Predraft scouting report: Link What pitch mix the Astros are focusing on: Link A lot to work on, but sounds like the makings of a solid starter's 4-pitch mix (invisiball, change-up, sweeper, 12-6 curve).
No doubt adding ticks to the FB is part of the plan. They'd love to follow the Hunter Brown roadmap: take a mid-majors guy with upside, get him into professional strength/conditioning/nutrition programs and watch the stuff tick upwards. Taylor's 21 now. Not crazy to think in a few years with proper training and nutrition, as well as physical maturity, that he could be 91-95mph on his FB by age 25. Javier's often effective in the 93/94mph too.
Noting on Ryan Clifford’s hot start. His wRC+ of 212 is unsustainable, but it would be the highest for a teenager since fangraphs data starts in 2006 (min 200 pa). If he’s able to maintain above 170, that would put him in an elite 6 man group that includes Bo Bichette, Byron Buxton, Mike Trout, Javier Baez, Jarred Kelenic, and Oscar Taveras (RIP). A wRC+ of >150 in full season ball as a teenager projects a prospect to have a 90%+ chance of reaching the majors with a greater than 50% chance of being an above average major leaguer.
I'd take that outcome 10/10...but I'd hope for a bit more OF agility and ability, so he's not just a LF/1B/DH guy. Does he have the arm, or the potential for the arm, of a RF?
Yes, Clifford has a well above average arm. He doesn't have a Leon or Hidalgo arm, but it is certainly better than 75% of guys out there. He is also deceptively quick - but Klesko (before he lost interest) was a good athlete too.
He and Donk Bichette were my 2 most favorite players to heckle from behind the chain link fence in Lefty's Pub back in the Dome Days. I have stories.
Their depth is underrated which means their farm is underrated overall. But they don’t have the kind of elite prospects that headline farm rankings. Even a prospect like Clifford, who looks like a really good prospect who might be a good big leaguer, is a 2nd tier prospect due to his defensive limitations (although for now it’s looking like he will be viable in RF/LF rather than limited to LF/1B/DH). Their best prospects who would be headline type guys are Korey Lee and Pedro Leon, and they’re floundering in AAA right now. Things could look a LOT different 5 months from now if a few guys like Drew Gilbert, Dauri Lorenzo, Kenedy Corona, Jacob Melton, Tyler Whitaker, and Colin Barber break out and become headline type guys.
My food breaking pitch is a meatball. Or cantalope, or whatever food item is coined to represent pitches that get hit a long, long distance.
That sucks. Wonder how long he will be out. Hopefully he can come back by mid July and get a good sample to end the season.
Valente Bellozo with a nice outing for Asheville: 5 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 6 K Logan Cerny has two home runs tonight (3).
