Chart Observations: CHC @ WAS

1) Kevin Hart: 83 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 on Cutters (2nd, 5th), Fastball (3rd)

• Hart came from an over the top release with a fastball with good run in on righties with solid sink, a cutter with good cut and sink and a sharp 12-6 curve with average depth that can be a strikeout pitch. I like him better as a reliever and wonder if he can hold up for a full season, as he has that rubbery arm action where his wrist joins in making an arm circle.
  

1st: FB (88-93), Cut (85-86)

2nd: FB (90-94), Cut (87), CB (80-81)

3rd: FB (91-94), Cut (87-89), CB (77-80)

4th: FB (90-94), Cut (86-88), CB (77-79)

5th: FB (87-94), Cut (83-87), CB (79)

2) Garrett Mock: 63 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. 4 on Fastballs (2 in 2nd, 2 in 4th), 3 on Curveballs (all in 2nd)

• Mock is a 6-3, 230 pound righty. The 26 year old has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a 3/4 release. His fastball has above average run in on righties with good sink. His change moves like his fastball, but slower. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with above average depth that is sharp enough to be a strikeout pitch and he has shown an ability to bounce it or throw it for strikes. His slider is a sharp 2-7 with good bite. His stat line looked ugly, but he has good pure stuff. His command is a severe question mark though and he constantly fell behind. Another guy I think I would prefer as a reliever.

1st: FB (90-91)

2nd: FB (89-92), CB (73-76), CU (77-78)

3rd: FB (89-92), SL (83)

4th: FB (88-92), CB (74-76), CU (78), SL (81)

3) Julian Tavarez: 19 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Tavarez came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink, a sharp 2-7 slider that can be flat and a chnage with some fade from lefties with above average sink. He was released after this game and I have been saying this (as many others have said) that he should have been released a while ago.

4th: FB (90-92), SL (80-85), CU (83-84)

4) Ron Villone: 46 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. Fastball (6th), 2 Sliders (both in 6th)

• Villone came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on lefties, a loopy 11-4 slider with good bite and a change with late fade from righties.

5th: FB (88-89), SL (78-85), CU (83)

6th: FB (87-90), SL (78-86), CU (82)

5) Jeff Samardzija: 41 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 on Fastballs (6th, 7th), 3 on Splitters (6th, 2 in 7th)

• Jeff came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with a little run in on righties, a split with average dive that has good late action and flashes above average dive and a big breaking 2-7 slider with good bite that appears to be a curve-slider hybrid.

6th: FB (93-96), Split (84)

7th: FB (93-96), Split (85-86), SL (82)

8th: FB (92-94), Split (85-86), SL (81)

6) Tyler Clippard: 20 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Clippard is a 6-3, 200 pound righty. The 24 year old has a big frame that can get up to at least 220. He came from an over the top release with a lot of herky jerky action and a cocking arm action. His fastball has some run in on righties. His curve is a 12-6 with above average depth. His change is straight and looks like a fastball out of his hands with some fade fade from lefties that he will throw to righties. His slider is a 2-7 with solid bite and he will throw 3-2 changeups. Clippard is likely going to be a solid middle reliever, but he isn't going to be a guy who dominates and middle reliever is his likely ceiling.

7th: FB (90-92), CU (80-81), CB (75-76), SL (83)

7) Sean Burnett: 18 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

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

8th: FB (90-92), SL (77-81)

8) Mike MacDougal: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs.

• Mike came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with above average run in on righties.

9th: FB (94-97)

9) Jeff Stevens: 13 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Stevens is a 6-2, 205 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that can get up to 210. He came from an over the top release. His fastball is a pretty straight 4-seam. His curve is a 12-6 with above average depth. His elbow is bent from when he starts his delivery until he finishes the pitch and I don't know if this takes away or adds stress to it. His command was a little bit of a question mark and looks like a 4-A guy to me.

9th: FB (91-93), CB (73)

WAS @ TB

• James Shields is a 6-4, 220 pound righty. The 27 year old has a big frame that can add a little more muscle. He comes from an over the top release. His fastball is a 4-seam with a little fade and sink. His change shows great sink and some fade and is a plus offering. His curveball is a 12-6 pitch with good bite and depth. His cutter has good cut and flashes sink. His change is his out pitch and he has great command of it. He has a very clean drop and drive delivery. Borderline ace.

1st: FB (88-92), CU (80-83), Cut (87), CB (75-76)

2nd: FB (89-92), CU (81-83), Cut (85-86), CB (78)

3rd: FB (89-91), CU (84), Cut (86-88), CB (74-75)

4th: FB (89-90), CU (80-82), Cut (87), CB (75-78)

5th: FB (90), CU (79-82), Cut (84), CB (75-77)

6th: FB (87-90), CU (79), Cut (86)

7th: FB (86-89), CU (81)

• Ross Detwiler opposed him. The lefty comes from a high 3/4 release that is almost over the top. His fastball shows some fade and a little sink. His change is a straight change with some sink. His curveball is a slurvy 11-4 offering with okay depth. He battled his command was effectively wild, as he issued 5 walks and got 3 double play balls. He has a ways to go to reach his ceiling as a 3rd starter.

1st: FB (90-94), CU (82-84), CB (76)

2nd: FB (90-93), CU (82), CB (76)

3rd: FB (90-93), CU (82-84), CB (75-77)

4th: FB (89-92), CU (82-83), CB (75-77)

5th: FB (88-92), CU (83), CB (76)

6th: FB (88-91), CU (82-83)

• Julian Tavarez attacks from a 3/4 release with a fastball that shows good fade and sink and a 2-7 slider with decent bite.

7th: FB (88-92), SL (79-81)

• Randy Choate is a sidearming lefty who showed a sweeping 9-3 slider with good late bite and a fastball with some run.

7th: FB (87-89), SL (77-79)

• Ron Villone comes from a high 3/4 release and showed a pretty straight 4-seam fastball and a slurvy 10-4 slider with solid bite. He will tighten the slider and throw a sharper one as a strikeout pitch.

8th: FB (88-89), SL (77-84)

• Joe Beimel is a 6-3, 215 pound lefty. The 32 year old has a medium to big frame that is maxed out. He comes from a high 3/4 release and shows a fastball with some run and sink and a 11-4 curve with good bite. He is a solid lefty in a pen, though I don't know if he should be the 1st lefty in someone's pen.

8th: FB (83-85), CB (71)

• Dan Wheeler is a 31 year old righty. The 6-3, 220 pounder has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes from an over the top release and showed a 4 pitch repetoire for a reliever: a 4-seam fastball with a litle fade, a 2-7 slider with good bite, a 12-6 curveball with good depth and a change with good fade and sink.

8th: FB (85-89), SL (81-83), CB (76-77), CU (82-83)

• J.P. Howell comes from an over the top release with a fastball with some fade and sink, a 10-4 curve with good depth and a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand. Likely the new closer with the injury to Troy Percival.

9th: FB (86-87), CB (79-83), CU (80)

Have 2 charts (and a baseball game) tomorrow and all the games look pretty brutal, so it should be awesome...

Chart Observations: BAL @ WAS

• Koji Uehara is the only Japanese pitcher who had a reputation of being a command pitcher to have it translate in the big leagues. He is a 33 year old who stands 6-1, 190. His medium frame has a lot more room to add muscle. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 87-90, a cutter at 84-85, a splitter at 79-82 and a curveball at 73. His fastball is a 2-seamer with good fade. His splitter has solid drop and fade, but is just an average offering. His cutter has more downward movement then side to side and is also just an average offering. His curveball was a 12-6 pitch that was also average. He has plus command and is your typical starting rotation placeholder while the prospects get ready. He can probably have a solid year this year, but his best case scenarios will always be with an ERA around 4.20-4.60.
• Ross Detwiler is a 23 year old who stands 6-5, 185. His big frame has A LOT of room to add more muscle. From a high 3/4 release, the left hander showed a fastball at 89-95, a curveball at 74-78 and changeup at 82-84. He has a "drop and drive" wind-up that allows him to maximize his frame, but he also throws across his body and has good deception throughout his delivery. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveball is kind of a loopy 10-5, but got sharper as the game went out. His changeup is straight and teases as above average when he is able to throw it in the zone, which was once for about 18. He needs to work on finishing his change, as almost all of them were far out and away from righties. He still battles his command, having spurts pop up where he can't throw a strike to save his life (walked Uehara on 4 pitches and Brian Roberts on 5). He is a nibbler right now and needs to focus more on attacking with his above average fastball and above average curveball. He rarely comes inside, preferring to pound the outer half of the zone, which he does very well. A guy that could be a # 2 depending on if he is able to sit in the 93-94 range (not out of question with his frame), but is more likely to settle in as a middle of the rotation starter with above average velocity for a left hander.
• Justin Maxwell is a 25 year old who is 6-5 235. He has a big frame with room to add a lot more muscle. An open stance, he is slightly crouched and holds the bat horizontal over his shoulder. Struggles to recognize off-speed offerings and tends to check swing on balls that end up out of the zone. He will bunt for a hit. This guy needs consistent AB's, as he has a fairly long injury history. If he is up here, he should play everyday. If not, he should be in AAA getting 500 at bats. A potential 5-tool player, he will likely end up utilizing above average speed and have solid to above average power (15-25 homers) with a decent average (.260-.270). He is a strong defensive CF, making a tremendous catch to rob Adam Jones of a home run. He went up and over and pulled the ball back in. Should check that out on Gameday if it doesn't depress you too much (top of the 1st).
• Nolan Reimold is a 25 year old who is 6-4, 205. He is another big frame with room to add a lot more muscle. He has a fairly straight-up stance with a little bat wiggle. He also utilizes a double step for his trigger. He has a tendency to get a little long with his swing. He absolutely raked at AAA Norfolk to get his call-up (.394-.485-.743 with 9 HR's in 109 at bats) but also showed some contact issues (25 strikeouts or 20 % of the time he went to the plate, he struck out). Hard to get a feel for from the 1 game. He never put a good swing on a ball, but his stance shows a guy that should have above average pop. He will likely struggle against big league breaking balls in the early going. He shows average to a tick above average speed and profiles best as a corner outfielder. Don't have a feel for him yet.
• Brian Bass is a 27 year old who stands 6-2, 215. From a high 3/4 release, he featured a fastball at 91-93, a slider at 82-87, a curveball at 78-80 and a changeup at 80. When I saw him at Rochester 2 years ago, he impressed me and I thought he could be a serviceable reliever. He has proven me right as a swingman who can finish games and also help when a starter leaves early, resting other relievers. His fastball has good 2-seam movement with good fade. His slider is an average offering that has a little bite. His curveball is an above average 2-7 pitch with good bite and depth. His change moves like a fastball, but is much slower. Is pitching to his potential right now.
• Matt Albers is a 26 year old who stands 6-0, 205. His medium is maxed out and there also appears to be a little bad weight there. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 91-93 and a curveball at 77-79. The fastball shows a little fade and sink. His curveball is a 12-6 that is sharp with good tilt and is a strikeout pitch. A solid middle reliever, but don't see him being a set-up guy or closer.
• Julian Tavarez was 91 with his fastball and 81-84 with his slider
• Ron Villone was 87-89 with his fastball, 84 with his slider and 82 with his change.
• Jason Bergmann is a 27 year old who stands 6-3, 220. His medium to big frame is maxed out. He featured a fastball at 91-93 and a curveball at 77-78 from a 3/4 release. His fastball is hard and had good fade. His curveball is a 12-6 like offering that has good tilt and could be a strikeout pitch. He releases the curveball a little higher then his fastball, which may be something opposing hitters will soon pick up on. A guy who was a starter that is trying to revive his career and he looks like he has a shot to be a solid middle reliever.
• Jim Johnson is a 25 year old who stands 6-5, 225. His big frame still has room to add a little more muscle. From an over the top release, he showed a fastball at 92-95 and a curveball at 78. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveabll is a 12-6 offering that doesn't have great tilt and is more of an early strike pitch then a strikeout pitch. Another Orioles reliever that looks better as a middle reliever then a set-up man. I think he will have a hard time replicating the season he posted last year.
• Joel Hanrahan threw all fastballs at 94-95.
• George Sherrill is a 32 year old who stands 6-0, 230. His medium is maxed out and he doesn't look anything like a baseball player, more like a beer league softball player, as he is carrying what appears to be quite a bit of bad weight. From a high 3/4 release, he features a fastball at 89-92 and a slider at 72-75. He will slide step and leg kick. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His slider is a loopy 11-5 offering that looks more like a curveball. It has good downward movement and shows good tilt and can be sharp. A solid lefty to have in a pen, but he isn't your protypical closer by any means.

Chart and the 3:10 Dodgers-Rockies game tomorrow featuring Eric Stults and Jorge De La Rosa.

PIT @ WAS

• Craig Stammen made his major league debut tonight. The 24 year old stands 6 foot 3 and 210 pounds. The strike thrower (only 8 walks and 14 strikeouts in 40 innings at AAA Syracuse) featured a fastball at 88-92, a curveball at 78-81 and a changeup at 81-85. He has a medium to big frame that has a lot of projectability left. He attacks from an over the opt release and some cocking action in his arm right before the release. His fastball is a moving 2-seam that has good sink and helps him force groundballs. His change also features good sink and fade and is an above average offering. His curveball is a 12-6 that is more of an early strike pitch then an out pitch. Above average offering as well. His command was plus, as he showed an ability to move the ball in and out and up and down all night until the 7th. He shows a very clean delivery apart from the cocking arm and is very projectable there as well. It isn't inconceivable to see him sitting at 90-92 and touching 94 in a couple years. Overall, he is a back of the rotation starter right now with the potential to be a middle of the rotation starter if he adds some more velocity or develops a true out pitch, as his strikeout numbers show an inability to finish hitters.
• Ian Snell opposed him. The 5 foot 11, 200 pounder featured a fastball at 90-95, a slider at 81-88 and a changeup at 84-85 from a high 3/4 release. He has a smaller frame that is maxed out. He has almost a whip-like type arm action. His slider is sharp with good late bite and the bottom falls out of it. A true 2-plane pitch when on and it is a plus offering. His changeup has a little fade, flashes sink and is more of a show pitch then a pitch to get hitters out. It is an average offering and does look like a fastball when it comes out of his hand. Fastball has a little movement, but not much. He struggles with his command from batter to batter. First strike is very important for him and he tends to fall behind guys 2-0 or 3-1 and puts them in fastball counts. Overall, he is a middle of the rotation starter right now and if he can refine his command issues and also make a little bit more development in his changeup and gain that as a consistent pitch, then he can be an average # 2 starter.
• Jason Jaramillo is a 26 year old who stands 6-0 and weighs 200 pounds. The switch hitting catcher has a medium frame that still has some projection to it. He has a very quiet setup and stance and keeps his hands still throughout. His trigger is just a toe turn. He will never hit more much, if any, power. He shows some ability as a catch and throw and also an ability to hit for a little average from both sides of the plate. He is a career backup and the question the Pirates will be asking themselves when Ryan Doumit comes off the DL is whether or not to keep him or Robinzon Diaz with the big club.
• Julian Tavarez is a 35 year old who stands 6-2 and weighs 195 pounds. He has a high 3/4 release and attacked hitters with a 2-seam fastball at 88-92, a slider at 79-83 and a changeup at 82-85. Tavarez still gets plus movement to his 2 seam and continues to generate groundballs. His changeup shows good fade, but his slider has flattened out and is a below average offering. Tavarez is teetering between the brink of being a mop-up reliever and being retired.
• Tom Gorzelanny is back in the big leagues as a reliever. The 6-2, 200 pound 26 year old featured a fastball at 91-94, a slider at 79-82, a curveball at 76 and a changeup at 83-85. His fastball is a straight 4-seam while his change shows good fade and is an average offering. His slider showed some decent late break and his 1 curve had decent bite. Really, his fastball is above average and all his other pitches are average offerings, with the changeup showing a little better. He comes from a high 3/4 release and kicks his right foot out as he comes down from his balance point. He also really battles his command from pitch to pitch and batter to batter and looks to be like someone who throwing strikes will always be an issue for. He profiles best as a multiple inning reliever if he can get his command sorted out, but should be a good 1 inning reliever (was good in his first inning, but got knocked around in the 2nd). I think his upside is that of a Rafael Perez when he was having good years.
• Jesse Chavez is a 25 year old who stands 6-2 and weighs 170 pounds. He has a medium frame that still has a little projection left to it. From a high 3/4 release, he attacked hitters with a fastball at 94-96, threw 1 slider at 90 and a changeup at 85-86. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His changeup features some fade and sink and is a tick above average. His slider is a 2-plane breaker and is also above average. When I saw him 2 years ago, I thought his upside was that of a middle reliever. But, his fastball has jumped from 92-93 to 94-96 and is now looking at being a set-up man and potential closer. Chavez does battle his command every once in awhile, but it should come around, as his mechanics are very clean. Probably will settle in as a 7th inning reliever for a contender.
• Joel Hanrahan got the save and is a 6 foot 4, 250 pound behemoth on the mound. The 27 year old featured a straight, hard 4-seam fastball at 95-96 and a slider that was unusually flat at 85-86. He still looks like a closer to me.

2 scores tomorrow. Got the Mets (Santana) vs. Red Sox (Matsuzaka) and the Diamondbacks (Buckner) against the Athletics (Cahill).

HOU @ WAS

This game is currently in a rain delay in the 11th (of course its an extra, so I don't get more money), but will give you what I saw thus far:

• Roy Oswalt looks like the same pitcher he has always been. He features a low to mid 90's fastball, mid 80's slider, low 70's curveball and mid 80's changeup. He attacks hitters and forces them to try and put the ball in play. He left the game due to a bone bruise on his right index finger.
• Scott Olsen has lost some velocity on his fastball. He sits in the mid to high 80's with it, in addition to a mid 80's change and mid 80's slider. The real fun part is attempting to differentiate between these 2 pitches, as the slider's break can be fairly indistinguishable to the naked eye. Olsen had a chance at being a middle of the rotation guy when his fastball was in the low 90's, but with it in the high 80's, he is a back-end starter.
• Chris Sampson had some major command issues of his stuff and when you have a 2-seam fastball in the high 80's, you can't afford to be falling behind. He also showed a low 80's slider. Both pitches are major league average pitches (he also throws a high 70's curve and low 80's change). He is what he is, a long reliever who shouldn't be pitching in big situations.
• Tim Byrdak was the only Houston reliever who looked decent in this game. He attacks hitters with a low 90's fastball, a low 80's slider and a low 80's changeup. But, he is another pitcher who shouldn't be pitching at the end of games and is only a middle reliever, not a set-up man.
• Geoff Geary is another middle inning reliever throwing late innings. Geary attacks with a low 90's fastball, mid 80's slider and low 80's curveball. He is nothing amazing as a reliever and is a protypical RH reliever.
• Saul Rivera looked good for his 1 inning, mixing his high 80's 2-seamer, high 80's cutter and mid 80's slider very well. Looks to be back to what he is, a very durable middle reliever who can get you multiple outs.
• Julian Tavarez is another guy who is a solid middle reliever who shouldn't be pitching late in games (sense a trend here?). He attacks hitter with a mid to high 80's sinker that is plus and an average slider. He is a very good and versatile reliever to have at the front of a bullpen or in the middle to get ground balls, but you don't want to rely on him as your 8th or 9th inning guy.
• Garrett Mock is someone the Nats have high hopes for in the back of their pen. I don't see it. He is another guy who is probably a 10th or 11th pitcher with his low 90's fastball and a low 80's slider. Both pitches are only major league average pitches. He has/had solid command until he seemingly twisted his ankle on a Michael Bourn bunt pop out. Don't know if there is too much of a bigger ceiling here either.
• Kip Wells actually looks the part of a late innings reliever with his mid 90's fastball, low 80's curveball and high 80's changeup. Both the fastball and curveball are plus pitches, but he also showed a tendency to nibble as opposed to attacking hitters (which has been his M.O. for awhile). That being said, this is a good risk by the Nationals to see if he can become something as a reliever. Upside is of a set-up man, as he still shows a little tendency to the long ball.
• Joel Hanrahan didn't look great but got the job done with his stuff. He still shows closer stuff to me and needs to be back in that role.
• Elijah Dukes has grown a lot as a baseball player. One of the ultimate "toolsy" guys, he is showing signs of putting it all together. Pitchers used to feed him sliders that start on the outside and break off the zone and he would swing. Now, he is learning to let those pitches go and taking the free ball pitchers give him. This causes them to throw him more fastballs and he feasts in those situations (his HR off Oswalt was on a 94 mph fastball at the letters). You never know what your going to get from this guy in regards to off the field incidents, but he can be a strong corner outfielder (he is a little over exposed as a CF) and give you some fairly good production. The power is real and I think lines of .270-.330-.480 are not out of his grasp.

Back on the grind tomorrow with 2 charts.