[BA] What To Expect: Lance McCullers Jr.

[FreeFly ( )]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/expect-astros-rhp-lance-mccullers/


The training wheels are off for the Astros. Sensing a weakened and
ripe-for-the-taking AL West, Houston has assertively promoted prospects
Preston Tucker (to the majors) and Carlos Correa (to Triple-A) and on Friday
announced that righthander Lance McCullers—just promoted to Triple-A on
Thursday—will skip Fresno and go right to the bigs.

McCullers, the supplemental first-round pick in 2012—the same year Correa
went No. 1 overall—will be the youngest Astros player to debut (21 years,
228 days) since Jose Altuve (21 years, 75 days) in July 2011.

McCullers, the organization’s ninth-rated prospect entering the season, has
blow-you-away stuff—a fastball that touches 98 mph and a double-plus
breaking ball—but his control had been a millstone.

This season, McCullers dominated at Double-A Corpus Christi (3-1, 0.62, 43/11
K/BB ratio) and showed improved fastball command. He’ll start Monday against
Oakland.

“He’s got a lot of confidence coming out of Double-A,” Astros manager A.J.
Hinch told BA correspondent Jose de Jesus Ortiz. “It’s exciting to get an
arm of his level to test him against major league hitters.”

SCOUTING REPORT

McCullers signed for $2.5 million as part of the Astros’ 2012 draft class,
the first under the current regime led by general manager Jeff Luhnow. The
son of the former major league reliever with the Padres, among other teams,
McCullers has a power fastball that touches 98 mph with a double-plus
breaking ball that has been described within the organization as a curveball
and outside of it as a slider.

The biggest issue was well-below average control, in part due to a crossfire
delivery. He walked a career-worst 5.2 batters per nine innings in 2014 and
seemed headed for a bullpen future, but this season has sliced that rate to
3.41/9 while striking out 13.34/9.

Of the difference in McCullers from last year to this, one evaluator said
command and control of his entire arsenal has been the separator.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Astros clearly had a need in the back of the rotation, but it’s unclear
how long the leash will be for McCullers, especially given his youth and
inexperience. He did not pitch at Triple-A—his stay lasted less than a day—
and he has only 256 2/3 professional innings to his name.

The Astros appear to be in win-now mode, so it would not be outlandish to
suggest McCullers is being showcased for other major league teams in an
effort to acquire a veteran pitcher such as Cole Hamels.

For a fantasy team, McCullers could rack up strikeouts, but again it would be
premature to expect him to log a lot of innings.

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有點瘋狂地把他叫上來先發  雖然3A還是有些人選  不過都是爆炸的機會比較高
所以乾脆換一個刺激一點的......  會有大起大落  XDD

這隻上來會比任何一個3A投手都還要刺激精彩
plus plus fast ball, 2 plus breaking ball......  理想劇本
但是正常狀態下就是他的控球不太好  雖然今年的小樣本好很多了

另外他今年在2A都是短先發  所以不用預期他可以吃深局數
投得好最多應該六局也會讓他收工   他的投球數應該會被嚴格管控

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他奶奶的Appel又自爆了   丟了數不完的BB

Luhnow馬上要展現他的2012選秀成功   順便也開始暴露他2013選秀的大失敗了
2013的版本很可能是pass Jeter的等級了   原因都是為了省錢而不是沒看到好貨 XD

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推 ajburnett: 另一個Lance來啦！
推 fiordiligi: 等 Obi or Peacock 身子好了，應該就會回 3A 了吧？
→ FreeFly: 到時候再說 能不能撐到那時候  其他不可預期的很多阿嬤
→ FreeFly: 會把誰清出40人還不知道  之前清給Turker的Torreye被賣出
→ FreeFly: 去了
→ FreeFly: 目前球評專欄一致的推論都是super 2一過  馬上會call up
→ FreeFly:  Correa
推 testu: 完全不看好Peacock 希望他走
推 OoyaoO: Super2是6/11號嗎
→ FreeFly: 沒有確切日期  但是差不多六月中  實際日期要季末才知道
推 testu: 惜敗 意外的結局
推 testu: 5K 3BB 控球果然不是大好就是大壞
→ anguskenneth: 今天很舒服