Who are our top five pitchers below AAA?

[zero1]

Pretty tough year for Bobby Bundy and Bridwell. Maybe Bundy's struggles relate to the bone chips in his elbow, but I don't know. If Bridwell's in our top 5, something is seriously wrong. He's been awful and I really don't want to hear what kind of stuff he has.

Do you base your opinion of him being "awful" on actually seeing him pitch or reports from scouts? Or, do you just look at the box score?

[GoldGlove21]

Need to sign at least one legitimate FA starter. Hammel and Chen have been revelations, but you can't count on either to repeat their success next year. If you could push those two back deeper into the rotation we just might finally have a legitimate starting staff.

I agree that we need a starter, but I would shoot for two and look to deal a couple of those fringe arms (Matusz, Tillman, Arrieta) for positions of need. I might be in the minority here, but why shouldn't the Orioles be able to expect good things from Chen and Hammel next season? Chen is #3 starter good and he looks every bit the part of a major league regular. Hammel is a #3 that can turn it on like a #2 at times. Let's call them both above average #3 starters. I think that the real questions marks will be all those young arms that can seem to put it al together from start-to-start. All we need is for one of those guys to be #3 starter good or better on a regular basis and to add a quality starter in the offseason IMO. With that said, I have no confidence in any of those guys figuring it out at this point because they all seem to lack command at times.

[weams]

As McLovin pointed out, Bridwell has been better of late.

2012-08-02	BAL (A)	PHI	1	0	1	9.00	0	0	0	5.0	24	7	5	5	1	4	0	0	1	0	22012-07-27	BAL (A)	CHW	1	1	0	3.00	0	0	0	6.0	25	8	2	2	0	2	0	1	2	0	42012-07-21	BAL (A)	@PIT	1	1	0	1.29	1	0	0	7.0	28	6	1	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	22012-07-14	BAL (A)	TEX	1	0	0	1.80	0	0	0	5.0	21	2	2	1	0	4	0	1	0	0	2

[eb45]

What kind of stuff does Devin Jones have? Good results in relief at Delmarva, decent at Fred, except strikeouts way down. How hard does he throw?

Saw him at Aberdeen last year, fastball about 93-95 out of the pen, said the hardest he'd been clocked was 97. Decent slider, didn't see much of a changeup. Maybe he's developed that this year, because he's being used as a starter apparently.

[Lucky Jim]

I think Frobby's comment is anything but silly. I'll reiterate what he's saying. I don't want to hear about Bridwell's stuff. The South Atlantic League hitters are not too impressed with it.

Then you're silly, too. It wouldn't be the first time.

[russ snyder]

What kind of stuff does Devin Jones have? Good results in relief at Delmarva, decent at Fred, except strikeouts way down. How hard does he throw?

I saw him throw at Frederick about a week ago. He pitched seven strong innings in a win against Potomac. He was registering 91-94 on the radar gun. He kept the ball down in the zone and his fastball had some late life. He knows how to pitch IMO. Like Miguel Gonzalez, he moved the ball around in the zone. Obviously, I was quite impressed.

[Frobby]

As McLovin pointed out, Bridwell has been better of late.

2012-08-02	BAL (A)	PHI	1	0	1	9.00	0	0	0	5.0	24	7	5	5	1	4	0	0	1	0	22012-07-27	BAL (A)	CHW	1	1	0	3.00	0	0	0	6.0	25	8	2	2	0	2	0	1	2	0	42012-07-21	BAL (A)	@PIT	1	1	0	1.29	1	0	0	7.0	28	6	1	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	22012-07-14	BAL (A)	TEX	1	0	0	1.80	0	0	0	5.0	21	2	2	1	0	4	0	1	0	0	2

Frankly, I hadn't noticed that he finally had a run of decent pitching prior to his last horrible start. His overall performance has been sufficiently poor that I really don't feel I need to have seen him pitch to judge that he shouldn't be considered one of the top 5 below Norfolk, or that if he is, then it reflects poorly on what we have in the minors. Feel free to bring this up the day he reaches the major leagues and I will freely admit I didn't know what I was talking about.

[eb45]

Frankly, I hadn't noticed that he finally had a run of decent pitching prior to his last horrible start. His overall performance has been sufficiently poor that I really don't feel I need to have seen him pitch to judge that he shouldn't be considered one of the top 5 below Norfolk, or that if he is, then it reflects poorly on what we have in the minors. Feel free to bring this up the day he reaches the major leagues and I will freely admit I didn't know what I was talking about.

I don't necessarily disagree with your overall evaluation of Bridwell, but I think dismissing any reports on his stuff is foolish. What's troubling me about Bridwell, more than his stats, is Tony's report that he looks nothing like the pitcher he saw last year, that the great stuff he showed at Aberdeen appears to have vanished. I still have hope that he can reclaim it, but that's diminished, and I'd probably drop him on the prospect lists, based on his stuff regressing, not his stats.

[soxhotcorner14]

And here is a small sample as to why we can't execute any big time trades. Fans need to just take a look at the names on this list and this will answer all their questions. There is nothing here that other organizations "have to have".

[weams]

Frankly, I hadn't noticed that he finally had a run of decent pitching prior to his last horrible start. His overall performance has been sufficiently poor that I really don't feel I need to have seen him pitch to judge that he shouldn't be considered one of the top 5 below Norfolk, or that if he is, then it reflects poorly on what we have in the minors. Feel free to bring this up the day he reaches the major leagues and I will freely admit I didn't know what I was talking about.

Now with the reverse jinx in effect, he haas a chance.

[Frobby]

I don't necessarily disagree with your overall evaluation of Bridwell, but I think dismissing any reports on his stuff is foolish. What's troubling me about Bridwell, more than his stats, is Tony's report that he looks nothing like the pitcher he saw last year, that the great stuff he showed at Aberdeen appears to have vanished. I still have hope that he can reclaim it, but that's diminished, and I'd probably drop him on the prospect lists, based on his stuff regressing, not his stats.

For me, there is a range of statistical performance where a somewhat poor performance can be explained. A 6.23 ERA and 1.64 WHIP is outside that range, especially when the performance has been fairly consistently bad (7.41 ERA and 1.76 WHIP since June 1). I'm not saying the guy is irreparable, but a guy with those numbers has a very serious problem no matter what kind of stuff he has, and I can't consider him a top prospect with numbers like that.

For me, it is easier to understand why some players with good numbers are nevertheless not good prospects due to their stuff, than it is to accept that a guy with lousy numbers is a good prospect because he supposedly has good stuff.

[weams]

For me, there is a range of statistical performance where a somewhat poor performance can be explained. A 6.23 ERA and 1.64 WHIP is outside that range, especially when the performance has been fairly consistently bad (7.41 ERA and 1.76 WHIP since June 1). I'm not saying the guy is irreparable, but a guy with those numbers has a very serious problem no matter what kind of stuff he has, and I can't consider him a top prospect with numbers like that.

For me, it is easier to understand why some players with good numbers are nevertheless not good prospects due to their stuff, than it is to accept that a guy with lousy numbers is a good prospect because he supposedly has good stuff.

And I hope thay can find a way to fix him.

[pitchmom]

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. Frobby let's talk about all the crow your going to be eating. I bet your 40+ years old and I bet you live in your Mothers basement. Let's here about all your kids accomplishments. Oh I'm sorry as negative as you are if you have any they will not be successful. Bridwell is fine and will prove so in time. Until you know all the facts don't comment.

[glenn__davis]

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. Frobby let's talk about all the crow your going to be eating. I bet your 40+ years old and I bet you live in your Mothers basement. Let's here about all your kids accomplishments. Oh I'm sorry as negative as you are if you have any they will not be successful. Bridwell is fine and will prove so in time. Until you know all the facts don't comment.

Look, Mr. Bridwell, we all want him to succeed....

[Frobby]

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. Frobby let's talk about all the crow your going to be eating. I bet your 40+ years old and I bet you live in your Mothers basement. Let's here about all your kids accomplishments. Oh I'm sorry as negative as you are if you have any they will not be successful. Bridwell is fine and will prove so in time. Until you know all the facts don't comment.

So, is Parker your son?

I will be more than happy to eat some crow about Parker if and when he turns things around. I root for every Orioles prospect. But if I am ranking prospects right now, I cannot put him at the top of the list, because he hasn't performed well. You may very well be right that sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward, and if and when Parker gets to the point of going forward I will be the first to acknowledge it.

I am 40+ years old. I do not live in my mother's basement. I've had had a successful career and I am happily married with three kids, one who is two years older than Parker, one who is a year younger, and one who is four years younger. I don't know yet what they will accomplish in their lives. My daughter graduated college last year and was able to find a pretty decent-paying job that she likes in a field that she wants to pursue, and in this economy I'm pretty pleased with that. I hope my other two will do as well. None of them are likely to end up in a job like Parker's where their performance is measured in a defined set of statistics that are followed by lots of people. That's an occupational hazard of being a baseball player.