Extra Reports: 5/4: LAA @ OAK

• Joe Saunders is a 28 year old left hander who stands 6-3, 210. His medium to big frame appears to be maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, the left hander featured a straight 4-seam fastball, a changeup with good fade and sink and a curveball with some bite and is on the same plane as his fastball, causing a lot of check swings and allowing it to play up. His fastball is average, while both his off-speed pitches are above average offerings. He takes advantage of the Angels speed and pitches to contact, rarely walking or striking out hitters. A solid # 4 starter for another couple of years, but these types of lefties tend to have a very small margin for error and as soon as his fastball velocity dips, he is screwed.

Saunders Inning By Inning:

1st: FB (88-92), CU (83), CB (75)

2nd: FB (87-92), CU (82), CB (77)

• I only watched 2 innings of this game because I was unimpressed with Brett Anderson. A 21 year old lefty, he stands 6-4, 215 and his big frame can add a little more muscle. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a slurvy slider, a straight 4-seam fastball, a 11-5 curve and a change. His slider was a 11-4 offering. His curveball was a big breaking pitch that had a lot of drop, but can not serve as a strikeout pitch. His changeup has some fade, but is just an average offering. He has just average command (like a Japanese pitcher, his ability to hit spots may have been overhyped) and he has a tendency to leave pitches up in the zone. Everything the Angels hit, they hit hard. You can't give up on a 21 year old pitching in the majors, but I just don't know what upside is left to him. I can't really see him sitting consistently at 90 as I don't know think there is that much more muscle to be added. He has an average fastball, average slider, average curve and average change. Back of the rotation starter right now and I will project him to remain a # 4 or # 5. It is very hard for me to say that a 21 year old in his first taste of the bigs only projects as a # 4 or # 5, but he had that much struggles in this outing.

Anderson Inning By Inning:

1st: FB (87-91), CB (76), SL (82-84)

2nd: FB (88-92), SL (82-84), CU (82-85)

• Times to 1st

Maicer Izturis: 4.3 (RH)

Howie Kendrick: 4.4