What is the #1 thing you want to see out of a pitcher?

[Sports Guy]

What do you want to see from a pitcher before you draft him?

Or, worded differently, if you are looking at a few guys, what characteristic(ie, stuff, mechanics, command, etc...) would you put at #1?

[Catch 8]

Command of the four-seam fastball.

[Sports Guy]

Stuff has to be #1, because without it, even great command and mechanics will not be enough. The two most important are stuff and command because some pitchers can have those two and not great mechanics and still succeed. Of course, if the first two are close, I'm going with the guy with the better mechanics because he has the better chance of improving and staying healthy, IMO.

So, IYO, if a guy has great stuff and average at best command, he is a better prospect than a guy with great command and average at best stuff?

[WV O's]

Would you put Klein in the "great command, average stuff" category? Is he potentially Doug Pfister or better?

[JDubs]

Honestly, out of the guys I would be looking at in the top five (in this year's case), I would like to see consistent mechanics that would be unlikely to lead to an injury. A lot of great developing pitchers get hurt and amount to nothing. More than most, IMHO. Once their stuff is determined to be near the top of the class, I'm looking for a likelihood that the pitcher can keep doing it throughout their career. The rarest pitching attribute is longevity.

Sadly, this is the same logic that led to us passing on Lincecum. He was a bit of a freak, though. He should have a nickname similar to that.

[NewMarketSean]

1. A good clean wind-up and delivery. Something that doesn't have a lot of moving parts.

2. Someone with good control, who pounds the strike zone. Isn't afraid to pitch to contact.

3. Someone with a good head on their shoulders, isn't frazzled easily.

I think I just described many of our SP's, except for maybe Tillman (control). But he's coming around.

It's in our bullpen where we start to get guys who 1. have crazy wind-ups, 2. can't throw strikes and 3. get rattled easily or are weak.

[eb45]

I don't think there's any sort of set rule as to what is the most important thing. Using this year's class as an example, I'd take Hultzen over Bradley, but Gray over Bauer.

I guess I'd say coachability and motivation to improve, but that's kind of a copout.

[Stotle]

Ideal arm:

• Physicality 6-4/220
  
• Big Velocity
  
• Solid Command
  
• At least one plus secondary offering
  
• At least one avgerage secondary offering
  
• Easy arm action
  
• Repeats mechanics
  

[Scrat1]

A really cool car or at the very least great facial hair.