Grayson Rodriguez 2019

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, TheDeau52 said:

I don’t think this conversation would have happened if Law had put it the way you just did.

I don’t love Law by any means, but he answered a nuance-less question with a nuance-less answer. I don’t blame him.

[Mendoza Line]

51 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

It gets silly when the analysts try to peg a particular player a no. 1, no. 2, 3, or whatever so early in their development.

I prefer potential TOR, potential MOR, and potential BOR labels.  Clearly, Rodriguez has TOR potential based on the stuff and command he has shown and the idea that he could continue to improve in both categories.  

I don't think anyone would put a TOR label on Drew Rom. That doesn't mean Rom doesn't become Tom Glavine and GrayRod doesn't become Sidney Ponson.  

Collectively 91 career between the two. Sign me up.

Although we better start GrayRod on a steady diet of fried food and milkshakes right now.

[TheDeau52]

4 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

I don’t love Law by any means, but he answered a nuance-less question with a nuance-less answer. I don’t blame him.

That’s fair, I guess my whole point was not pigeonholing a guy either way when the jury is still out (and will be for years). That’s all.

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, TheDeau52 said:

That’s fair, I guess my whole point was not pigeonholing a guy either way when the jury is still out (and will be for years). That’s all.

I don’t think he was pigeonholing him, it was a 2 letter answer to a question that the answer is practically always no.

[acslater]

Law has more on Rodriquez in his ESPN Insider article on ESPN.com. I won't quote the entire article but here are the parts relevant to this discussion...

Quote

Rodriguez's delivery is really stiff and abrupt, failing to make much use of his lower half, with a cutoff in his landing that has him a little across his body when he goes to his glove side. His arm is consistently late because of a pause in his delivery that also robs him of the momentum he builds up before that point, although he's barely over the rubber and doesn't have a ton of it to begin with. It is kind of amazing he can throw as hard as he does as long as he does.

 

Quote

A reader asked on Twitter if I thought he projected as an ace, but I see no way that happens with his current arm action.

 

Luke-OH, do you have the same concerns with his delivery?

Edited June 27, 2019 by acslater

[LookinUp]

Law is not a dummy. That doesn't mean we break Gray Rod down and rebuild him, but I'm guessing Law's specific points are fairly accurate.

[BohKnowsBmore]

11 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

I don’t love Law by any means, but he answered a nuance-less question with a nuance-less answer. I don’t blame him.

 

11 hours ago, TheDeau52 said:

That’s fair, I guess my whole point was not pigeonholing a guy either way when the jury is still out (and will be for years). That’s all.

I think both things can be true to a degree.

Law may be correct from a probabilistic point of view and was simply answering "a nuance-less question with a nuance-less answer."

That said, I think Law also does little to improve the conversation at times through his general attitude toward people/topics.

[Luke-OH]

3 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

 

I think both things can be true to a degree.

Law may be correct from a probabilistic point of view and was simply answering "a nuance-less question with a nuance-less answer."

That said, I think Law also does little to improve the conversation at times through his general attitude toward people/topics.

I completely agree with that last part.

[Luke-OH]

2 hours ago, acslater said:

Law has more on Rodriquez in his ESPN Insider article on ESPN.com. I won't quote the entire article but here are the parts relevant to this discussion...

 

 

Luke-OH, do you have the same concerns with his delivery?

So I don’t love the arm action, I agree it’s on the stiffer side. I don’t think his arm is late though (at least in starts I’ve seen) and I think it’s obvious how he throws hard. He’s big and strong and creates excellent upper/lower half separation on foot strike and has a strong lead leg block. 

The next thing is what is the importance of a good arm action. Durability and command basically. Durability is something to watch as he hasn’t been able to hold velocity for 60+ pitches yet (he’s also quite young). Command is quite good for his age, so you don’t really have to project much improvement there, so I’m not particularly concerned there.

[joelala]

2 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

So I don’t love the arm action, I agree it’s on the stiffer side. I don’t think his arm is late though (at least in starts I’ve seen) and I think it’s obvious how he throws hard. He’s big and strong and creates excellent upper/lower half separation on foot strike and has a strong lead leg block. 

The next thing is what is the importance of a good arm action. Durability and command basically. Durability is something to watch as he hasn’t been able to hold velocity for 60+ pitches yet (he’s also quite young). Command is quite good for his age, so you don’t really have to project much improvement there, so I’m not particularly concerned there.

Could this have to do with the lack of involvement from his lower half?  I remember watching his delivery after we drafted him and being concerned about that.  I can't find the post but I'm sure I said something about it at the time. 

Regardless, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I hope we leave him alone and let him develop with what's been working for him.  If he proves that he can't hold velocity or is getting hurt, then maybe look into mechanical adjustments.

[MurphDogg]

An inquisitive fan followed up with Keith Law and here is his response. 

Quote

Baltimurph: Following up on your scouting report, do you think Grayson Rodriguez is a future MLB starter as is or do you think his mechanics need to be totally rebuilt?
Keith Law: I can’t think of an MLB starter who throws like that. Any examples I could come up with who were close ended up getting hurt.

Definitely sounds like he is more down on the arm action than Luke.

[Luke-OH]

20 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

An inquisitive fan followed up with Keith Law and here is his response. Definitely sounds like he is more down on the arm action than Luke.

Definitely sounds like he is more down on the arm action than Luke.

I’ll just say Law is much more on an island with that opinion than I am. Doesn’t mean he’s wrong, just that it’s not a common view.

[MurphDogg]

7 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

I’ll just say Law is much more on an island with that opinion than I am. Doesn’t mean he’s wrong, just that it’s not a common view.

Glad to hear it. Thanks for the insight, looking forward to seeing him for myself!

[Moose Milligan]

5 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

An inquisitive fan followed up with Keith Law and here is his response. 

Definitely sounds like he is more down on the arm action than Luke.

Law would be hard pressed not to find a pitcher that doesn't end up hurt at some point.  The ones that don't are few and far between.  

I think if we learned anything from Arrieta, it was that we should have just left him alone with the way he threw.  Maybe Gray-Rod has some oddities but as long as he's doing well I'd just leave him alone.  

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

32 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Law would be hard pressed not to find a pitcher that doesn't end up hurt at some point.  The ones that don't are few and far between.  

I think if we learned anything from Arrieta, it was that we should have just left him alone with the way he threw.  Maybe Gray-Rod has some oddities but as long as he's doing well I'd just leave him alone.  

Unless it's obvious to the coaches in the organization that Gray-Rod's pitching motion is going to cause injuries, otherwise just let him keeping doing what works. Fernando Valenzuela had an unorthodox delivery, but he seemed to do ok.