Mike Wright

[EagleOriole]

IF this is true then the Orioles must really like their chances this year.

IF this is true then I could see Bundy getting a spot in the bullpen at the end of the year also.

I can't see this being the case. I think they will move him to Bowie this year. Start next year in Norfolk and be on the Orioles roster by June.

If they want to move Wright to the bullpen, one wonders why they already haven't. I wonder what his innings limit is for this year.

[allstar1579]

Allstar, In your own words "High Class A is a JOKE for GOOD college pitchers". I wonder if a person you respect as much as Stotle would agree with that statement. Of course, we have to pin you down as to what qualifies as a good college pitcher. I'd assume that Taylor Jungman and Jed Bradley were considered good college pitchers. Anthony Ranaudo? Jake Arrieta? Brandon Workman (who had a 3.71 ERA in low A ball), Alex Meyer (currently 4.36 ERA in LOW A ball), etc., etc. All were drafted higher than Wright. All were considred GOOD college pitchers by most. Someone should tell them that HIGH A is a joke and they shouldn't even bother with it because it's too easy.

As far as being hardheaded it seems like the pot calling the kettle black as you haven't given an inch to common sense. Last but not least, I mentioned the 72 strikes on 89 pitches because it's there in the boxscores and the other pitchers' numbers look pretty ordinary on that count. Yep, they could have gotten the others WRIGHT and WRIGHTS's wrong. It his hard to believe. That's why I mentioned it. However, I keep an open mind to the possibility of it being correct while you say "no way is it correct". This is the same kind of thinking when you say a 22 year old pitcher with a good arm can't get any better. Of course he can. He can improve his fastball command. He can improve his changeup. He can improve his slider. It's logical to think he could get better. That doesn't mean he will get better. You just dismiss that possibility as easily as you totally dismiss the possibility of 72 strikes in 89 pitches thrown. What will you say if that stat is correct?

Good is a semantic term, but I mean polished college pitchers that don't have clear issues to work on. MOST guys taken in the draft have clear issues to work on, some don't have things to work on but still aren't as talented as the other guys that need a little refinement. Honestly, I don't care if other people agree with that statement, because it's how I feel, and I'm no follower.

72 strikes in 89 pitches would be pretty close to a baseball record, and guys in the majors don't put up numbers like that, so for a league (minor leagues in general) that you should question every stat you see because they just don't put the resources into tracking, you should be very skeptical. Sure it's POSSIBLE it happened, it's also possible that an asteroid fell out of the sky mid game.

You get so hung up on certain opinions and ideas and will argue until you are blue in the face for no reason. Do you know how insignificant an argument about if Mike Wright was moved up too soon is? What good is it trying to prove? That the FO is incompetent? Seriously, just watch the game and stop being so negative.

[weams]

I am very good friends with the Wright family and i was told by his dad that he was moved up so he might be able to throw out of the pen in september.

He was wonderful in spring training in that role.

[bnw7870]

I also talked to one of the recruiters at ECU and was told that they thought he would be better suited in the pen.

[RVAbird]

I also talked to one of the recruiters at ECU and was told that they thought he would be better suited in the pen.

I think that was the consensus among evaluators around draft time. He has a starter's frame but the secondaries would need a lot of work and that fastball touches 98 in short stints.

[allstar1579]

I never said I had a big problem with the promotion. I said it was aggressive. Still do. That's not negative. Great to see that you feel Mike Wright has nothing to work on and is one of those college pitchers who is so polished. You say I argue until I'm blue in the face and there you are countering every single time. Again, Hello Pot! I don't care if you a follower or a leader. I just can't stand it when you're wrong and can't admit it. The move was aggressive. Wright got moved to High A faster than Matusz did back in the day. You are so caught up in trying to prove something else about Mike Wright that you can't see the obvious. I guess you aren't blue in the face yet cause I know I'm gonna see another response from you. Of course, that wouldn't make you hardheaded. Agressive move by the O's. Aggressive! Aggressive! Note that aggressive doesn't mean horribly wrong. Mike Wright got moved faster than almost any pitcher drafted after the 1st round in the last 5 drafts but of course that's because he's so polished and because he'll never get any better. Looks like that top 15 program (that thread wasn't your finest moment) didn't have any classes in logic.

Geez! Was just reading the Dylan Bundy thread and saw this exchange:

So High A is a joke for good college pitchers but that's where major league teams send the vast majority. Good to know that you are smarter than everyone else in baseball.

I don't know why I keep indulging you. The rep I've gotten from other people that think your rants are stupid is enough for me to know to walk away.

Maybe if I talk really slowly you will get it.

I think Wright will be a good RP.

I think he can be good starting in A ball, I think he won't be good enough starting in AA to move up, and he'll move to the pen.

Most college pitchers have specialized work to do on certain pitches, or how to pitch, so they start in high A.

Some of the best college pitchers go straight to AA.

Wright doesn't need to work on pitches, he just needs experience, he is unique in the sense that he will be a RP that is starting to get experience and innings, not to develop things.

I am very good with logic, but you don't have much. So you go ahead and keep being all carmudgeony.

Yes, it is, the vast majority of pitchers are normal college pitchers, the GOOD ones are the exceptions, and there aren't a lot of them.

With that, I'm done.

[EagleOriole]

Someone lock this thread, it started off with a good discussion and devolved into a pissing match.

[Frobby]

Some of the best college pitchers go straight to AA.

It is extremely rare. I think there have only been five in the last 15 years or so -- Mark Prior (drafted in 2001), Mark Mulder (drafted in 1998 and went straight to AAA), DeWayne Brazelton (drafted in 2001), Mike Leake (drafted in 2009 and went straight to the majors) and Danny Hultzen (drafted in 2011). If you can name some others, please let me know. Even Strasburg started in high A.

[allstar1579]

It is extremely rare. I think there have only been five in the last 15 years or so -- Mark Prior (drafted in 2001), Mark Mulder (drafted in 1998 and went straight to AAA), DeWayne Brazelton (drafted in 2001), Mike Leake (drafted in 2009 and went straight to the majors) and Danny Hultzen (drafted in 2011). If you can name some others, please let me know. Even Strasburg started in high A.

Yeah I said it didn't happen often. Darren Dreifort, Jim Abbott also went straight to the majors, and a couple other guys spent less than 3 games in A ball or lower and went to AA like Zito, Trevor Bauer (all I can think of off the top of my head)

[LookinUp]

I think the strong probability is that Wright will be a bullpen arm relatively soon.

I'm assuming the O's are holding out hope that, with some pro instruction, he'll translate his good arm into a reliable starter. It's certainly not unheard of that a guy comes up with a new pitch that suddenly works, or improves his existing pitches with good coaching, physical maturity, or maybe even luck. There's no harm in exploring that (a point I'm sure most here agree with). The question is how long we stick with that plan. I suspect that might just depend on where the O's are in the standings come August.

[bobmc]

Hiccup....

"Pitcher Mike Wright, the Orioles' 2011 third-round pick who was just recently promoted to Double-A Bowie, today was placed on the DL, retroactive to Monday, due to a hamstring injury.

The severity of the injury is not yet known, but Wright is expected to see Dr. John Wilckens, the Orioles' orthopedist. His last start was on Saturday.

Wright, drafted out of East Carolina, began this year with Single-A Frederick and went 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in eight starts. Over 46 1/3 innings, he walked just five and fanned 35 Carolina League hitters.

In two starts since he moved to Bowie, Wright is 0-2 with an ERA of 7.15 and has given up 17 hits over 11 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts."