In most cases i'd agree, I agree with the thought process in general After what Appel went through last year though, i'd either have him in the rotation in Houston or at AAA. It wasn't just the hitters atmosphere for Appel last year, he also had no regular routine of getting his arm ready because of the appendectomy. I think Appel needs to be a starter from the beginning to the end
Not sure you were paying attention but Appel did not excel when he relieved as part of the piggy back rotation.
I don't consider that true "relieving"... and he wouldn't be the first starter to have a problem with the tandem system. Most future starters may tend to start in the bullpen in order to not only jump-start their careers (rotation may be full), but also to possibly gain further command of a third pitch before they go in the rotation for good. I know Appel has a plus fastball/slider that he relies on quite a bit... but will need full execution/feel of his changeup to fully make it. If he has all three pitches down, then he may not benefit all that much to start his career via relieving, as there should be a spot in this rotation waiting for him whenever he is ready.... I just tend to see more recent absolute success from starters who get their feet wet prior to getting absolutely thrown in (vs. the "starters" who flail initially... and may just end up as bullpen pitchers anyways).
"True relieving"? Why do I suspect that you were not thinking about the fact that he struggled in the tandem system when you posted your initial idea.
Appel started games while he was struggling even when he had the short end of the tandem. The tandem system may or may not have had an impact on Appel getting into condition for the season as it took him a while to get his arm speed up post surgery. Appel got his arm speed back late in the year so any long term issues from the tandem system seem to be overblown. Appel has two plus pitches and even guys that rag on Appel typically rate his changeup between fringe average to solid average. That's typically a description of a No. 3 starter. He would most likely do well in relief at the majors, but, he'll probably produce enough as a starter by midseason that the Astros won't have 5 starters, if any, better than him.
Why do I suspect that you know what i'm talking about when I say the tandem system is not the same as being a relief pitcher in the traditional sense? The tandem system is specifically designed to get two starters regular work every 3rd-4th day. Also, Appel struggled every which way in the system, including as being the starter... so not really much more to consider (or not consider) in that respect.
Jim Callis' Not Quite Top 100 guys (though they may be in his top 100, just not his combined list with Mayo): Michael Feliz, rhp, Astros. He’s a work in progress but it’s hard not to like his combination of a mid-90s fastball, power breaking ball, promising changeup and sturdy build. Colin Moran, 3b, Astros. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 Draft saw his stock take a hit as scouts questioned his power and his defense, but Houston believes and traded Jarred Cosart to get him. Brett Phillips, of, Astros. He didn’t homer in his first two pro seasons before leading the low Class A Midwest League in slugging (.521) last year, and he could have average power to go with a solid bat and three plus tools (speed, center-field range, arm). http://jimcallis.mlblogs.com/2015/02/03/close-but-not-quite-top-100-prospects-to-watch/
I don't know how the Astros outfield will look in two years other than Springer manning one of the three positions, but they have a lot of guys that have a shot being there. While the hit-miss-walk batters can have value, I do prefer contact over power from a purely cardiac value. Hopefully, Phillips can keep making good contact as he moves up to AA.
With as many intriguing out fielders in the minors, it will be interesting to watch. i can already see the different prospect camps by the fans. Santana, Tucker, Alpine, Phillips, etc will be sparking a lot of enthusiasm. I wonder if anybody seperates themselves from the field. bevause as of now, nobody stands out.
FYI Wilson Karaman, a new writer at Minorleagueball.com (John Sickel's site), has been doing prospect write-ups on California league players. Coincidentally many of his write-ups are on Astros players. So far he's done Tony Kemp, Brett Phillips and Josh Hader. I spotted a blurb about a favorite of mine, Conrad Gregor, in the discussion section of the Astros top 20.
Baseball Prospectus top 10 released this morning. The Top Ten SS Carlos Correa RHP Mark Appel RHP Vincent Velasquez OF Brett Phillips OF Derek Fisher RHP Michael Feliz RHP Lance McCullers OF Domingo Santana 3B Colin Moran OF Teoscar Hernandez Top 10 Talents 25 And Under (born 4/1/89 or later) Jose Altuve Carlos Correa George Springer Mark Appel Jon Singleton Vincent Velasquez Jake Marisnick Brett Phillips Derek Fisher Michael Feliz Subscriber only link - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25508.
It sort of concerns me that Moran is so low on the list. Would Ruiz be higher? The Astros must see something these other guys don't.
