Zach Davies getting it together

7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 10 K's. ERA down to 3.12.

Not too shabby for a 21 year old at AA.

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The walks are uncharacteristically high. If he gets that back to normal, he'll really be cooking.

Remember, same age as Eduardo Rodriguez. Always been one of my favorites based on age/league/stats; scouting reports have never been as good.

Remember, same age as Eduardo Rodriguez. Always been one of my favorites based on age/league/stats; scouting reports have never been as good.

Tony has always liked him. He gets a fair number of strikeouts for a guy who doesn't have a blazing heater.

Tony has always liked him. He gets a fair number of strikeouts for a guy who doesn't have a blazing heater.

I went to his game last Thursday were he got hit around a bit in 4 innings. Gave up 5 runs on 5 hits and a pair of walks. No strike outs. I wasn't super impressed, but it was only one outing and his numbers have been acceptable through his first 2 years.

Actually, the only thing that really stuck out to me was that he's is an absolute beanpole. They have him listed at 6' and 150 lbs and that's probably spot on. His biceps aren't much thicker than his wrists but they get the job done I guess. I wonder if he's put on any weight since they drafted him.

o

21 year-old Davies had his best outing out the season.

BUT ......

he also gave out 6 free passes (5 walks and a hit batsman) in only 7 innings pitched.

Subsequently, his balls-to-strikes ratio was not very good (60 Strikes, 44 Balls.)

ZACHARY RYAN DAVIES O (vs. AA-Richmond, 4/28)

IP:. 7

H:o 4 (1 Triple, 1 Double, 2 Singles)

R:O 2

BB: 5

SO: 10

Pitches: 104 (60 Strikes, 44 Balls)

2014 ERA: 3.12 (AA-Bowie)

PITCHES BY INNING

*****************

81 (41 Strikes, 4 Balls)

20 (11 Strikes, 9 Balls)

18 (11 Strikes, 7 Balls)

16 (91 Strikes, 7 Balls)

13 (91 Strikes, 4 Balls)

12 (61 Strikes, 6 Balls)

17 (10 Strikes, 7 Balls)

Remember, same age as Eduardo Rodriguez. Always been one of my favorites based on age/league/stats; scouting reports have never been as good.

Obviously you have not been reading mine then because I'm pretty sure I'm his biggest believer amongst the scouting/observers.

If Davies was 6-foot-2 or higher scouts would like him a lot more. At the end of the day, the conventional thinking is he can't hold up but he's shown he can maintain his stuff through 100 pitches and pitch effectively over the course of an entire season.

I saw a guy with two potential plus off speed offerings with solid above avergae command of three pitches. His fastball doesn't light up the radar guns but he gets some nice run and sink between 90-92 MPH.

Obviously you have not been reading mine then because I'm pretty sure I'm his biggest believer amongst the scouting/observers.

If Davies was 6-foot-2 or higher scouts would like him a lot more. At the end of the day, the conventional thinking is he can't hold up but he's shown he can maintain his stuff through 100 pitches and pitch effectively over the course of an entire season.

I saw a guy with two potential plus off speed offerings with solid above avergae command of three pitches. His fastball doesn't light up the radar guns but he gets some nice run and sink between 90-92 MPH.

Oh, I know you like him. I'm thinking more of lists like this (which is admittedly from 2013 - I should make one of those for 2014), where you have Davies ranked #10 and only one other major ranking even had him in the top 20.

Oh, I know you like him. I'm thinking more of lists like this (which is admittedly from 2013 - I should make one of those for 2014), where you have Davies ranked #10 and only one other major ranking even had him in the top 20.

I was first on Britton too!

I was first on Britton too!

Yes you were. And Josh Hader.

I need more convincing, because he allows a lot of base-runners.

The walks are uncharacteristically high. If he gets that back to normal, he'll really be cooking.

I agree. It bears watching a bit but it's so out of the ordinary that I'm going to assume it's more of a bump in the road than any issue with higher level competition. He's missing bats and that's always a good sign as you move up the chain.

This from the Baysox:

Davies Dealing: Baysox starter Zach Davies had the best start of his short Double-A career Monday, pitching a

season-high seven innings and striking out a career-high 10 batters...It was the Baysox first 10 strikeout game of the

season...His five walks were also a career high and a season-high for a Baysox pitcher...The seven innings pitched by

Davies tied the longest outing of the season by a Baysox pitcher (Tim Berry) and the five hits allowed by the Baysox

pitching staff were one away from tying the team’s season low...

Pretty amazing that the guy got through seven innings striking out 10 and walking five on 104 pitches. Even if they were three pitch strikeouts and four pitch walks (which we know they all weren't), that's 50 pitches right there. That means he was pretty efficient to get the other 11 outs he recorded. BTW, he recorded five GOs to only two AOs. Striking out people and getting ground balls is a good mix.

SSS at Bowie. Davies had a 1.23 WHIP at Frederick last year. Eduardo Rodriguez was 1.21 and Tim Berry was 1.29. For pitchers who pitched over 116 IP, Davies was 6th in the league last year.

And 116 innings is the standard. This season, it's 1.615; the year before, it was 1.356. That's why I need more convincing.