Grayson Rodriguez 2020

[glenn__davis]

It's too early for these sorts of threads and I don't really have anything noteworthy to add.  I just loathe the nickname "GrayRod" and wanted to make sure I didn't have to see it all year like I did for his thread last year.  Here's to hoping for a good (and healthy) year in Frederick.

[MurphDogg]

Seconded. Here is to a big year for SonGuez!

[Frobby]

I think it’s worth noting that Rodriguez has been ranked 35-40 nationally in several rankings, including BA and MLB.com.    Here’s what Fangraphs had to say:

Quote

Rodriguez is a Forrest Whitley sequel currently in production. Like Whitley, Rodriguez was once a hefty Texas high schooler with average stuff. A physical transformation coincided with a senior spring breakthrough, which was then bettered by cogent repertoire work in pro ball. Rodriguez’s changeup, which was an afterthought back in high school, has screwball action and has become very good, very quickly. He’s now tracking to have a four-pitch mix full of above-average pitches: a mid-90s fastball, a lateral, mid-80s slider, a two-plane upper-70s curveball, and the low-80s change. His delivery isn’t great (there’s a little bit of head whack, and Rodriguez has a tightly-wound lower half) but he’s never been injured and has thrown an acceptable rate of strikes to this point. Among the highly-drafted 2018 prep arms, only Rodriguez and Simeon Woods-Richardson are trending above their pre-draft grades. Rodriguez has a No. 2/3 starter ceiling.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-40-prospects-baltimore-orioles/     They gave him a 55 grade overall.    

[LTO's]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think it’s worth noting that Rodriguez has been ranked 35-40 nationally in several rankings, including BA and MLB.com.    Here’s what Fangraphs had to say:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-40-prospects-baltimore-orioles/     They gave him a 55 grade overall.    

Will be interesting to see where (if) Keith Law has him. He's about the only guy to not release a top 100 yet and I remember him having concerns. 

[MurphDogg]

12 minutes ago, LTO's said:

Will be interesting to see where (if) Keith Law has him. He's about the only guy to not release a top 100 yet and I remember him having concerns. 

Law was actually among the highest on Rodriguez the year he was drafted, having him #10 overall.

He did have concerns that he wrote about in June, he saw him pitch on June 25th, 2019 and wrote:

Quote

Rodriguez' 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.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

The last sentence from makes me wonder if Keith Law is missing something.  He's basically saying that his mechanics are not maximizing his potential but he throws real hard for real long. Like "I don't know how he does it".

If the O's can get his mechanics worked out they might have something.

[Flash- bd]

On 2/7/2020 at 6:08 PM, Can_of_corn said:

If the O's can get his mechanics worked out they might have something.

I can't really tell how to read this post, being facetious? 

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, Flash- bd said:

I can't really tell how to read this post, being facetious? 

[joelala]

I agree with Law that it isn’t an orthodox or pretty delivery at all. 
 

I’m not trolling here when I say it reminds me a bit of Ubaldo. 

I’m very excited for Grayson, but I do see Law’s point. There’s a reason why almost no pitchers have a delivery that looks like his. Could he be the exception to the rule though?  Of course

[MountUrCastle]

46 minutes ago, joelala said:

I agree with Law that it isn’t an orthodox or pretty delivery at all. 
 

I’m not trolling here when I say it reminds me a bit of Ubaldo. 

I’m very excited for Grayson, but I do see Law’s point. There’s a reason why almost no pitchers have a delivery that looks like his. Could he be the exception to the rule though?  Of course

His delivery could simply be an adjustment to a minor injury that happened when he was 5 or some sort of physiological niche that he has that's very minor (however unlikely that may be.)

Generally speaking however I generally believe that keep it working for as long as it works.

[joelala]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

Ubaldo had some pretty good years in Colorado.

Exactly. He was dominant for a few seasons. 

[joelala]

2 hours ago, MountUrCastle said:

His delivery could simply be an adjustment to a minor injury that happened when he was 5 or some sort of physiological niche that he has that's very minor (however unlikely that may be.)

Generally speaking however I generally believe that keep it working for as long as it works.

Agreed on all points. Leave him alone unless he gets hurt and a change is the only way to prevent further injury. 

[Frobby]

On 2/7/2020 at 3:34 PM, LTO's said:

Will be interesting to see where (if) Keith Law has him. He's about the only guy to not release a top 100 yet and I remember him having concerns. 

Law released his list today and he has Rodriguez 60th, ten spots behind DJ Hall.   Rutschman 10th, Mountcastle not listed.   

[weams]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Law released his list today and he has Rodriguez 60th, ten spots behind DJ Hall.   Rutschman 10th, Mountcastle not listed.   

Law can go eat raw fish.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-grayson-rodriguez-blaine-knight-camper-20200224-jofosytmd5gw3njign6nmqkydq-story.html

[Frobby]

27 minutes ago, weams said:

Law can go eat raw fish.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-grayson-rodriguez-blaine-knight-camper-20200224-jofosytmd5gw3njign6nmqkydq-story.html

What, you don’t like sushi?