Chart Observations: 8/7 MIL @ HOU

1) Carlos Villanueva: 72 pitches. 6 strikes swinging. Fastball (4th), 4 Sliders (2 in 1st, 2nd, 5th), Changeup (4th)

• Villanueva came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with above average run in on righties, a 1-7 slider with above average bite, a change with good fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties and a 12-6 curve with above average depth that is more of a get-ahead pitch. He can have bouts of wildness and his slider is his out pitch.

1st: FB (86-90), CU (80-82), SL (82), CB (73)

2nd: FB (87-89), CU (80-82), SL (79-82)

3rd: FB (87-89), CU (81), SL (79-81), CB (74)

4th: FB (87-90), CU (80-81), SL (79-81), CB (73)

5th: FB (87-89), CU (79-81), SL (78-81), CB (74)

6th: CU (79), CB (72)

2) Bud Norris: 105 pitches. 14 strikes swinging. 4 Fastballs (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th), 7 Cutters (2nd, 3 in 3rd, 3 in 4th), 3 Changeups (1st, 2 in 6th)

• Norris is a 6-0, 225 pound righty. The 24 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out with big thighs and has that short and stocky like build. He came from a high 3/4 release and was primarily fastball-cutter. His fastball has a little run in on righties while his cutter has solid cut. His change has above average fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties, but he struggles to command it and doesn't have a lot of confidence in it. His changeup will play at this level and if he develops a feel for it, he can be a pretty sound # 2 starter. His command overall is fairly good and he will be able to translate to the pen and be a set-up guy if all else fails.

1st: FB (92-95), Cut (86-89), CU (86)

2nd: FB (93-95), Cut (87-90)

3rd: FB (92-94), Cut (87-88)

4th: FB (92-95), Cut (85-88), CU (85-87)

5th: FB (92-94), Cut (86-89)

6th: FB (92-96), Cut (88-91), CU (85-88)

3) Mark DiFelice: 15 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• DiFelice came from a 3/4 release and showed a cutter with good cut.

6th: Cut (82-84)

4) Claudio Vargas: 7 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Vargas came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a little sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

7th: FB (88-91), SL (81)

5) Chris Sampson: 16 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Sampson came from a high 3/4 release and showed a 2-7 slider with solid bite, a fastball with some run in on righties and a 12-7 curve with average depth.

7th: FB (88-90), SL (80-83), CB (78-80)

6) Tim Byrdak: 8 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Byrdak came from a 3/4 release with a 9-4 slider with solid bite, a fastball with a little run in on lefties and a flat 9-4 curve that can just hang.

7th: FB (90-91), SL (82-83), CB (77)

7) Jeff Fulchino: 17 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (7th, 8th), Splitter (7th)

• Fulchino came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with good bite, a fastball with good run in on righties and a splitter with above average dive.

7th: FB (91-94), SL (82), Split (82)

8th: FB (91-94), SL (81-83), Split (82-83)

8) Jesus Colome: 10 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Colome came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (93-95), SL (86)

9) Jose Valverde: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Valverde came from a 3/4 release and showed a splitter with above average dive and a straight 4-seam fastball with a little run in on righties.

9th: FB (95-98), Split (86)

TOR @ WAS

• Ricky Romero comes from a high 3/4 release. His fastball had good run and sink and some run in on lefties. His change shows good fade and sink and is his best off-speed pitch. It is his out pitch and flashes excellent sink. It looks like a fastball out of his hand. His slider can be loopy/slurvy or it can be sharp and somewhat resemble his change. His curveball is a big breaking 11-5 with good depth. Solid # 3 starter who could be a 2.

1st: FB (89-93), CU (82-85), SL (81-82)

2nd: FB (90-94), CU (82-87), CB (76-79)

3rd: FB (89-93), CU (83-85), SL (81-84), CB (75-77)

4th: FB (90-93), CU (84), CB (76)

5th: FB (91-93), CU (83-85), SL (83-85), CB (78)

6th: FB (88-93), CU (80-84), CB (74-79)

7th: FB (89-94), CU (82-84), SL (83-85), CB (76)

• Shairon Martis came from a 3/4 release with a fastball that had good run and sink, a change that looks like a fastball out of his hand until it drops off the table and it shows excellent sink and some fade, though it can be inconsistent and a 2-7 slider with some bite. His command can be erratic and he is no better then a # 4 starter for both now and the future.

1st: FB (88-93), SL (82-83), CU (81-87)

2nd: FB (86-90), SL (84-86), CU (78-81)

3rd: FB (88-91), SL (84), CU (82)

4th: FB (86-90), SL (81-83), CU (79-83)

5th: FB (87-91), SL (86), CU (80-82)

• Jesus Colome came from a 3/4 release with a fairly straight 4-seam fastabll that flashed some late run to righties and a 2-7 slider with okay bite. Could pitch for the Nats, Padres and maybe Indians.

6th: FB (93-95), SL (84-89)

• Kip Wells came from an over the top, almost high 3/4 release. His fastball has some late run and sink. His change is a straight change with some sink that he will throw to righties. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with some bite.

7th: FB (92-94), CU (85-87), SL (85-86)

8th: FB (91-94), CU (86-87)

• Jeremy Accardo came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good fade and sink. After battling his way back from injury and the minors, he went down with what appeared to be maybe a back injury to my un trained eye.

8th: FB (92-93)

• Brandon League came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run and some sink and a split with great dive that is his out pitch. He is an enigma, as he has swing and miss stuff but struggles to consistently get hitters out.

8th: FB (92-94), Split (83-85)

• Joel Hanrahan came from an over the top release and struggled. His fastball is a straight 4-seam, his slider is a 2-7 pitch that has flattened out and his change is a straight change with some sink. I still like him due to his fastball velocity, but his slider needs to come back.

9th: FB (92-95), SL (82-85), CU (85)

• Jesse Carlson also struggled. The sidearming lefty showed a fastball with good late sink and a 10-5 slider with good downward bite. He also threw a change with some fade and sink. He left too many belt high fastballs in to the Nats hitters and they made him pay.

9th: FB (87-89), SL (78-81), CU (82)

• Jason Frasor comes from an over the top release with a 4-seam fastball that flashes some run and a 2-7 slider with some bite.

9th: FB (94-95), SL (85-86)

Off tomorrow. We play the other supposed top team in our baseball league for the 1st of 3 straight times tomorrow.

Chart Observations: WAS @ NYM

• John Lannan started for the Nats. The 24 year old left hander who stands 6-4, 215 has a big frame with room to add a little more muscle. From a high 3/4, almost over the top release, he featured a fastball at 85-89, a curveball at 70-76, a slider at 81-82 and a changeup at 80-82. His fastball has good run and a little sink and is an average offering. His slider is a 10-4 offering with good depth and is a slightly above average pitch. His chnageup moves like a 2-seamer and is just a little slower and is also just an average pitch. His curveball is an 11-5 offering that can be a little loopy and that is also average. He really fights himself to try and keep his fastball down and tends to miss armside with his pitches. He is a nibbler who prefers to stay on the inside or outside corners. Most of his fastballs are aimed at the knees on the outside corner and he hits the spot quite often. He is a # 4 starter right now, who could grow into a # 3. It also isn't out of the realm of possibility to see him add enough muscle to get up to 89-91 consistently with his fastball.
• John Maine is a 28 year old who stands 6-4, 200. The right hander has a big frame with room to add a lot more muscle. From a 3/4 release, Maine showed a fastball at 89-93, a slider at 85-87 and a changeup at 82-87. His fastball has a little fade to it and is a slightly above average pitch due to its velocity. His changeup shows good fade and sink and is an above average offering. His slider shows good bite and late drop and is a 2-7 type pitch that is above average. Maine's struggles aren't with his stuff, it is with his command. He struggles to command his fastball and has a tendency to leave it up (bad) and in the middle of the plate (double bad). He likes to throw his slider with 2 strikes and starts it at the knees on the inside corner to lefties (or outside corner to righties) and have the natural movement take it out of the zone. He misses his spots more then any pitcher I have seen this year, constantly throwing outside fastballs when the catcher wants it in and vice versa. To left handers, he likes to throw sliders in and changes away. Maine is a # 3 starter right now with ace potential still with his frame and his command struggles. He likely won't start throwing any harder, though it wouldn't be crazy to see him at 92-94 consistently in a couple year. Will he ever solve his command issues and take that next step to be a # 2?
• Jesus Colome is a 31 year old who stands 6-2, 240. The right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a low 3/4, almost side arm, release he showed a fastball at 92-95 and a slider at 87-90. His slider has more bite to it then side to side movement, but it can flatten out at times. It is a sharp and late breaking pitch with 3-7 type movement when on. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. Both his pitches are above average, but he has a tendency to fall behind hitters and throw that 4-seam over the middle of the plate. Looks like a solid middle reliever who has a drop and drive delivery from the stretch.
• Bobby Parnell had some command issues. His fastball showed good fade and sink. From his high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 93-98 and a slider at 84-86. His slider showed very good bite and is a 2-7 type pitch. He has a classic drop and drive delivery with a big leg kick. His slider flashes plus. He will over throw his fastball, causing him to leave it up. He really struggled with his control in this outing and wasn't missing by much, but continued to nibble and didn't make an adjustment to throw more over the middle of the plate.
• Pedro Feliciano is a 32 year old left hander who stands 5-10, 190. He has a small frame that is maxed out. From a sidearm release, he showed a fastball at 88 and a slider at 82-84. His slider is a frisbee slider and is a 9-4 type offering. Fastball shows some sink and a little fade. He generates very good deception and throws across his body a little bit. A good LOOGY and is a good # 1 lefty to have in a pen.
• J.J. Putz is a 32 year old who stand 6-5, 250. The right hander has a big frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 92-95, a splitter at 83-86 and a slider at 85. His fastball showed good fade and some sink. He was flying open mechanically in his 2nd inning of work, causing him to lose command of his fastball. Splitter has excellent fade, but only average bite. His slider is a 1-7 offering that shows good bite. His splitter is every where from average to plus. Good top set-up man who could probably still close right now.
• Daniel Cabrera is a 27 year old who stands 6-9, 260. The right hander has a big frame that is maxed out. From an over the top release, he showed a fastball at 88-92 and a slider at 76-80. His fastball is a straight 4-seam that flashes some fade. His slider is a 11-6 offering that shows some late bite, but is just an average offering and is very inconsistent. He struggles to repeate his mechanics and will throw 40 foot sliders. He is hell for catchers, as he has no idea where the ball is going once he releases it and he spikes quite a few pitches. He is done, but you will likely hear from him again in a couple years.
• Jason Bergmann showed a fastball at 92 and a curveball at 75-77 from a high 3/4 release. The curveball is a 12-6 breaker with average break and bite. His fastball is a 2-seam with excellent fade. Solid middle reliever.
• Kip Wells is a 32 year old who stands 6-3, 205. The right hander has a medium to big frame that looks like it can add more muscle, especially on the lower half. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 92-96 and a slider at 86. His fastball shows above average fade and solid sink and is an above average offering. His slider is sharp with late break and is a 3-9 type pitch that is also above average. I don't think it is out of the realm of possibility for him to turn into a closer.
• Francisco Rodriguez is a 26 year old who stands 6-0, 195. The right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4, almost over the top release he showed a fastball at 92-95, a curveball at 80-83 and a changeup at 83-87. The fastball shows above average fade and a little sink and is an above average offering. His curveball is sharp with late break and is a 12-6 offering that is above average. His changeup has excellent dive and has above average fade and just disappears and is a plus pitch. He has a max effort delivery and will likely be a strong closer for another couple of years.