Tim Kurkjian: Arrieta and Matusz looking good

[backwardsk]

This will be such a great development if these two guys are healthy and can get back to form. I just hope the powers that be don't go heavy in the options game and let these guys loose if they are ready.

This is one reason why I didn't like the Guthrie deal. I hope they don't feel a need to keep Hammel in the rotation.

[Ven6]

Matusz at 91 at this time of year is a big deal, IMO. If he can locate at that speed, his change and curve then have that much needed separation from his FB. That might be the best thing we've heard this ST so far.

[Jagwar]

Gotta love his tweets:

Just asking: does any team have five living HOF players better than Frank and Brooks Robinson, Murray, Ripken and Palmer?

https://twitter.com/#!/Kurkjian_ESPN

That deserves its own thread IMO.

[Todd-O]

Matusz at 91 at this time of year is a big deal, IMO. If he can locate at that speed, his change and curve then have that much needed separation from his FB. That might be the best thing we've heard this ST so far.

I agree. If these two blossom, it will do WONDERS for this team...

[Sports Guy]

BMat was clocked at 91...the question is, was that on one pitch or was it consistent?

[hoosiers]

Gotta love the attempted thread dereailment ....

Big years from JA and Bmat are crucial to determining if we need five years to turn this thing around or less.

[jonesing4pie]

BMat was clocked at 91...the question is, was that on one pitch or was it consistent?

This was my question. Hitting 91 but staying mostly in the high 80s isn't much better than last year. I know it is only the first week of March so he is still building arm strength but I think most of agree he will probably have to be consistently in the low 90s to be effective.

[allstar1579]

BMat was clocked at 91...the question is, was that on one pitch or was it consistent?

This is a great question, because I saw him work between 89-91 consistently in AA but he would punch 94 once in a while. As long as he's sitting around that 90mph mark, it gives him the 10+mph difference on his secondaries which is where he needs to be at his best.

[Capn Vivi]

I like velocity as much as the next guy but I think when Matusz was good at the end of 2010 he was averaging right at 90 or a little below. I'd love to see a consistent 91 too. However, the real key for Matusz is the command of all three pitches and overall consistency on his changeup and expecially his breaking pitch.

According to Fangraphs, his average FB velocity for all of 2010 was 89.9. I'm with you on this one.

[Sports Guy]

Well, BMat is consistently hitting 91 tonight.

Has had some pitches in the 89-90 area but 91 is where he has mostly been at.

[Sports Guy]

More importantly, how does he look? Fastball command? Changeup? Consistent curveball?

I think he looks comfortable.

He gave up a bloop hit and a single from that would have been an out if the IF was at normal depth.

However, his location could have been better, especially when he was trying to come in.

Still, he got ahead of most hitters, struck out 2 guys looking and just looked better.

[Sports Guy]

Bmat is using more offspeed stuff in this inning than the first inning but when he has used his fastball, they have been in the 87-88 range thus far. Not sure if that was him taking something off the fastball on purpose or not though.

EDIT: back to back fastballs at 89 and then 91.

BMat allows another hit...2 IF hits in the inning...other hit was a hard hit grounder through the first/second base hole.

Still, 3 runs on the board and that looks bad but he has really only given up 2 legit hits. It is what it is..No walks thus far.

3 K's, overall solid velocity and no walks...the 3 runs suck but who cares...This is about more than flat results at this point and he has been unlucky as well.

[atomic]

If throws like he did tonight for the rest of the spring his career is done. He threw a few right down the middle that they didn't hit. A better team will destroy him. Where is his curve from 2010?

[kyleott]

Let's not jump ship yet. From the sounds of it, he was more effective tonight- albeit in a small sample size- than he was at any point of last season. I think you're being a bit over dramatic. Let's see if he can build off of this, and maybe get a few balls to bounce his way next time out. He was painting the corners a couple of times, and got at least one guy looking; the point being, while not the dominant pitcher we saw in August-September of 2010, he showed signs that lead me to think that that player still exists somewhere, and needs to be brought back out via repetition and study.

[EddieMurrayfan]

If throws like he did tonight for the rest of the spring his career is done. He threw a few right down the middle that they didn't hit. A better team will destroy him. Where is his curve from 2010?

Yea, not much to get excited over.

And,

Gregg was awful. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .