He got the start in CF. That isn't particularly surprising, even Luis Baez played a fair bit of CF in the DSL, but still nice to see. Juan Fraide, who was reportedly up to 95 as an amateur struck out 6 batters in his 2 innings. He did give up a run on a bunt single followed by a triple.
Looking at some of the pitchers who will be Rule 5 eligible, the 2nd half is going to be crucial for determining which guys need protection. Ullola is a lock, but there's a large group of guys who could be at risk: Jose Fleury: was a lock before he got hurt Trey Dombroski: looking good in AA, for now I think he will need to be protected Michael Knorr: it surprised me when I took a closer look at his numbers, he's got 11.5 k/9 in AA, he will need to be protected Alimber Santa: he has been pretty dominant in AA, he will need to be protected Alex Santos II: 3 weeks ago I would have said he was a lock to be protected but he's taken a step backward in his last few appearances, still he is a very high ceiling guy a rebuilding team would love to take a chance on Brett Gillis: they should get a look at him in AA before the season is up, his High A numbers look pretty good; probably a lesser risk at this point but worth monitoring Then there's some lesser risks who haven't pitched that well: Joey Mancini, Nic Swanson, Tyler Guilfoil. I also think Amilcar Chirinos is a guy they should take a look at in AA. Lastly, Abel Mercedes is a deeper Rule 5 sleeper; he's still in A ball but he has triple digit heat. Patrick Halligan is another guy to keep an eye on.
Have not noticed any predictions on a return date for Fleury, have you got any idea about that? Dombroski and Santa look like deadline trade fodder to me but no idea what the deadline holds in that regard.
I could definitely see a trade of Dombrowski/Santa/Blubaugh to a team like the Reds who need pitching for Lux.
These are valid points - and he is only 21 years old. He is young enough to make fitness changes and when I watch him hit, he does have some aptitude for it, he doesn't look uncomfortable in the box. He can play first, and the corner outfield spots IF he gets his conditioning under control. The lower body has a lot of fat added in the last couple of years.
Gavin Lux makes a lot of sense for a few reasons - first, he shouldn't be too terribly expensive to get in trade. He provides no power, his defense is mediocre and his upside is pretty low. So the demand in a trade shouldn't be too high. However - from the Astros perspective, he is a good fit. He bats from the left side - he can play second, LF and some SS - he also gets on base, and hits for a good average. He can hit in the #1 or #2 hole or the bottom of the line up and will get on base. He doesn't solve the lack of power for the Astros, but he is overall a positive.
Keith is a great guy - but he hasn't changed in his evaluation methods since like 2002. His walks are a problem - but his fastball covers a LOT of sins.... I mean a whole lot. Also - keep in mind that high walks through the minors are part and parcel for Astros minor leaguers. Valdez, Brown and Arrighetti all had high walks when they were younger - at least from my memory.
When I read about Ullola I'm thinking Abreu is his floor and he could contribute that to the Stros bullpen this year.
Ullola’s % chance of outcomes: Hunter Brown level #1/2 SP: 5% Bryan Abreu level closer or enigmatic #3-5 SP: 20% Rafael Montero level setup man: 20% Shawn Dubin level middle reliever or spot starter: 20% Rhiner Cruz level AAAA arm: 10% Derailed by injury: 25%
I see that his fastball is rated at 70 and his slider comes it at 55: and his curve ball rates at 50. There are 3 pitches to be a starter. But with his control only at 40 (which is yikes). Therefore at the moment he seems more like a thrower than a pitcher. And MLB hitter feast on throwers after one time through the lineup the lineup. He’s got elite stuff, but without control you have to rule him out as starting pitcher. Without control he would be at best, a reliever that can’t be relied upon in high leverage situations. Nonetheless, he is a very intriguing prospect that can be very good pitcher, if he gets better control.
His fastball is an 80 - it is basically the only reason that he is a prospect of any note. He doesn't need to set it up at all, they can know it is coming and not hit it - or if they hit it, it is like hitting a lead weight. He has a real deceptive release point that is low, and his fastball hops late on the plane. He can throw it multiple times in a row and it is still effective. He throws mostly in the 94-98 mph range, but is capable of throwing over 100 mph when he wants to. His control is a work in progress, so he tends to take some I personally think his slider and curve are 45's at this point.
That late moment at 95 mph misses bats. The sky is the limit for Ullola ... IF ... he continues to improve.
His change up seems to be promising playing off the fastball. Lefties have crushed his slider this season, so it's probably going to be critical to his success as a starting pitcher. He's only thrown it twice in 3 ball counts this year, so I'm guessing he doesn't trust himself to locate it, but it moves a lot differently than the fastball.
Yeah - he will mix in other stuff, and it isn't that his change up and slider are terrible, they are above average 50% of the time he throws them... the problem is the other 50%. I know that they have discussed having his throw a cut fastball because of the plane on his release point. It is also an easy pitch to throw and repeat, so I see the logic.
