Chart Observations: 9/16 OAK @ TEX

1) Dustin Nippert: 84 pitches. (FB, CU, CB). 5 strikes swinging. 4 Fastballs, Changeup.

• Nippert 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 above average depth and a change with some fade from lefties and some sink that he will throw to righties.

1st: FB (90-93), CU (82-84), CB (75) - 3 FB (Kennedy, Davis, Powell)

2nd: FB (91-93), CU (81-83), CB (73-74)

3rd: FB (88-93), CU (82-83), CB (75)

4th: FB (91), CU (81-82), CB (73-75) - CU (Hairston)

5th: FB (89-92), CU (81), CB (74) - CB

6th: FB (88-93), CU (80-82), CB (73-76) - FB (Hairston)

2) Trevor Cahill: 94 pitches. (FB, CU, SL, CB). 9 strikes swinging. 5 Changeups, 4 Fastballs.

• Cahill came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties and good sink, a change with good fade from lefties and good sink that he will throw in 2-0 and counts and to righties, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a 1-7 curve with average depth that is sharp.

1st: FB (87-92), CU (83-85), SL (83-84) - FB (Murphy)

2nd: FB (88-91), CU (78-84), SL (82-84), CB (79) - 2 FB (Teagarden - 2), 2 CU (Davis - 2)

3rd: FB (87-89), CU (79-80), SL (83)

4th: FB (88-90), CU (80-84), SL (84)

5th: FB (90-91), CU (79-81), SL (83) - CU (Davis)

6th: FB (86-90), CU (80-81), SL (85) - FB (Vizquel), CU (Vizquel)

7th: FB (85-90), CU (77-81), SL (82-84) - CU (Byrd)

3) Darren O'Day: 20 pitches. (FB, SL, CU). 0 strikes swinging.

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

6th: FB (82), SL (74)

7th: FB (83-86), SL (76-77)

4) C.J. Wilson: 25 pitches. (FB, SL, CU, Cut, CB). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Wilson came from a high 3/4 release and showed a cutter with some cut, a sharp 11-5 curve with slightly above average depth, a fastball with a little late run in on lefties and a sharp 11-5 slider with solid bite.

8th: FB (91-93), SL (85), Cut (89-92), CB (75) - 2 FB (Powell, Kennedy)

5) Michael Wuertz: 17 pitches. (SL, FB, CU, CB). 2 strikes swinging. 2 Sliders.

• Wuertz came from an over the top release and showed a change with good fade from lefties and some sink, a straight 4-seam fastball and a 2-7 slider with above average bite.

8th: FB (87-89), SL (81-84), CU (82-84) - 2 SL (Davis, German)

6) Frank Francisco: 18 pitches. (FB, Split, CB). 3 strikes swinging. 2 Splitters, Fastball.

• Francisco came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a split with good dive and a 12-6 curve with average depth.

9th: FB (91-94), Split (83-85), CB (78) - 2 Split (Pennington, Patterson), FB (Patterson)

7) Andrew Bailey: 9 pitches. (FB, Cut, CB, CU). 1 strike swinging. Curveball.

• Bailey came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and some sink, a cutter with good cut and some sink and a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth.

9th: FB (91-92), Cut (86), CB (77) - CB (Borbon)

Chart Observations: 8/16 BOS @ TEX

1) Junichi Tazawa: 97 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (6th).

• Tazawa is a 5-11, 180 pound righty. The 23 year old has a small frame that can add a little more muscle. He has small arms and an even smaller lower body. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has good run in on righties with some sink and it flashes above average run. His curve is a sharp 1-7 with above average depth and a split with average dive. The lack of swings and misses concern me and he doesn't have a true out pitch in his repetoire. His command is slightly above average. Looks like, at the max, a # 3 starter to me.

1st: FB (87-89), CB (71-76), Split (77-82)

2nd: FB (87-89), CB (73-74), Split (79)

3rd: FB (87-89), CB (71-76), Split (80)

4th: FB (86-90), Split (77-81)

5th: FB (87-89), CB (73-75), Split (78-82)

6th: FB (88-90), CB (78), Split (81)

2) Dustin Nippert: 98 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. Fastball (1st), 4 Changeups (2nd, 3 in 5th)

• Nippert came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with some sink, a change with good fade from lefties and a little sink and a big breaking 12-6 curve with above average depth. He will throw the change in 2-0 counts, 3-2 counts and to righties.

1st: FB (90-94), CU (83-84)

2nd: FB (91-94), CU (81-83), CB (75)

3rd: FB (91-95), CU (83-86), CB (74-77)

4th: FB (91-95), CU (82-84), CB (73-76)

5th: FB (87-93), CU (82-84), CB (74)

6th: FB (88-92), CB (74)

3) Hideki Okajima: 18 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Splitter (7th)

• Okajima came from an over the top release with a split with some dive, a fastball with some run in on lefties and sink and a 11-5 curve with above average depth.

6th: FB (83-85), Split (78)

7th: FB (84-85), Split (79-81), CB (73-74)

4) Doug Mathis: 21 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Mathis came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with some sink, a change with plus sink and above average fade from lefties, a cutter with solid cut and a 12-6 curve with average depth.

7th: FB (90-92), Cut (87-88), CB (77), CU (83-85)

5) C.J. Wilson: 22 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Wilson came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with a little run in on lefties, a 11-5 slider with good bite, a cutter with good cut and a 11-5 curve with above average depth.

8th: FB (91-95), SL (85-86), Cut (91), CB (77)

6) Ramon Ramirez: 21 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Ramirez came from an over the top release with a change with some diving action and a fastball with a little run in on righties.

8th: FB (88-92), CU (83-86)

7) Frank Francisco: 10 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Curveball.

• Francisco came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball, a split with good dive and a sharp 12-6 curve with average depth.

9th: FB (91-94), Split (84), CB (81)

Chart Observations: MIN @ TEX

1) Scott Baker: 114 pitches. 11 strikes swinging. 9 on Fastballs (1st, 2 in 2nd, 5 (5!) in 6th, 8th) and 2 Sliders (1st, 8th)

• Baker is a 6-4, 220 pound righty. The 27 year old has a big frame that can add a little more muscle, probably about 230. He came from a high 3/4 release. His fastball has some run in on righties. His change has some fade from lefties with solid sink and his slider is a 2-7 pitch with slightly above average bite. His curve didn't do anything and just hung and then wasn't thrown again. Baker's stuff plays up due to his above average command. Solid # 4 starter.

1st: FB (88-91), SL (79-81)

2nd: FB (88-90), SL (77-84), CB (75)

3rd: FB (89-90), SL (80), CU (82)

4th: FB (88-92), SL (79-81), CU (82-83)

5th: FB (89-90), SL (77-81), CU (83)

6th: FB (87-90), SL (79), CU (82)

7th: FB (89-91), SL (83)

8th: FB (90-92), SL (78-81)

2) Scott Feldman: 105 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (3 in 2nd, 4th), 2 on Changeups (2nd, 4th) and a Cutter (3rd)

• Feldman is a 6-5, 210 pound righty. The 26 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle, at least to 225. He came from an over the top release. His fastball has some run in on righties with sink. His cutter has some cut and sink and likes to throw cutters in and sinkers away against lefties. His curve is a 12-6 with average depth. His change has good fade from lefties with good sink. His slider is a 2-7 with good bite. Feldman is Jon Garland. There isn't a better comparison in baseball. And like Garland, he is a back end starter who will tease you with high win totals.

1st: FB (89-92), Cut (90-92), CB (76-78)

2nd: FB (89-93), Cut (88-91), CB (74-77), CU (83), SL (81-82)

3rd: FB (88-91), Cut (88-89)

4th: FB (91-92), Cut (90-91), CB (74), CU (83-85)

5th: FB (89-91), Cut (89-91), CB (74-79)

6th: FB (89-93), Cut (90-92), CB (74), CU (85)

3) Jason Jennings: 43 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball (7th), Slider (7th)

• Jennings came from an over the top release and showed a 2-7 slider with solid bite, a fastball with some run in on righties and a straight change with some late fade from lefties.

7th: FB (88-90), SL (81-83)

8th: FB (88-90), SL (81-82), CU (84-85)

4) Jason Grilli: 20 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 on Slider (both in 8th), Fastball (9th)

• Grilli came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

8th: FB (91-92), SL (83-86)

9th: FB (90-92), SL (82-85)

5) Dustin Nippert: 10 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Nippert is a 6-8, 225 pound righty. The 28 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He came from an over the top release and is real herky jerky with his limbs and really jumps at the hitters. His fastball has some run in on righties.

9th: FB (88-92)

6) Joe Nathan: 15 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs, Slider.

• Nathan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (90-93), SL (86-88)