COL @ HOU

Game went extras and I wanted to try and get some sleep before today, so here are my views on the Rockies-Stros game a day late

• Ubaldo Jimenez is a 25 year old who stands 6-4, 200. The right hander has a big frame with room to add more muscle. He comes at you from a 3/4 release. His mechanics look tough to repeat, but he did a fairly good job and he straightens his arm on the backtake before beginning the arm circle, which looks interesting. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. his slider is a 2-7 offering with decent bite. His change has good fade and sink. His curveball is a 1-7 offering with good depth. His fastball will flash some fade. None of his off-speed pitches are consistent by any measure (command, break). His slider flashes above average with great bite, but he tends to over throw it. All his off-speed flash above average, but you never know what you will get from him start to start. A good # 3 starter right now, he has the potential to be a # 2 depending on how much consistency he can gain for his off-speed stuff.

1st: FB (95-98), SL (89-90)

2nd: FB (95-100), SL (89), CU (85), CB (79-80)

3rd: FB (96-98), SL (87), CB (81)

4th: FB (95-98), SL (86), CB (77-80)

5th: FB (94-100), SL (82-88), CU (86), CB (76-77)

6th: FB (94-98), SL (83-88), CU (86), CB (77-78)

• Felipe Paulino, a 25 year old who stands 6-2, 260 opposed him. The right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out and there may be some bad weight there. He attacks from a high 3/4 release. He explodes toward the hitters. His fastball is a 4-seam with some sink and fade. His slider is a sharp 2-7 offering with good bite and is a borderline plus pitch. His changeup is a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand. He likes to pound the outside corner with his fastball and start it off the plate and have it run back over. He started missing in the middle of the plate with his fastball in the 4th. He tends to be prone to big innings and seems to struggle to make the mechanical adjustments necessary to get the ball back to the corners. Still has the potential to be a # 2 and just needs to refine his change and stop big innings.

1st: FB (93-97), SL (85-87)

2nd: FB (95-97), SL (84)

3rd: FB (93-98), SL (84-88)

4th: FB (96-97), SL (84-88), CU (86-89)

5th: FB (95-97), SL (87-88), CU (89)

6th: FB (94-97), SL (87-88)

• Randy Flores is a 6-0, 190 pound left hander. The 33 year old has a high 3/4, almost over the top release. His slider is a 10-4 type pitch. His fastball is a fairly straight 4-seam. I saw him throw 2 pitches, who knows?

7th: FB (88), SL (78)

• Joel Peralta attacks hitters from a high 3/4 release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveball is a big breaking 2-7 offering and his splitter shows good fade and dive. Solid middle reliever, though he does seem to have flyball tendencies and is playing home games at Coors.

7th: FB (92-94), Split (84-85), CB (80-81)

• Jeff Fulchino is a 29 year old who stands 6-5, 275. The right hander has a big frame that is maxed out and there could be a little bad weight there. He comes at you from a high 3/4 release. His split shows good fade and sink. His fastball is a 4-seam with some fade. His slider is an average 2-7 offering. Decent command, but can hit patches where he struggles to locate his stuff. Seems to have the stuff to be a solid middle reliever.

7th: FB (92-95), SL (82-86), Split (86)

• Tim Byrdak is a 35 year old who stands 5-11, 195. The left hander has a small frame that is maxed out. He comes from a 3/4 release. His fastball is a 4 seam that has some run. His slider is a 2-7 offering with good bite. Solid lefty middle reliever who can get out the occasional righty.

8th: FB (90-92), SL (84-86), CU (86)

• Manny Corpas attacks from a 3/4 release that is almost sidearm. The right hander features a slider that is a 3-9, 3-8 type pitch and a fastball with excellent fade and some sink. He likes to work a fastball that starts off the plate to his gloveside before running it back over with 2 strikes. Solid middle reliever, but no longer a set-up man or closer.

8th: FB (91-93), SL (82-86)

• Alberto Arias is a 25 year old who stands 5-11, 155. The right hander has a small frame that can add more muscle. He attacks from a 3/4 release. His fastball shows great late fade and sink. His curveball is a 3-8 offering with good depth and he can add and subtract velocity to it and it flashes plus. His command can be spotty at times and that is his biggest question mark. I like him and think he has the potential to be a solid set-up man.

9th: FB (90-95), CB (77-82)

• Huston Street is a 25 year old who stands 6-0, 190. The right hander has a medium frame that can add more muscle. He attacks from a low 3/4 release, almost sidearm. His slider is a 3-8 offering that flashes plus. His fastball has good fade and sink. His change shows some sink and a little fade. More of a set-up man then a closer to me and he can occasionally battle his control.

9th: FB (91-92), SL (84-87), CU (83)

• LaTroy Hawkins is a 37 year old who stands 6-5, 215. The right hander has a big frame that is maxed out. He comes at you from an over the top release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam with a little fade. His slider is a solid 2-8 type pitch that can also move more like a cutter. Good reliever who has been doing this for awhile and looks like he can continue doing it, as his fastball velocity and command are still there.

10th: FB (93-96), SL (87-90)

• Russ Ortiz is a 6-1, 215 pounder. The 34 year old right hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. He comes at you from an over the top release. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveball is a slow 1-7 pitch that has a little bit of downward movement. His change is straight with some downward action. His cutter is a 2-7 pitch with decent late bite. A 4-A arm.

11th: FB (90-92), Cut (87-89), CB (78), CU (84)

• Josh Fogg attacked from a 3/4 release. His cutter showed decent cut and sink while his fastball showed good fade and sink. Should be a good long man who won't walk guys.

10th: FB (86-90), Cut (84-87)

11th: FB (86), Cut (83-86)

• Edwin Maysonet is a 27 year old who stands 6-1, 190. The righty hitter/thrower has a medium frame that can add a lot more muscle. He has a slightly open stance with a little bat wiggle. He has a very short swing and is quick to the ball. He also showed above average speed and started at 2B and then moved to 3B when Matt Kata remained in the game after pinch running. He profiles best as a utility infielder. He won't ever hit for much power and is more of a line drive singles hitter, but he shows an ability to work counts and take some walks. He has good enough athleticism to play the outfield.

LAD @ COL

• Eric Stults was the starter for the Dodgers. The 6-1, 220 pound left hander has a medium frame that appears to be maxed out. He was battling a thumb injury and featured a fastball at 85-92 (sat at 88-90), a curve at 73-78, a change at 79-82 and a cutter at 87-92 from a high 3/4 release. His changeup is a straight change that looks like a fastball out of his hand and is his best pitch. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveball is a 10-4 type pitch and is inconsistent with hits break, showing good tilt once and then flattening out the next. His cutter doesn't have much cut. He really battled his command today (walking 7) and also looked to be guiding his changeup over the plate as opposed to throwing it. His upside is that of a # 5 starter or swingman. He is pitching to that potential right now.
• Jorge De La Rosa had the tale of 2 games. The 6-1, 210 pound left hander featured a 3/4 release. The 27 year old has a medium frame that appears to be maxed out and featured a fastball at 89-95, a slider at 84-86, a changeup at 82-85 and a curveball at 72-74. His fastball is a straight 4-seam that has a little run. His changeup has good run and sink and is above average. The slider can flatten out, but is a 9-5 type pitch. Both his change and slider have very similar action and have good late drop. His curveball is a big breaking 10-4 pitch. In the first 3 innings, his command was tremendous. He was getting ahead, throwing all his pitches for strikes and hit the outside corner consistently with his fastball (which sat at 92-94). However, in the 4th he returned to the De La Rosa that had washed out of multiple organizations. He struggled to command his fastball and allowed some bloop hits make him feel like he had to do it himself, meaning he lived even more on the fringe. A guy that has all the attribues to be a middle of the rotation starter (minus the command) and will likely settle in as a back end starter. He has had a lot of difficulty going through the order a 2nd time, so he may need to become a reliever, where he could be lights out for an inning and would profile as a left handed set-up man if your manager could stomach late walks.
• Jaime Hoffmann is a 24 year old who is a big 6-3, 235. His medium to big frame is maxed out. He has an open stance very similar to that of Russell Branyan from the right side with a little bit of a bat wiggle. His trigger is a step to close his stance and cocks the bat. He has an above average arm and above average raw power with average speed. He seems to have all the attributes one looks for in a starting corner outfielder, but I have some doubts about his ability to hit for average. He appears to have a hole on the inside part to a pitcher with a good fastball. He was very comfortable driving the ball the other way. I think he settles in as a 4th OF, but one that is around more for his pinch-hitting then his defense.
• Dexter Fowler is a 23 year old who stands 6-4, 185. The switch hitter/righty thrower has a big frame that has a lot of room to add more muscle. From the right side, he has an open stance with a little shoulder wiggle. Trigger is a step in with little hand movement. From the left side, he is slightly open and holds his hands almost against his chest. His trigger is striding and bringing the bat back, ready to hit. I agree with most scouts that I like his lefty swing better and think it projects for more power. He is a plus runner who is very aggressive on the bases. He is a true 5 tool player, but will all 5 play? His frame shows the ability to be a 20 home run hitter, but he likely settles in around 15. His speed will always make a good base stealer and should get at least 30 every year. His throwing arm is slightly above average and he is a very good defensive center fielder. He also shows some plate discipline. A guy that looks very similar to a Grady Sizemore lite down the road with less power and more speed.
• Joel Peralta is a 33 year old who stands 5-11, 195. The right hander has a small frame that appears to be maxed out. From an over the top release, he featured a fastball at 90-92, a curveball at 77-78 and a splitter at 78-83. His splitter has a little dive with good fade. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His curveball is a somewhat flat 3-9 type that is an average offering. He rocks back and forth on the rubber before coming set. All 3 of his pitches are just average offerings, giving him little room for error especially at Coors. I think he bounces around a little more for another season and then will be done.
• Josh Fogg is a 32 year old who stands 6-0, 205. He has a medium frame that is maxed out. Fogg featured a fastball at 85-88, a cutter at 85-88, a slider at 83 and a changeup at 80-81 from a 3/4 release. His fastball is a 2-seamer with decent fade and a little sink. His change moves his FB and is just a little slower. His cutter moves into lefties and is an average offering. Slider looks like the cutter, but has some bite and is slower. A long reliever/swing man type that you hope doesn't need to throw alot. He is likely looking to take the recently waived Glendon Rusch's role.
• Jeff Weaver is a 32 year old who stands 6-5, 200. His big frame has room to add a lot more muscle, but that likely won't be happening. From a low 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 89-91, a slider at 79-82 and a changeup at 83-84. His slider is somewhat sharp with very little movement. His changeup shows decent fade, but is just average. His fastball is 2-seam with some run due to arm angle. Will drop down sidearm with 2 strikes to present another look to a hitter. A long reliever who has no potential left as a starter. He threw nearly as many sliders as fastballs.
• Will Ohman is a 31 year old who stands 6-2, 210. The left hander has a medium frame that is maxed out. From a high 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 89-93 and a slider at 85-88. His fastball is a straight 4-seam while his slider is a 10-5 pitch that shows good side-to-side movement, but not much in regards to late bite. I still am not a fan of him being your top lefty in the pen, as left handers don't seem to be nearly as fooled as the last couple of years. A solid 2nd lefty though.
• Jason Grilli is a 32 year old who stands 6-5, 225. The right hander has a big frame that is close to being maxed out. From an over the top release, he featured a fastball at 92-94 and a slider at 85-88. His fastball is a straight 4-seamer. His slider is sharp, but doesn't have a ton of movement and is very inconsistent. It can show good movement, but not always. A solid middle reliever (today withstanding).
• Alan Embree is an immortal, pitching as a 38 year old standing at 6-2, 200. The lefthander has a medium frame that is maxed out. He showed a fastball at 92-95, a slider at 76-80 and a change at 83. His slider is a loopy 9-4 that seems to have lost something over the years. He still has his plus 4-seam fastball though and that will always allow him to be in a big league bullpen. His changeup is nothing special and went straight into the dirt. A good 2nd lefty to have and he can get righthanders out on occasion.
• Ronald Belisario is a 26 year old who stands 6-3, 235. The righthander's medium to big frame is maxed out. From a 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 93-96 and a slider at 85-89. His 2-seam fastball has a ton of fade and is a plus pitch, though he is inconsistent with his command of it. His slider is an average offering with 11-7 type break. Solid middle reliever who could be a setup man or even a closer depending on the development of his off speed pitch and his command.
• Manny Corpas is a 26 year old who stands 6-3, 170. The righthander has a medium to big frame that has a lot of room to add more muscle. From a 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 90-93 and a slider at 81-85. He is not the same pitcher he was a couple years ago when he closed. His fastball is a 2-seam with a little fade and is just an average offering. His slider is somewhat sharp and is a 3-9 pitch, but is also just average. He is now just a run of the mill middle reliever after big things were projected for him after his strong 2007 season.
• Guillermo Mota is a 35 year old who stands 6-5, 235. He has a big frame that is maxed out. From a 3/4 release, he showed a fastball at 94-95, a slider at 87 and a change at 85-86. His fastball is a straight 4-seam. His slider is still sharp and is a 2-7 type pitch. His changeup has good fade and sink. He is an average middle reliever who is teetering on the brink of retirement/free agency if he doesn't begin getting better results on balls in play.

2 extra charts tomorrow. Plus a baseball game.