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 Sibby Sisti |
Brock Huntzinger |
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Rookie
Posts: 36 07/21/08 9:24 AM |
How soon will Brock Huntzinger be on a plane to Greenville?
W4-L0 37IP 29SO 5BB 0.49ERA The organization normally doesn't hesitate to move a player out of Lowell quickly if he shows some consistency. |
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Forever Red 9 |
#1 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 2548 07/21/08 9:59 AM Moderator |
Splitting this out from the first hand reports thread as we could use a topic about Huntzinger.
I personally don't expect him to go anywhere. There isn't much of a difference between Lowell and Greenville in terms of talent, and I don't expect a move to Lancaster is in the works (although Almanzar to Greenville was a shocker). |
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 Arquimedez Bozo |
#2 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 4661 07/21/08 10:07 AM Moderator |
Sibby, I respectfully disagree with your statement that the team doesn't hesitate to move a player out of Lowell. Can you name any examples of that, beyond
players who were called up to fill roster spots (Lance McClain)? I can only think of Carlos Fernandez, but the only reason he was there in the first place was
that he had to learn a new position in XST, and he was called up as soon as there was an opening in Greenville (promotion of Mike Jones).
I agree he won't go anywhere, but he's got a chance to start next season in Salem in his Age 20 season. If he doesn't, he's definitely a candidate to make it there by the end of the season at the very least.
"they should go to soxprospect so that BOZO THE
CLOWN and the rest of THE WANTS TO BE will give you some information" - A SP.com Legend
"A doubleheader is better than tipping the other team off the side of a cliff." - Cin1010 |
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ddawgs28 |
#3 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 830 07/21/08 10:13 AM Veteran Member |
I think that the argument can be made that Huntzinger may face slightly more advanced competition (if not, definitely more polished) in Lowell as opposed to
Greenville. The hitters in the New York-Penn League are generally from college and have been played a couple more years than a lot of the guys in the SALLY
League. You see more guys that are a year or two out of high school in the SALLY League. Maybe it is better for his development that he face more advanced
college hitters. If the Red Sox believe this too then as AB said, you could potentially see Huntzinger in Salem next season Call me crazy if you disagree with
me, but that's just my personal opinion.
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MLBDreams |
#4 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 113 07/21/08 10:37 AM |
Brock may move up to Greenville next month if he continue dominates NYPL for his next 4-5 starts. What's the reason for holding him down in Lowell as full
season? Which ones is more sense for him to pitch next yr as Greenville or Salem?
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amfox1 |
#5 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 4670 07/21/08 10:46 AM Moderator |
2007 Lowell-to-Greenville promotions (pitchers)
Brantley New (not sure of countermove) Jimmy James (Cody McAllister to Lancaster) Chris Province (Travis Beazley to Lancaster) Chad Povich (replaced Felix Doubront) Joe Guerra (Dustin Richardson to Lancaster) I could see two of Doubront, Matsuo and Povich promoted to Lancaster in the next month, and two of Weiland, Price and Huntzinger promoted in their place. I could also see Garrison moving up to Greenville relatively soon. |
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Cem21 |
#6 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 1255 07/21/08 10:51 AM Veteran Member |
Huntzinger has been interesting. He's pretty much pounded the zone with fastballs this season. Around 75% or so in the outings I have seen and listened
to on the radio. Huntzinger has pretty good fastball command for his age. He's able to locate on the black pretty well to freeze hitters/produce weak
contact. He gets swings and misses on it up in the zone along with late foul balls. Huntzinger's fastball moves very well when it is down and hitters
have just had trouble with it in general. All the while: His fastball has been pretty much clocked 87-89. It will jump up to 90-91 on some offerings, maybe
touch 92 on a pitch, but by and large it sits around 88. It looks a lot faster. It jumps on the hitters and you'd swear it's a 95+ heater when you
see the reactions from the hitters.
His secondary pitches need a little refinement and that is why I personally think you'll see him spend the season at Lowell. He's thrown his slider, but off the top of my head, I can't remember it being thrown for a strike. Usually it is down in the dirt and when it has been in the zone it's more of a slurve. He's gotten good results when it is down in the dirt. Huntzinger's change is raw. Best way to describe it. Not much in terms of seperation from his fastball. Sometimes, it is tough to tell if it is actually a change up because it has come in at 85 with the previous fastball being 88. I like how he has been stretched out this season as he has gotten up around 80 pitches and gone 6 innings in outings this season. I think whether he starts in Salem next year will depend on much improvement his secondary pitches make from now through ST next year. It's just my thought, but I wouldn't place him in A+ until the change gets a little more refined. I think advanced hitters will be able to make more solid contact off his fastball at it's present stage and lay off his slider unless it is shown for a strike on occasion. |
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GloveMasterFlex |
#7 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 2087 07/21/08 10:52 AM Veteran Member |
ddawgs28 wrote: I don't know if anyone will call you crazy...there's not a huge different talent-wise at this point in the season between the NY-Penn League and the SAL as others have said, and so there's very little reason to promote Huntzinger to Greenville at this point. I'd like to see him at Salem next year too. It's aggressive, but not actually that aggressive given Huntzinger's domination of the NYPL. And although the Sox have been tentative pushing pitchers up to Lancaster the last couple years, I think they'll be a little more willing to push them to the Carolina League.
Last Edited By: GloveMasterFlex 07/21/08 11:00 AM.
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nationinthesouth |
#8 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 1483 07/21/08 11:18 AM Veteran Member |
Cem, I know you have seen Huntzinger pitch and assuming you have seen Bowden how do you compare or contrast the two? Are the similar as far as stuff? Like
Bowden it appears Huntzinger has an advanced feel for pitching at a young age. Bowden seems to be a guy that pitches above his arsenal and has to prove himself
as he advances because of it. Looks like Huntzinger will have the same issues.
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ChuckZ |
#9 | |||
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Rookie
Posts: 61 07/21/08 11:24 AM |
I know Huntzinger will never be a true power pitcher, but I'd like to see him add 2-3 mph to his fastball and have it sit in the 91 range over the next few
years. If he can do that and continue to command it the way he does, I could see him being successful at higher levels, but I just worry about guys at higher
levels that don't have better fastball velocity. Not saying he needs to get up to 95 or anything like that, but consistently 90-91 would be good from him.
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Quintanariffic |
#10 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 1061 07/21/08 11:24 AM Veteran Member |
Can we please put to bed the notion that there isn't much difference between the NYP-L and Greenville? Of all the players I can recall spending time in
both leagues in the same season, the vast majority of them put up notably better numbers in Lowell than in Greenville. Doubrant, CFO, Bates immediately come
to mind. I'm sure I'm missing a few, but the numbers don't seem to bear out that the leagues are close to being equivalent.
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Final line for Bard: 3IP, 3H, 6ER, 3/1 K/BB, 1HRA, 3HB, 4WP, 5SBA, 1 groin - amfox1 |
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Cem21 |
#11 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 1255 07/21/08 11:58 AM Veteran Member |
nationinthesouth wrote: That's an interesting comparison and a nice discussion piece, Nation. I think they are similar in that they both have a good feel for their fastball at
a young age. You don't hear the dreaded "fastball command" in regards to their development thus far. Bowden's fastball has seemed heavier
the two times I have seen him. Huntzinger's sneaks up on hitters more and runs some when it is down in the zone coming in around 87. When it has been 91
or touched 92 it has been up in the zone. I don't remember the velocity reports when Bowden was in Greenville, but I would be inclined to guess his was
harder at the same age. Bowden can also reach back and throw it by guys. Secondary stuff is slider/change vs. curve/change. Delivery wise, Huntzinger has
more of a traditional delivery. It's more rhythm based as Bowden's delivery is a bit different than anyone else I've seen. It seems that
Huntzinger's delivery leads to his fastball looking faster than it is as the ball comes out of his uniform, but that is not to say Bowden doesn't hide
the ball well.
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Titans Bastard |
#12 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 182 07/21/08 2:01 PM Veteran Member |
It would be a pretty big deal for Huntzinger to skip Greenville altogether next year.
Only a few college guys have done that recently -- Hottovy, Johnson, Masterson, Papelbon. Abe Alvarez skipped from Lowell to AA. Even Buchholz spent time at Greenville. The only guy in Huntzinger's age bracket to skip low-A the next year was Anibal Sanchez. Huntzinger is having a great year, but he hasn't been showing the dominance that Sanchez did -- and is fourth months younger than Sanchez was at th time. 11.9 vs 7.1 K/9, too. Huntzinger seems pretty polished but doesn't have Sanchez's stuff. I am wary of NY-P guys with decent but not great K rates. It's a pitcher's league and many a Sox Prospect has been overrated based on Lowell numbers. Now some of those guys had worse stuff -- Alvarez, Hottovy, Dobies -- but Huntzinger doesn't have epic stuff either. He'll be well served by a stint with Greenville in 2008, with a view to a mid-season promotion. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOSTON????????????? I HATE BOSTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -gilly1178 upon hearing that Billy Traber was claimed off waivers by the Sox |
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templeUsox |
#13 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 12152 07/21/08 2:55 PM Moderator |
While Boston is known for big spending in the draft, they've also done well with their more 'standard' picks, for lack of a better term. They didn't pay extra for Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, or Michael Bowden in 2005, or for Justin Masterson the following year. Last year's third-round pick who signed for a slot-level $225,000 bonus, Huntzinger is a big, projectable right-hander from Indiana with excellent command of low-90s fastball, a slider that flashes plus, and a changeup still in the developmental stages. That combination has been one of the stories of the New York-Penn League this year, as Huntzinger went six one-hit innings on Sunday to lower his ERA to a minuscule 0.49 in seven starts for the Spinners. In all seven outings, Huntziner has gone five-plus innings, allowing one run only once, and has yet to give up more hits than innings pitched as the league is batting .154 against him. That kind of consistency is hard to find at this level, and he's another name to know in a very good system.Future Shock
BRING REESE HOME
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GloveMasterFlex |
#14 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 2087 07/21/08 2:56 PM Veteran Member |
Titans Bastard wrote: I could see this. The way I was looking at it was that jumping someone to the Carolina League is very different than jumping them to the Cal League, but I I
could also see Huntzinger starting in Greenville but being promoted earlier than most pitchers if he performs at a high level/meets his developmental goals.
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Sibby Sisti |
#15 | |||
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Rookie
Posts: 36 07/21/08 4:10 PM |
Arquimedez Bozo wrote: Chris Province, Bubba Bell, Felix Doubront, Aaron Bates are a few who come to mind. |
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DaveMLB |
#16 | |||
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Rookie
Posts: 18 07/21/08 4:34 PM |
Just so people have a little better idea of Huntzinger's fastball. He threw 95 in high school and now is sitting at around 91/92 in the starts I have seen
him. The Red Sox are trying to get him to throw more over the top like a ferris wheel and not laterally like a merry go round if that makes sense. He is
expected to get his velocity back up to mid-90's as he gets used to the new mechanics more and more.
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ArodSucksAtLife |
#17 | |||
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Veteran Member
Posts: 2520 07/21/08 4:48 PM Veteran Member |
This kid needs to punch Joey Gathright in the face right quick as I'm becoming enamored.
I'd love to lick the tears off of Joba's face... I'm sure they taste like sweet golden
candy...-CheapSeats61
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adamxc12 |
#18 | |||
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Rookie
Posts: 21 07/21/08 5:15 PM |
DaveMLB wrote: That's good to hear. He's been putting up some pretty gaudy stats but I was under the impression that he was consistently in the 88-90 range. For me it's hard to get excited about a guy as young/raw as him with such a below average fastball. |
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cfunkrenegade |
#19 | |||
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Rookie
Posts: 72 07/22/08 11:07 AM |
adamxc12 wrote: While the speed is below average, it sounds like he does a great job with deception with his fastball. That, combined with his above average control of it,
makes for a good fastball if you ask me. Obviously, the question will be how more advanced hitters respond to it. I think it's pretty impressive to have
such good control of his fastball at such a young age after having his delivery tweaked, IMHO.
Also, thanks to Cem for the excellent analysis, as usual. |
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AMarshal2 |
#20 | |||
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Moderator Veteran Member
Posts: 7562 07/22/08 12:56 PM Moderator |
DaveMLB wrote: As Cem and I have mentioned a couple times, someone in the Red Sox org told us exactly this at a Spinners game. He said in his final 4 starts or so leading up to the draft he was regularly touching 95 and sitting in the low 90's. His fastball was mostly high 80's when we saw him but that's encouraging. If he gets his velocity back up in a year or two then he probably has a ceiling as a mid-rotation starter given his fastball command and average slider (which would make him a prospect of similar regard as Bowden is now). Obviously we'll have to adjust depending on how that pitch and his change-up develop. link (free!)
"Since I stole that base I have not gone one day -- not one -- without someone coming and saying 'thank you.' You may never experience that, and I have it for life." -Dave Roberts
Last Edited By: AMarshal2 07/22/08 1:05 PM.
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