Who is more ready?

[TRF]

I got the idea for this reading the "How untouchable is Jay Bruce" thread.

Bailey or Cueto? Which is the better prospect? If you go by the numbers, IMO, it HAS to be Cueto. Bailey has the hype, Cueto the results.

The one thing Cueto really has over Bailey is control. Sick ridiculous control based on the numbers. His BB/9 improves at every level it seems. His H/9 and his K/9 are just a tick, the merest of ticks below Baileys, but his BB/9 is half of what baileys is (Cueto 2.12, Bailey 4.23 in the minors)

Cueto also pitched a lot more innings than Bailey did this year. Including winter ball, Cueto ended up with over 180 IP. Bailey due to injury ended up with just over 120 IP, with 45 of those with the Reds.

They are three months apart in age. Both will be 22 in 2008, Cueto in Feb., Bailey in May.

Based on last years numbers and development, who is more ready? to pitch for the Reds in 2008. Assume for the sake of argument that one of them HAS to be in the rotation. Do not think like you are a member of the Reds coaching staff. Think like an outside consultant.

[dougdirt]

I think they are both about the same in terms of readiness. Bailey has the better fastball, but he doesn't control it as well as Cueto does. However Cueto's height doesn't do him as much since the downward plane on the ball isn't as good. Bailey has the better offspeed pitch with his curveball, in my mind, being better than his fastball and better than anything Cueto offers. He actually showed good control of his curveball this season as well (67% of the ones he threw in the majors were strikes).
Bailey has the better stuff to succeed with.
Cueto has the better control to succeed with.

If I were an outside consultant I would look at Bailey as the frontrunner to be in my rotation based on his 100 innings above AA, including some in the majors, over Cueto and his 22 innings above AA.

[Superdude]

I'm sure Bailey will probably be given the opportunity just because you sort of know what you have in him based on his innings in AAA and the majors, but the one thing Cueto has going for him is 22 lights out innings in AAA. Bailey hasn't shown dominance above AA yet in my opinion.

[AmarilloRed]

I think they both could pitch for the Reds in 2008. Bailey is on the roster, and Cueto is a non-roster invitee to spring training who will be given every chance to make the roster.

[reds44]

Cueto, and it's been that way for a year.

[Danny Serafini]

Let's not forget that while Cueto may have put up better numbers than Bailey, he was also a level behind him. Bailey wasn't ready when he got the call this past June, but at the same time Cueto isn't ready now.

[HokieRed]

I'm rooting for Cueto 150%, but I think the height is a bigger issue than has generally been mentioned. In fact, I'm surprised it hasn't been discussed more than it has. At present, are there any right-handed starters in baseball under 6 feet tall? If there are, it's no more than a handful.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by HokieRed

I'm rooting for Cueto 150%, but I think the height is a bigger issue than has generally been mentioned. In fact, I'm surprised it hasn't been discussed more than it has. At present, are there any right-handed starters in baseball under 6 feet tall? If there are, it's no more than a handful.

Tim Lincecum was the first guy that jumped to mind. I don't want to do the research right now, but I bet there are others.

[OnBaseMachine]

Originally Posted by HokieRed

I'm rooting for Cueto 150%, but I think the height is a bigger issue than has generally been mentioned. In fact, I'm surprised it hasn't been discussed more than it has. At present, are there any right-handed starters in baseball under 6 feet tall? If there are, it's no more than a handful.

Pedro Martinez
Tim Lincecum
Roy Oswalt
Greg Maddux
Ian Snell

Those are guys off the top of my head listed at 6'0" and under.

[OldRed1966]

Cueto has been compared a lot to Mario Soto. They are very similar in stature.

[Blue]

When Bailey came back from his groin injury we saw his fastball consistently in the mid-90s, better control, and more strikeouts. I think he is more ready and still the better prospect.

[camisadelgolf]

Statistically, I think they'd produce similarly in the Majors, so in that sense, I'd say they're about equal. However, I believe Homer Bailey has more to learn, and I think that comes from having a higher ceiling.

[TRF]

Cueto does have the advantage of more innings built up. He might be more ready endurance-wise than Bailey.

[Highlifeman21]

Originally Posted by reds44

Cueto, and it's been that way for a year.

Agreed.

Cyclone once said, the C in Cueto stands for Command or Control (take your pick). The B in Bailey stands for Ball 4.

Regardless, both of them are still at least a year away from the MLB level. So, slight advantage to Cueto.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

Agreed.

the C in Cueto stands for Command or Control (take your pick). The B in Bailey stands for better stuff.

Fixed that for you.