Chart Observations: 8/17 MIN @ TEX

1) Francisco Liriano: 61 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 3 Sliders (all in 1st), Changeup (1st), Fastball (2nd)

• Liriano came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 11-5 slider with good bite, a change with some fade from righties with a little sink and a fastball with some run in on lefties with sink. He will throw 2-0 sliders and 3-1 changeups and sliders. The slider is his out pitch and he will normally throw it gloveside and bounce it in the dirt just after the plate.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (81-86), CU (81-84)

2nd: FB (88-91), SL (83-85), CU (84)

2) Tommy Hunter: 101 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), 4 Curveballs (2nd, 4th, 2 in 5th), Cutter (2nd), Changeup (5th)

• Hunter came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with above average run in on righties with some sink, a power 12-6 curve with average depth, a cutter with some cut and sink and a change with good fade from lefties and a little sink that he will throw to righties. He throws both a get-me over and out pitch curves. He likes to go high fastball and then curveball for a strike when he is ahead in the count 0-2.

1st: FB (88-91), Cut (88-89), CB (80)

2nd: FB (88-91), Cut (86-89), CB (74-79), CU (80)

3rd: FB (86-90), Cut (89), CU (78-80)

4th: FB (86-88), CB (75-80), CU (80)

5th: FB (86-92), Cut (88-90), CB (74-77), CU (79)

6th: FB (85-88), Cut (87-89), CB (75-78), CU (78-80)

3) Bob Keppel: 47 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (2 in 3rd, 5th), Slider (3rd)

• Keppel came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 2-7 slider with some bite, a 12-6 curve with average dpeth and a change with good fade from lefties with solid sink that he will throw to righties.

3rd: FB (91-93), SL (85-88)

4th: FB (92-93), SL (87), CB (77-78), CU (86)

5th: FB (92-94), SL (85-87), CB (77-80), CU (84)

6th: FB (92-93), SL (87), CB (79), CU (84)

4) Jose Mijares: 24 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (both in 7th), 2 Changeups (both in 7th)

• Mijares came from a high 3/4 release and showed a loopy 11-5 slider with good bite, a change with some fade from righties with solid sink that he will throw to lefties and a fastball with some tail in on righties.

6th: FB (89-92), SL (79-82), CU (83-84)

7th: FB (91-93), SL (79-84), CU (81-82)

5) Darren O'Day: 15 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Slider.

• O'Day came from a sidearm release and showed a 3-8 slider with little bite and a fastball with good run in on righties with some sink.

6th: FB (84-87), SL (75-78)

6) Neftali Feliz: 26 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (all in 7th)

• Feliz came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a change with good fade from lefties with good sink. He has real easy arm action and for info on his data, go to the Futures Game scouting reports for the World roster.

6th: FB (92-96), CB (77)

7th: FB (91-97), CB (79), CU (85-90)

7) Matt Guerrier: 12 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Guerrier came from a high 3/4 release with a slider with 2-7 bite, a fastball with some run in on righties, a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties.

7th: FB (89-91), SL (85), CB (77-78), CU (80)

8) Brian Duensing: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider, Changeup.

• Duensing came from a high 3/4 release and showed a straight change with some late fade from righties, a 11-5 curve with above average depth, a fastball with some tail in on righties and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (90-92), CU (82-83), SL (80-81), CB (71-75)

9) Jason Jennings: 15 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Jennings came from an over the top release and shwoed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a 1-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (88-90), SL (82-83)

10) C.J. Wilson: 4 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Wilson came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 11-5 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (94), SL (86)

11) Frank Francisco: 10 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Francisco came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a sharp 12-6 curve with above average depth.

9th: FB (92-94), CB (80)

Chart Observations: MIN @ TB, Yankees Win

• David Price is a 23 year old left hander who stands 6-6, 225. He has a big frame that can add a little more muscle, but not much. He attacks from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam that has a little run. His slider is a very sharp 10-4 offering with good depth. His changeup is straight and below average. He rocks back in the windup at the balance point and then explodes to the plate. Price is a potential # 1 starter, as he just used a FB-SL until the 6th when he threw 2 changes. If he can develop another off-speed offering to use occasionally (he is also working on a curveball), he will reach it. Another interesting note is everytime he threw his slowest pitches of the inning to the 1st batter he faced and threw harder the longer the inning went. He needs to fix that.

1st: FB (91-97), SL (89-91)

2nd: FB (91-96), SL (86-88)

3rd: FB (91-96), SL (84-88)

4th: FB (89-94), SL (85-87)

5th: FB (90-97), SL (87-89)

6th: FB (91-97), SL (86-88), CU (84-87

• Francisco Liriano, a 25 year old who stands 6-2, 225 opposed him. Liriano is a left hander with a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from a 3/4 release and shows a fastball that is a straight 4-seam, a changeup that looks like the fastball out of his hand until it drops off the table and a sharp 10-4 slider. Liriano's issue is the hype around him and his command. At his current velocities, Liriano is a middle of the rotation starter. If he can get back up to sitting in the mid 90's, then he is an ace. His command within the strike zone also needs to improve, as he leaves too many pitches in the middle of the plate. Upside of an ace, but likely a # 3.

1st: FB (90-91), SL (85-88), CU (80-85)

2nd: FB (89-93), SL (83-87), CU (83-84)

3rd: FB (90-93), SL (85-89), CU (83-85)

4th: FB (89-92), SL (83-87), CU (83-86)

• R.A. Dickey is a 34 year old knuckleballer who stands 6-2, 215. The right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From an over the top release, he shows a knuckleball (why describe it when the catcher doesn't even know where it is going? The first one he threw, Joe Mauer completely whiffed and it him on his knee protectors), a 2-seam fastball with good fade and a straight change with a little fade. Who knows if he is useful? There are worse 12th men in the pen in the majors.

5th: KNU (70-79), FB (84-85)

6th: KNU (69-77), FB (83-85)

7th: KNU (74-77), FB (83-84), CU (79)

8th: KNU (72-79), FB (84-86), CU (73-77)

• Grant Balfour is a 31 year old who stands 6-2, 195. The right hander has a medium frame that looks to be maxed out. He attacks from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball, a 2-8 slider that looks flatter then last year and a 12-6 curve. Both his offspeed pitches are just average and he has had issues with his command, though he didn't show them in this outing. Appears to be a reliable middle reliever who pitched over his head last year as their top setup man.

6th: FB (91-93), SL (85)

7th: FB (90-94), CB (81)

8th: FB (91-94), SL (86)

9th: FB (91-93), SL (84)

• Randy Choate is back in the big leagues. The 33 year old left hander stands 6-1, 200. He has a medium frame that has room to add more muscle, though expecting it too is probably a bad idea. The sidearmer featured a fastball with good run and sink and a 9-4 frisbee slider. Opens up his delivery as he steps toward third base as opposed to the plate, which has to give lefties a little better view of his pitches. As a 2nd lefty in a pen, you could do worse. But, is he more valuable then another righty? I think he continues to bounce around the bus to AAA.

9th: FB (86-89), SL (78-79)

• Northern Yankees won something like 9-4. I went 2-5 with a double and changed my stance and it worked much better against some of the slower pitching we see. I pitched the final 2 innings (we were tied at 4 after 5, we play 7 innings) and they were perfect frames with 3 strikeouts.

Tomorrow is another busy day. Have a chart, a baseball game at 530 or something like that and a 10:10 score featuring my 3rd look at Billy Buckner as a starter (in 3 chances) against what was supposed to be Clayton Kershaw, but has been changed to Hiroki Kuroda, as he makes his 1st start since coming off the DL. Who wants to watch one of the best lefties in the game anyways?

Chart Observations: SEA @ MIN

• King Felix Hernandez started for the Mariners and did not have his best stuff. He also grimaced noticeably on the mound. Hernandez did not throw many curveballs, which I think may be his best (and most underutilized pitch) in favor of more changeup to the left handed heavy Twins lineup. Hernandez was sitting at 91-95 with his fastball, a mid 80's slider, a high 80's changeup that doesn't move much and a low 80's curveball. Felix is still amongst the best pitchers in the game irregardless of this one outing and is still a # 1 starter for a contender.
• Francisco Liriano opposed him (those 2 start and the final is 9-6?). Liriano pitched well through the 1st 3 innings, but then struggled to command his fastball to get ahead of hitters to set-up his plus changeup. Liriano was 90-92 with his fastball and threw a mid 80's slider and low 80's change. Liriano had right handers flailing at his changeup and lefties struggled to contact the slider, but with his velocity in the low 90's and struggling to command it, hitters were able to get into fastball counts.
• Sean White showed me an off-speed pitch in addition to his fastball sitting at 91-94. He threw a low 80's changeup and a low 80's curveball. Neither of these pitches were very special. White has a plus fastball, but has command issues and still appears to be looking for a 2nd pitch. Safeco can only cover up so much, but this kid appears to be a decent 10th guy in the bullpen.
• Denny Stark is currently in the middle of his obligatory 2-week call-up he gets every season. Stark actually featured a fastball at 91-95, much harder then I thought he threw. He also showed a mid 80's slider and mid 80's changeup. The fastball velocity helps explain why he keeps getting chances, but his lack of command coupled with no other real above average offering explains why he keeps riding the bus from Seattle to Tacoma.
• David Aardsma continues to showcase himself, sitting at 92-95 with his hard 4-seamer and was popping in sliders at 81-84. Aardsma has always had the stuff to close. A strong reliever when his command is right, has he finally figured it out?
• Miguel Batista attacked hitters with a fastball at 92-94, a cutter at 86-88 and a changeup at 79. His velocity is back and his cutter has enough movement for hitters to not square it up. I still think he is a little over exposed as a set-up man, but a middle reliever that can give you 2 or 3 innings at a time to bridge a gap are valuable (just not as valuable as what they are currently paying him).
• Luis Ayala was one of the pitchers that I have tabbed to regress this season. He pitched with a fastball at 89-91 and a slider and changeup that sat in the low to mid 80's. Ayala's slider just doesn't seem to have the same bite as it used to and he has begun to mix in more changeups (a fairly straight pitch and is a little below average) and his moving 2-seam fastball. I just don't see how he can last the full season in the pen.
• Matt Guerrier went after guys with a fastball at 90-91, a slider at 82-85, a curveball at 77-78 and a changeup at 83. His fastball is just average, but his slider and curveball are each above average pitches while his changeup drops just enough to make a hitter swing over the top of it. His plus command also allows his pitches to play up. Still think he is more of a middle reliever then an 8th inning guy.
• Joe Nathan didn't show too much of his formerly over-powering slider. He still features a plus fastball (93-95), but the slider was everywhere radar gun wise (82-87) and he also threw a slightly above average curveball (81-83). He is still a quality closer and is amongst the best in baseball and I think his slider will bounce back soon enough.

MIN @ DET

• Francisco Liriano had command and control of his 3 pitch mix (a low to mid 90's fastball, mid 80's slider, mid 80's change) and used it to keep Detroit off balance all night. He is starting to round into his old form. One more step up in his command of his off-speed stuff and he will be back to being the Johan Santana replacement the Twins thought they had.
• Edwin Jackson also looked very good. Jackson attacked hitters with a mid 90's fastball, a low 80's curveball, a high 80's slider and a mid 80's change. Jackson generates easy velocity in a clean motion. He attacks from a high 3/4 release. Jackson was I guy who I figured was primed for a breakout moving to a pitchers park in Comerica and he has not disappointed. He is a legitimate # 2 right now and I think this is his ceiling.
• Matt Guerrier attacked hitters with an average low 90's fastball, an above average mid 80's slider and an above average low 80's curve. Solid middle and set-up reliever and he also is likely pitching at his ceiling right now.
• Brandon Lyon didn't look good with his low 90's sinker and low 70's curveball. He only threw those 2 pitches (and 2 total), but hit a batter and allowed a squeeze bunt attempt.
• Clay Rapada is your typical sidearming LOOGY candidate. He features a mid 80's fastball and low 70's sweeping slider. There isn't a whole lot of difference between him and Javier Lopez except for the track record. Who knows if he can be a LOOGY? All it takes is one year of throwing well to lefties to establish a reputation. He has the talent to be one if his command can improve a little.
• Ryan Perry features a hard, high 90's fastball and a low 80's slider. The fastball is plus and his slider is a big breaker that is just average. He has some struggles with his command in the zone and his control to get the ball there. I personally think he was rushed, but Detroit is trying to win now and he is definitely one of their better relievers. If he develops his command, he is a closer. If not, he may be a Jorge Julio/Greg Aquino type reliever.
• Denard Span had a very good night at the plate, going 4-5. He has a very quiet set-up and his bat head stays in the zone for a long time. He has definitely turned a corner and can be a starting CF and lead-off hitter in this league for a long time.

Got an extra chart followed by an extra score of Houston and Washington at 12:30. Features Roy Oswalt and Scott Olsen.