(Full disclosure: I umpired last night, so I didn't see the game live. I heard Charlie's wrap up on the way back so I knew the outcome. Did this make me view the game differently when I watched it this morning? I'm not sure.)
Out of all three kids that have gotten Nats debuts as a starter this year, Collin is head and shoulders above Clippard and Mock (IMO). His control was absolutely, positively, emphatically, undoubtedly phenomenal. PHE-FUCKIN-NOMENAL. His is, indeed, a super sensational diaper dandy. He didn't throw his change too often, and he doesn't have a devastating curve ball, but with the way he locates his fastball he doesn't need to. It has late movement, and just paints the corners. True, his pitch count was up there (95 in 5 innings), and he went to long counts on quite a few batters (damn close to a 60/40 ratio of strikes to balls) but the laid back kid from Huntington Beach didn't seem to panic. He would just locate another fastball right were he needed too, and either jammed the guy for a pop up, or went down and away for a ground ball. Bottom line? Color me impressed.
Now, to be realistic... the kid's gonna have a few bad games. Maybe more than a few. Scouts will see him more, and more and there will be a gameplan for him. He might be off some nights and lose his location. That could get him in a lil' bit o' hot water if he doesn't have a sharp curve or the change-up to fall back on, but I think he'll stick in the rotation the rest of the year (seriously).
Instead of looking back (where, let's face it, I would just be saying "Guzman" and "Lannan/Redding") let's say fuck it to the '08 season, and look at what we have set in stone for the Nationals of '09 and beyond, shall we?
SP: John Lannan (23), Collin Balester (turned 22 last month), Mock/Clippard (24/23). (Detweiler? (22))
C: Jesus Flores (23)
1B: Unknown. (Marrero, the #1 prospect in the orginization, is only 19. Not sure we'll see him that soon.)
2B: Unknown
SS: Goozie, once he signs the two year extension.
3B: Zim (Still just 23!)
LF: Unknown
CF: Milledge (23)
RF: Dukes (24)
I left out the bullpen, cause that's always a crap shoot, and the young guys are hard to project. (I'm lying, I'm too fucking lazy and I like all the guys so I didn't wanna play favorites since, you know, they read this blog and all.) That leaves us with an average age of 24/25 in 2009/10. It's gonna be good, folks. I suggest you put a deposit down for season tickets now.
Awesome dude of the day to Balester (of course), but with a slight tip of my braided hair to Belly (Grand Salamai), and my goatee to mi hermano (striking out Hermida with a SICK slider in the bottom of the 8th with the tying run on 2nd). Enjoy, Collin.
(Did I write enough? Jesus, I thought Tolstoy was a long read. He ain't got shit on me, that dead pacifist bastard)
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3 comments:
Don't forget ELI DUKES.
A couple of notes:
*Detwiler is an absolute disaster right now. It's looking like he's got a one-way ticket to Bustville, population: him. And Todd Van Poppel. He's a college arm struggling BIG TIME at A+ ball. That's not good and it's not pretty. It makes me sad.
*Marrero broke his leg and is out for the season. Thus, his development has slowed. He was starting to come around when he went down, but I'd imagine he starts again next year at A+, with hopefully a move to AA by midseason. The earliest I can see him at this point is a quick cup of java in September 2010, but that's best case scenario.
Yeah, Dukes is getting his power dick on, that be fo' sho'.
Re:Detwiler.. I didn't want to sink him that bad, but you're right. 15 starts, avg. of 4.2 IP per start. That can't be good. 1.79 WHIP and 5.86 ERA. He does have 62 K's in those 63 IP, though. And he's a lefty.(Desperate here)
Re:Marrero.. Yeah, the broken leg was a bummer, but it wasn't on the scale of Slick. His power seems consistent, I just wish he could get his OBP up. Oh, and he's averaging around 9 errors/162 games, so his fielding ain't bad at all. Plus, I love me a U of A dough-boy, so maybe Rhinehart can hold his spot until Marrero is ready?
The jury is out on Rhinehart. Kinda old, drafted late in his senior year, and not drafted at all as a junior (I think). However, the kid is hitting, and that's ultimately what gets you looked at. AA will be a good test for him to see if he's somebody everybody missed on.
Marrero doesn't have the flashiest leather, but the numbers ain't bad. He struggled in A+ to start the year but was coming around. When he's on, his bat is absurd. He still projects very, very well, and he only just turned 20 TODAY! So, for a 19-year old to be holding his own in A+ ball is somewhat remarkable.
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