Gausman MUST be in the starting rotation

[weams]

Gausman to the minors. If Ubaldo falls apart, Gausman slots in.

Gausman doesn't go deep into games and his slider is terrible. No reason to start him unless someone is hurt or if Ubaldo stinks. The other starters are better at this point.

I could not disagree with you more.

[Il BuonO]

Terrible is a strong word but it's not good. According to FanGraphs he threw it 7.4% of the time and the pitch was well below average in effectiveness.

No doubt he needs to refine the pitch, but it also could be improved just by when he uses it. The latest CD article talked about his hits per inning being too high and it possibly being a result of his FB at 96 mph not being deceptive enough in his delivery. I haven't looked at the breakdown, but I would say it's more a result of the difference between his four seam which is flatter and his two seam which has more sink.

Either way, hitters go up there sitting on his FB. A first pitch get me over slider is many times all that is required to keep hitters off balance AND get ahead in the count. Sequencing is important, so he has to be careful not to do it all the time. Where he'll have to improve with it is later in counts when he's either behind or he's already used it and it has to be an out pitch.

[Il BuonO]

The best pitchers use a slider or curve as a chase pitch with two strikes on the batter. Yeah, Gausman's is not good enough for that. Gausman couldn't get Adam Jones to chase his.

He's good enough to get people to chase his CH.

[steva84]

Let's go with our kid. St Louis put his young stars on the field and made the World Series a year ago.

[Il BuonO]

Yes. I agree. He's a two pitch pitcher. He basically has two variations of his changeup, two variations of his fastball, and a well below average breaking pitch. I'm calling that two distinctive pitches and no effective third one.

Yeah, well this thread posits he should be in the rotation, a position with which even you agree despite his shortcomings. Bottom line.

[SteveO]

Terrible is a strong word but it's not good. According to FanGraphs he threw it 7.4% of the time and the pitch was well below average in effectiveness.

Its amazing, to read this thread you would think he was Jake Arrieta out there not a guy who a 3.57 ERA, FIP 3.41 and ERA+ of 107 as a kid in essentially his first real season as a MLB starter.

I have yet to read a real scout who is anything less than upbeat about KG and his potential to be a TOR type guy. But the amateur scouting crew has it all figured out apparently, tough crowd

[SteveO]

If you read the thread, I did not criticize Gausman's talent or his performance. I question the effectiveness of his breaking pitch and if he can ever become an ace without one. Some of the professional scouting crew see Gausman's ceiling as a #2 starter. Pretty good. Now that you bring up Arrieta, I can only hope that Gausman becomes as good as Arrieta was last year.

That is pretty fair.

Arrieta was pretty sick last season. That said I do not think that was something that would ever have happened here even if he received the exact same instruction here he did there step for step.

Jake needed a change of scenery and fresh start. Not convinced yet he can produce at that level on a consistent basis but think he will be good starter for the Cubs.

[weams]

That is pretty fair.

Arrieta was pretty sick last season. That said I do not think that was something that would ever have happened here even if he received the exact same instruction here he did there step for step.

Jake needed a change of scenery and fresh start. Not convinced yet he can produce at that level on a consistent basis but think he will be good starter for the Cubs.

Or, Jake is fluky with a superb skill set.

[SteveO]

Or, Jake is fluky with a superb skill set.

Could be also.

I will be rooting for the kid though. Grew up a Cubs fan a kid. Always liked Jake even if he drove me nuts to watch. If he can't have success here then fine with it being with the Cubbies