Britton starts today...Roch wonders what's next?

[theobird]

Per Roch:

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/kevin-gausman-update-and-notes-on-rotation-and-pedro-alvarez.html

Now is there a hidden message?

(Actually, I do not think there is.)

I don't think there is either, but I do think there should be.

[ExileAngelos]

I would be concerned that Britton's 2nd and 3rd pitches are too inconsistent to be a very good starter.

Or he could just go the Kevin Brown and Scott Erickson route and just dominate with sinker after after sinker. If I knew he would succeed as a starter I would absolutely throw him into the rotation with hopefully Givens eventually taking over the 9th.

[DrungoHazewood]

Or he could just go the Kevin Brown and Scott Erickson route and just dominate with sinker after after sinker. If I knew he would succeed as a starter I would absolutely throw him into the rotation with hopefully Givens eventually taking over the 9th.

We have pitch data for the tail end of Erickson's career and he threw about 66% fastballs. Same with Brown, but about 75%. Britton is around 90%. Not really the same thing.

[Can_of_corn]

We have pitch data for the tail end of Erickson's career and he threw about 66% fastballs. Same with Brown, but about 75%. Britton is around 90%. Not really the same thing.

Do even knuckleball pitchers throw it 90%?

[PHRESH]

Do even knuckleball pitchers throw it 90%?

Wakefield is probably the first guy we think of, and he was pretty close to 90%

Per Fangraphs:

[Tony-OH]

If you play Showalter's record backwards slowly, there is indeed a hidden message.

Yerp, I'm pretty sure it's "I......like.......our......guys"

[Frobby]

Pitching for Single-A Frederick, Britton was the starting pitcher and buzzed through several Minnesota Twins Single-A batters. He got seven outs over two scoreless innings, allowing just two infield hits. He fanned two throwing 28 pitches, 20 for strikes.

"It was good," Britton said after his outing at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. "I needed to get a two-inning outing in, that was big. Get the pitch count up. Sit down and get back out there. I actually think I found my stuff a little more in that second inning, even though the first one was pretty good. A lot of weak groundballs and that is what I'm looking for."

Britton's longest big league outing last season, when he went 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA and 36 saves, was 2 1/3 innings. He doesn't expect to have another two-inning spring appearance.

"No, this is it. Last year we just did one in spring. He (manager Buck Showalter) wants me to stay fresh. He didn't want to do it in a big league game. This is more controlled. We could end an inning if my pitch count got too high."

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/03/zach-britton-talks-about-his-outing-and-other-notes-from-twin-lakes-park.html

[weams]

Turn me on dead man?.

Paul is dead, miss him, miss him, miss him.

[weams]

Yerp, I'm pretty sure it's "I......like.......our......guys"

Indeed.

[ExileAngelos]

We have pitch data for the tail end of Erickson's career and he threw about 66% fastballs. Same with Brown, but about 75%. Britton is around 90%. Not really the same thing.

Interesting. Sure seemed like they threw it more. I think Zach probably needs to stay right where he is despite our desperate need for rotation help.

[OFFNY]

o

Zach Britton Talks About His Outing From Twin Lakes Park

(By Steve Melewski)

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/03/zach-britton-talks-about-his-outing-and-other-notes-from-twin-lakes-park.html

[TheBee]

People need to remember that when Zach was a starter, his fastball averaged 92 - not the 96 it averages as a short spurt reliever. Jim Johnson got the same kind of velocity jump as he adjusted to relief. I saw the difference in his velocity and movement increases between being a starter at Bowie and a reliever in Baltimore. As Drungo pointed out, Zach is a two pitch pitcher who throws one 90% of the time. He isn't stretched out at all, hasn't thrown his change up in a few years, and may not be in the shape he'd need to be in to start. Just my 2 cents...

[Phantom]

Wakefield is probably the first guy we think of, and he was pretty close to 90%

Bartolo Colon got all the way up to 90% FB usgae in 2012. Sub 3.50 ERA in the AL that year as well.

[Redskins Rick]

People need to remember that when Zach was a starter, his fastball averaged 92 - not the 96 it averages as a short spurt reliever. Jim Johnson got the same kind of velocity jump as he adjusted to relief. I saw the difference in his velocity and movement increases between being a starter at Bowie and a reliever in Baltimore. As Drungo pointed out, Zach is a two pitch pitcher who throws one 90% of the time. He isn't stretched out at all, hasn't thrown his change up in a few years, and may not be in the shape he'd need to be in to start. Just my 2 cents...

While you make several key points, which are valid.

I don't think moving to relieving did anything to improve his "out" pitch.

Wallace worked hard with Britton on his command, his ability to paint both sides of the paint, skip the 4 seam, and just rely on the 2 seam fast and mastering the slider did wonders for him.

I think would be a better SP now, but, I do not believe he would be an elite SP, like he is now, an elite closer.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't think moving to relieving did anything to improve his "out" pitch.

I think it most certainly did.