The Next Great Thing: Minor League Pitchers on the Rise
Every year there are a number of players that the baseball world buzzes over uncontrollably. Sometimes they pan out; while at other times they tend to crash and burn.
A couple of years ago it was Joba Chamberlain. While he has managed to stay in the league he has not become the superstar that he was being heralded as. At the beginning of this season it was Aroldis Chapman and Stephen Strasburg who rose to the top. Since his ascension to the major league on June 8th, Strasburg has increased the chances of the Washington Nationals to win every fifth game. Chapman on the other hand will likely wait until next year to make his splash.
With more than half of the 2010 season still to play there are a number of minor league pitchers that stand a chance of making a name in the big league this year.
Madison Bumgarner
One of the most recent to get his shot has been Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants. Bumgarner was drafted by the Giants straight out of high school after leading his team to a state championship in 2007. At 6'4" and 215 pounds the lanky left handed pitcher has a fast ball that is close to the mid-90s.
Bumgarner was recently called up to play and has already had his first start in the big league. While he ended up getting the loss, he did well overall, pitching seven innings giving up four earned runs off of five hits and a walk while also recording five strikeouts. Two of the hits were home runs, something that he will have to cut down on if he is going to keep from getting demoted this time.
If the Giants are going to be competitive in the tough NL West they will need to give their talented young staff some better support.
Andrew Oliver
Oliver is another recent call-up, seeing his first start for the Detroit Tigers last Friday against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched well, lasting six innings and giving up two earned runs off of five hits and one walk with four strikeouts. The lack of run support resulted in him getting his first loss. Oliver got his second loss of the season a few days later against the Minnesota Twins. Once again he pitched well going six innings and giving up just two earned runs again with eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
For a team looking to make a run at the play-offs, having a pitcher with control like Oliver will end up being a boon in the end. Oliver was a second round pick of the Tigers just a year ago out of Oklahoma State. In his last year if college he had a 2.2 ERA, only giving up 2 runs or less in 14 of 16 starts.
Jeremy Hellickson
One of the most promising prospects currently in the minor leagues is young Jeremy Hellickson. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2005 and could be shaping up to get his chance sometime in the near future.
He is doing quite well in the minor leagues right now. His record stands at 9-2 with an ERA of 2.33 with 90 strikeouts and only 21 walks in close to 89 innings of work. Teams have a batting average of .234 against him and have only managed to hit three home runs against him.
The question now is when the team may decide to give him a chance. Wade Davis started out the season doing well enough to hold onto a roster spot, but has not done well. After winning three of six games in May he lost all five starts in June only lasting past the 5th innings twice.
If Hellickson continues his recent tear in the minors and Davis continues to disappoint, the Rays will have no choice but to call him up.
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