Chart Observations: 9/18 TOR @ TB

1) James Shields: 97 pitches. (FB, CU, Cut, CB). 12 strikes swinging. 4 Fastballs, 4 Changeups, 3 Cutters, Curveball.

• Shields came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a change with good fade from lefties and above average sink that he will throw to righties and in 3-2 counts, a cutter with some cut and some sink and a sharp 12-6 curve with average depth.

1st: FB (90-92), CU (81-83), Cut (87-91), CB (80) - CU (Wells), Cut (Wells)

2nd: FB (91-94), CU (82-83), Cut (87-90) - 2 Cut (Barajas, Snider)

3rd: FB (91-93), CU (81-84), Cut (89-90), CB (80) - 3 FB (McDonald, Bautista - 2), 2 CU (Wells, Bautista), CB (Wells)

4th: FB (90-92), CU (81-83), Cut (88-89), CB (79) - FB (Barajas)

5th: FB (90-92), CU (81-82), Cut (87-88) - CU (Hill)

6th: FB (90-91), CU (81-82), Cut (87-89), CB (78)

2) Scott Richmond: 63 pitches. (FB, SL, CB, CU). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Richmond 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 good bite, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties and a little sink.

1st: FB (90-91), SL (82), CB (76-77) - FB (Longoria)

2nd: FB (89-92), SL (82-84), CB (73-79) - FB (Aybar)

3rd: FB (89-92), SL (81-84), CB (78-80), CU (83)

3) Brian Wolfe: 36 pitches. (FB, CB, Cut). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Wolfe came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth, a cutter with some cut and a change with some fade from lefties and some sink.

3rd: FB (90-94), CB (78-82), Cut (91) - 2 FB (Zaun, Upton)

4th: FB (90-94), CB (79-80), Cut (90-91), CU (83)

4) Dirk Hayhurst: 57 pitches. (FB, SL, CB, CU). 6 strikes swinging. 3 Changeups, 2 Fastballs, Slider.

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

4th: FB (87-90), CB (73-74), CU (79-80) - FB (Zaun)

5th: FB (87-89), CB (70-73), CU (77-79), SL (78-79) - CU (Bartlett), SL (Upton)

6th: FB (86-88), CB (72-73), CU (78-80), SL (79) - FB (Aybar), 2 CU (Crawford, Longoria)

5) Josh Roenicke: 32 pitches. (FB, Cut, SL, CU). 5 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters, 2 Changeups, Fastball.

• Roenicke came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a change with some fade from lefties and some sink, a cutter with good cut and some sink and a sharp 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth.

7th: FB (92-93), Cut (89), CU (84) - Cut (Gross)

8th: FB (92-93), Cut (86-88), CU (83-84), CB (79-80) - FB (Aybar), Cut (Bartlett), 2 CU (Aybar, Crawford)

6) Dan Wheeler: 17 pitches. (FB, CU, SL, CB). 3 strikes swinging. Fastball, Cutter, Curveball.

• Wheeler came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a cutter with a little cut and sink, a 1-7 slider with good bite, a 12-6 curve with average depth and a change with some fade from lefties and some sink.

7th: FB (86-90), CU (83), SL (77-80), CB (75-76), Cut (82-84) - FB (Wells), Cut (Bautista), CB (Wells)

7) Russ Springer: 8 pitches. (FB, Cut, CB, CU). 3 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs.

• Springer came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink and a cutter with good cut and some sink.

8th: FB (92-93), Cut (85) - 3 FB (Ruiz - 3)

8) Randy Choate: 8 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Choate came from a sidearm release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a sweeping 9-4 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (87-88), SL (77-79) - FB (Snider)

9) Grant Balfour: 16 pitches. (FB, SL, CB, CU). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Balfour came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a 12-6 curve with average depth.

9th: FB (93-96), CB (82) - 2 FB (McDonald - 2)

Phillips Pop Time: 1.9

Chart Observations: 9/14 TOR @ DET

1) David Purcey: 96 pitches. (FB, SL, CB, CU). 7 strikes swinging. 5 Fastballs, 2 Changeups.

• Purcey came from a high 3/4 release and showed a pretty straight 4-seam fastball, a straight change with some sink that he will throw to lefties and 2-1 counts and 2-0 counts and a 11-5 curve with slightly above average depth.

1st: FB (90-93), CB (72-74), CU (80-83) - 2 FB

2nd: FB (91-93), CB (71-73), CU (77-80) - FB

3rd: FB (90-93), CB (71), CU (79-82) - CU

4th: FB (90-92), CB (76), CU (78-82) - CU

5th: FB (87-93), CB (70-75), CU (78-80)

6th: FB (89-92), CB (71), CU (79) - 2 FB

2) Justin Verlander: 104 pitches. (FB, CB, CU, SL). 12 strikes swinging. 10 Fastballs, 2 Changeups.

• Verlander came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a sharp 11-5 curve with above average depth, a 2-7 slider with some bite and a change with good fade from lefties and some sink that he will throw to righties.

1st: FB (93-97), CB (81), CU (84), SL (86)

2nd: FB (91-97), CU (81-85) - 2 FB, CU

3rd: FB (93-98), CB (80) - 2 FB

4th: FB (94-97), CB (78-79), CU (83-84)

5th: FB (95-100), CB (78-83) - 4 FB

6th: FB (93-97), CB (77-80), CU (83-84) - CU

7th: FB (94-97), CB (79), CU (84-85) - 2 FB

3) Shawn Camp: 3 pitches. (FB, CU, SL). 0 strikes swinging.

• Camp came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a change with good sink and good fade from lefties.

6th: FB (90)

7th: FB (88), CU (84)

4) Jesse Carlson: 4 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Carlson came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some tail in on righties and a sweeping 9-4 slider with good bite.

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

5) Brandon League: 10 pitches. (FB, CU, SL). 0 strikes swinging.

• League came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink and a splitter with good dive.

7th: FB (94-96), Split (84-86)

6) Fu Te Ni: 11 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

• Ni came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 10-5 slider with good bite.

8th: FB (88-91), SL (75-78)

7) Scott Downs: 9 pitches. (FB, CB, SL, CU). 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Downs came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties.

8th: FB (88-91) - FB

8) Jeremy Bonderman: 10 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

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

9th: FB (91-94), SL (84)

9) Jason Frasor: 23 pitches. (FB, SL, Split, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

• Frasor 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 solid bite and a split with good dive.

9th: FB (92-94), SL (83-86), Split (84-86)

10) Ryan Perry: 8 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Perry came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball and a sharp 2-7 slider with good bite.

10th: FB (95-97), SL (86) - SL

11) Bobby Seay: 1 pitch. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

• Seay came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties.

10th: FB (92)

12) Brian Wolfe: 19 pitches. (FB, CB, Cut). 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Cutter.

• Wolfe came from a 3/4 release and showed a cutter with some cut and a fastball with good run in on righties and some sink. He will also mix in a straight 4-seamer.

10th: FB (91-96), Cut (91-93) - 2 FB, Cut.

• Kyle Phillips is a 6-1, 225 pound catcher. The 25 year old lefty hitter, righty thrower has a medium frame that appears to be maxed out. Has a straight on stance with a slight crouch and almost what appears to be a hunched upper body. He has the bat held over his shoulder at about a 65 degree angle. His trigger is a cocking of the bat and a stride. Has a good looking swing that should generate at least gap power, if not home run power. He can hit plus fastballs and didn't look overwhelmed against Verlander. He was 1.7 on a stolen base and has a quick release, which helps make up for an average throwing arm.

Chart Observations: TOR @ ATL

• Casey Janssen, a 6-3 225 pounder, made his return to the big leagues last night after being away for over a year due to injury. Formerly a reliever, the 27 year old has come back as a starter, which he was when he first came up. Janssen has a medium to big frame that looks like it can still add muscle. His mechanics are very similar to those of Jordan Zimmermann of the Nats, but is slower through them. He attacked from a high 3/4 release with a fastball at 89-92, a cutter at 87-91, a curveball at 73-76, a changeup at 79-82 and a slider at 81-82. His main pitch was the cutter to the lefty heavy Braves order he faced. His cutters shows good cut and he will throw it to both sides of the plate. His fastball is a 2-seamer with some good fade to it. The sliders shows a lot of downward bite, but not much in regards to side-to-side movement. His curveball is a 12-6/11-7 type offering with good movement and is a big breaker. It is more of a pitch to get an early strike with then to rack up strikeouts, but he likes to throw it with 2 strikes. Changeup shows good fade and sink and is somewhat late breaking. His cutter will occassionally show some good downward movement. His pitches (and mostly his cutter) appeared to start playing down in the third and they lost some movement. He is a back of the rotation starter who has a shot to be a solid # 3. He features 3 above average offerings in his arsenal (cutter, change - needs to throw more, curveball) and his fastball and slider are average. He also has plus command. This is the mold Toronto tends to develop pitchers in and a season similar to that of Shaun Marcum or Dustin McGowan from last season isn't out of reach.
• Derek Lowe opposed him and is really paying off for the Braves. The 35 year old who stands 6-6, 230 has a big frame that could still add muscle, but no sense in projecting a 35 year old. He featured a fastball at 85-89 and a slider at 79-83. His fastball is a dynamite sinker that is just a tick below Brandon Webb's and he also has great command of the pitch, able to start it off the outside corner so it comes back or start it on the outside corner at the knees and have it break out of the zone. His slider is a 3-7 type pitch that has good late break and has good depth. Lowe is a solid # 2 starter, but would ideally be a # 3 starter. His plus sinker and above average slider help him get out most teams with good defenses behind him and he has proved his durability over the years. He is a big body though, so you have to wonder just how much longer he can do this.
• Diory Hernandez is a 25 year old shortstop who stands 6-0, 185. His medium frame can add a little more muscle, but appears to be close to maxed out. He has soft hands with an above average arm and has very good fielding mechanics and is very smooth. He features a fairly straight-up stance and bounces the bat off his shoulder as he waits for the pitcher to begin his motion. A slightly open stance, he takes a double step, stepping in and then towards the pitcher. On a team full of utility infielders, he is another. His bat appears to be fringy, as he struggled badly against the Blue Jays arms. He looks like, at best, a gap hitter who could hit .280. He will never hit for a lot of power, but did appear to have above average speed. A utility player who won't hit enough to beat out the likes of Omar Infante or Martin Prado, but one that can fill in ably.
• Jordan Schafer is a 22 year old who stands 6-1, 200. He has a medium frame with room to add a lot more muscle. He has a fairly straight-up stance and triggers with a toe turn. Hands never really move in the trigger. He is still learning how to command the strike zone and not swing at pitches he can't do anything with. He is an interesting guy. I saw him in AA and saw a 4th OF. He has improved since then mechanically, but his latest struggles make him difficult to analyze. He has a strong swing from the left side of the plate, allowing you to project him to hit 15-20 home runs a season down the road. He has above average speed and is above average defensively. His ability to hit for average will need to be answered though (and it should be once he learns to command the zone). He should be a guy that hits .280-.400-.450 in his prime and shows a good eye right now. Those are valuable numbers and he profiles decently as an everyday player in CF. Another knock may be a need for a platoon partner against hard throwing lefties.
• B.J. Ryan is a 33 year old who stands 6-5, 250 pounds. From a high 3/4 release, he featured a fastball at 87-89 and a slider at 79-83. Put simply, his days in the back end of a bullpen are over. His big frame is maxed out and his arm hasn't recovered from his latest couple of injuries. His fastball is a straight 4-seam and 87-89 is a big difference from the 93-95 he used to be at. His slider is a 10-4 breaker that is just an average offering now. Still a solid lefty to have in the pen, just don't want him to the be the ONLY lefty you have in the pen. Solid 2nd lefty, which isn't what Toronto is paying him big bucks for.
• Peter Moylan is a 30 year old who stands 6-2, 200. The sidearmer was 89-91 with his fastball. His medium frame is maxed out. His fastball showed good fade, but not much in regards to sink. He has good velocity for a sidearmer, but it is hard to make a read on him without seeing an off-speed offering.
• Brian Wolfe is a 28 year old who stands 6-2, 230. He has a medium frame that is close to being maxed out, but may be able to add another 5 or 10 pounds of muscle to his lower half. From a high 3/4 release, he featured a fastball at 91-96, a cutter at 92 and a curveball at 80-81. Wolfe's fastball is explosive and teases you with great downward bite and fade, but isn't consistent with the movement, as it sometimes flattens out. His curveball is a hard-breaking 12-6. His cutter has some action in to lefties, but not much. Solid middle reliever.
• Mike Gonzalez is a 31 year old who stands 6-2, 215. His medium frame is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 92-93 and a slider anywhere from 80-85. He rocks back and forth on the rubber as he is getting the sign to make the hitter not feel very comfortable in the box and when to start his trigger. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His slider is a 10-5 type pitch that has gotten a little loopy and is just an above average offering as opposed to the plus offering it used to be. It does have good downward movement and depth. More of a set-up guy to me then a closer.
• Rafael Soriano is a 29 year old who stands 6-1, 220. He has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he featured a fastball at 92-93 and a slider at 80-83. His fastaball is a straight 4-seam while his slider is a 3-7 pitch that has good depth and is somewhat late breaking. I think he profiles better as a closer then Gonzalez, but neither is a real lockdown guy and he is another who is better off in a setup role.

Chart Impressions: CLE @ TOR

• Took a little while to try and get the hang of Brett Cecil, as I went in expecting him to be mostly fastball-slider, as that was his MO. However, Cecil featured a high 80 to low 90's 2-seamer (and sat at 93-95 in the 1st when his adrenaline was running), a mid 80's slider and a mid 80's change, as well as throwing 2 low 80's curveballs. Cecil likes to use his slider inside on right handers and throw the change away. His fastball is probably a tick above average with his velocity from the left side. His slider looked like an average pitch, as he struggled to really bury it and was living up in the zone. His change was an above average pitch and he has obviously made a lot of progress with this pitch since last season. Having this changeup (and assuming that his slider is in fact plus and he didn't have a feel for it today) he has the potential to be a # 2 starter. He is currently a middle to back end guy right now, as he has pretty solid command, but want to see the true can't miss pitch that the slider was. Cecil also has an interesting mechanical thing as he brings his left arm back straight whereas most people have it a little cocked. This does worry me, as it puts extra stress on the shoulder (especially since it goes back more towards SS then 2nd base). I had this problem when I pitched and that led to a bunch of shoulder problems.
• Anthony Reyes is no longer a top prospect. He sat in the high 80's with his 4-seam fastball in addition to his mid 70's change and high 70's curveball. He only has average command and don't really see any more upside to him, as he is a kind of stout guy and his frame seems to be fairly maxed. He is a # 5 starter who probably doesn't have the ability to be a reliever. If he can find a way to improve his command, he can be a # 4.
• Jason Frasor attacked hitters with a solid low 90's 4-seamer, a changeup in the mid 80's and a mid 80's slider. Nothing about him jumps out as a plus-plus pitch, but his command has improved enough for him to be a solid option as a 7th or 8th inning guy, as all his pitches are a tick above average. Look for him to return to his career norms as the season goes on.
• Jesse Carlson struggled to command his mid 80's slider from his sidearm angle last night. His fastball is in the high 80's and he threw an 85 mph change, but he lives and dies with his ability to command his slider. A solid LOOGY, I don't know that he has the pitches to be able to consistenly get out right handed hitters.
• Brian Wolfe features a very easy motion, generating mid 90 fastballs. Wolfe also threw a high 80's cutter (moved like a slider, but he calls it a cutter) and a low 80's curveball. The curveball flashed plus and is an above average pitch right now (though he only shows the ability to bury it as opposed to throwing it for a strike). He looks like a guy that could be a late inning reliever with another bump in his command.
• Scott Downs threw a low 90's fastball and high 70's curveball. The fastball is above average due to his ability to command it and the curveball is plus in my eyes due to his ability to command it. He could do whatever he wanted with the curveball, whether throwing it for strikes, back-dooring or burying it. There have been worser closers and he is a definite upgrade over B.J. Ryan. He has been doing this for the last couple of years, so no reason to not expect him to continue getting people out.
• Rafael Perez was missing up in the zone with his low 90's fastball (a little cutting action) and his mid 80's slider. His slider has seem to regressed a bit the past couple of years and is merely a tick above average. His command has also struggled and he is no longer a set-up man, but rather a decent middle reliever who may be able to get out right handers for you.
• Vinnie Chulk is trying to be like Kiko Calero, featuring a low 90's fastball and a high 70's to low 80's slider. The problem is he doesn't have the command and his slider is just average. He is a guy that may be bouncing around for the next couple of years to teams looking for relief help (he could probably close in Houston with Jose Valverde out)...
• Tony Sipp features a low 90's fastball and low 80's slider. The slider looked just average and got pounded today, as he allowed the go-ahead home run to Adam Lind on a slider. He also has some interesting cocking action to his arm, which allows hitters to see the ball a little longer. He is a LOOGY candidate, as I don't see him being able to get out RH's. He is still young and if he can tighten the slider a little more, he should be a solid option in the bullpen.
• Jensen Lewis is your atypical changeup (low 80's), fastball (low 90's) and slider (low 80's) reliever. His changeup is plus, but neither his fastball or slider give hitters too much else to worry about and it isn't good enough to be the lone pitch hitters need to worry about. The changeup had good fade to it, though it didn't show too much sink. His slider has potential to be an above average pitch. He is a guy who is a solid middle guy and who could grow into a bigger role depending on how he develops his pitches.
• Masa Kobayashi (remember when he was being talked about as a closer?) features a low 90's fastball, mid 80's slider and mid 80's splitter. The split is nothing special and the slider is an average pitch as well. Solid middle reliever, but don't rely on him with a lead. More of a filler guy.
• Got to watch Matt LaPorta at the plate and he just doesn't look comfortable. He is leaning and almost appears to be cheating to hit fastballs. I think he is just pressing and will be okay as he gets into the swing of things, as he is a very built baseball player who has a ton of raw power. His setup is quiet and nothing appears to be overly wrong with his swing. Just a matter of time for him to start hitting.
• The Indians understand the value of getting hit by a pitch. They are tied for the MLB lead with 18 and you could see all their hitters not turning away from inside pitches, but rather letting it hit them (they have to act a little to get out of the way). If you watch closely, they also throw their limbs out at the ball (elbows, knees). Get on base any way you can.