owings - Owings can freaking rake. Remember last year when we put him in to pinch-hit in the 9th down 3 and he tied the game with a homer? However, I will say that it seems clear that we have the two best hitting pitchers in baseball.

[Vottomatic]

Dude is quickly becoming my favorite Red along with Votto.

[bounty37h]

I knew we got a steal with him in the draft, Strasburg had allthe hype of course, but I really feel we got as good, if not better, pitcher in Leake.