Akin, Kremer, Lowther, Zimmerman, Wells

[Bahama O's Fan]

Here is a list of five potential starting pitchers. All of them have had disappointing seasons, but there have been times of brightness sprinkled in. Where do you see these five in 2019? Baltimore, AAA, AA, starting, pen?

Akin

Kremer

Lowther

Zimmerman

Wells

[SteveA]

3 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Here is a list of five potential starting pitchers. All of them have had disappointing seasons, but there have been times of brightness sprinkled in. Where do you see these five in 2019? Baltimore, AAA, AA, starting, pen?

Akin

Kremer

Lowther

Zimmerman

Wells

Akin and Zimmerman have at least had some stretches where they have pitched OK, certainly enough that a pitching starved team that is not drafting pitchers very high definitely should give them another chance next year.

Kremer and Lowther had lost seasons for whatever reason, but I'm not ready to give up on them either.   Kremer especially seemed to have major league stuff.   They too should get another chance.

I don't think Wells will ever be a major league pitcher.   But we still have plenty of chaff to cut from the 40 before he gets the axe.

I think all five of them will be given an offseason plan of what to concentrate on, and when they report to camp in February they all should be competing for spots.  Let the chips fall where they may.   I can't imagine a world where we will have acquired so many new pitchers ahead of them that there isn't room for the two best of those 5 to be on the Opening Day roster and probably 2 in Norfolk.

And by the way, next year is 2022.   PLEASE don't send us back in time to repeat these last three seasons!

[Frobby]

It would probably be pretty easy to figure out where they’ll be in 2019.  Just look in BB-ref.

I expect all five will get their chance to compete for a starting spot in 2022 Spring Training.   I think Zimmerman. and Akin start off as presumptive favorites, but just like last year when Akin ended up starting in AAA after finishing 2020 in the rotation, I don’t expect the spots to be handed to anyone on a platter.   They’ll have to earn them in spring training.   Hopefully a couple of slots will be filled by decent veteran pitchers.

I’m not sure I see any of them in the pen. Most likely, the losers go to Norfolk and stay stretched out and available when the inevitable injuries or failures of members of the original five occur.  

[HowAboutThat]

39 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Akin and Zimmerman have at least had some stretches where they have pitched OK, certainly enough that a pitching starved team that is not drafting pitchers very high definitely should give them another chance next year.

Kremer and Lowther had lost seasons for whatever reason, but I'm not ready to give up on them either.   Kremer especially seemed to have major league stuff.   They too should get another chance.

I don't think Wells will ever be a major league pitcher.   But we still have plenty of chaff to cut from the 40 before he gets the axe.

I think all five of them will be given an offseason plan of what to concentrate on, and when they report to camp in February they all should be competing for spots.  Let the chips fall where they may.   I can't imagine a world where we will have acquired so many new pitchers ahead of them that there isn't room for the two best of those 5 to be on the Opening Day roster and probably 2 in Norfolk.

And by the way, next year is 2022.   PLEASE don't send us back in time to repeat these last three seasons!

I was going to say almost exactly what you said, so I’m just going to quote you and agree with what you wrote.

I will add that it is highly unlikely that all five of them will be on the opening day roster in any capacity. I think Zimmerman is the most likely, followed by a resurgent Kremer and then Akin.

Possibly Lowther joins them and The weak link gets optioned when Grey-Rod comes up.

Although it’s not part of the original question, I really think we have so many guys who need worthwhile auditions that I would be reluctant to sign a free agent arm.

[waroriole]

I’d give Zimmerman and Akin the edge to make the rotation, assuming we don’t sign any real SP in FA. Lowther and Wells have not shown the type of control necessary to be ML pitchers with their stuff. Kremer just looked completely lost this year. I think he’d be better served in a relief role, similar to Lopez. 
 

I’d be surprised if more than 1 of them turns out to be a ML pitcher in any capacity, other than the occasional call up. 

[Tony-OH]

21 minutes ago, waroriole said:

I’d give Zimmerman and Akin the edge to make the rotation, assuming we don’t sign any real SP in FA. Lowther and Wells have not shown the type of control necessary to be ML pitchers with their stuff. Kremer just looked completely lost this year. I think he’d be better served in a relief role, similar to Lopez. 
 

I’d be surprised if more than 1 of them turns out to be a ML pitcher in any capacity, other than the occasional call up. 

You are a tough grader. According to Baseball Savant, Lowther has above average movement on his sldier and curveball both vertically and horizontally and his fastball has 93 % more movement horizontally than the average fastball (+/- 2 MPH) from his 91 MPH average.

On Lowther's 141 breaking balls, batters have hit .121 (.207 xBA), SLG .152 (.290 xSLG), 196 wOBA (xwOBA .279) and have gotten a 36.9% whif rate.

You sure you want to say "with his stuff?"

 

[RZNJ]

It's unfortunate about the lost minor league season last year.  It would be nice if it was mid season and Lowther and Wells were getting the open auditions they're getting right now.  I don't have predictions but it would not surprise me if Lowther and Wells are both better than Akin in the long run.  Neither had the full AAA season Akin did.  

[waroriole]

47 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

You are a tough grader. According to Baseball Savant, Lowther has above average movement on his sldier and curveball both vertically and horizontally and his fastball has 93 % more movement horizontally than the average fastball (+/- 2 MPH) from his 91 MPH average.

On Lowther's 141 breaking balls, batters have hit .121 (.207 xBA), SLG .152 (.290 xSLG), 196 wOBA (xwOBA .279) and have gotten a 36.9% whif rate.

You sure you want to say "with his stuff?"

 

That’s very surprising on Lowther. Every time I’ve seen him it’s a very slow breaking curve. Kind of like a get me over curve. It might break a lot but it’s easy to see it coming. Full disclosure, I haven’t seen him much lately when he’s had better results, I saw him mostly in the beginning the year when he was getting pounded like the batters knew what pitch was called. 

[Bahama O's Fan]

Sorry, not sure why I put 2019. For some reason I can't change it, but you guys know what I mean, 2022.

[Moose Milligan]

Another thread about these average guys?  We give these guys move love and attention than their parents do.

[Bahama O's Fan]

Feel free to pass along and not worry yourself with this topic. I wanted to discuss it because these are some of our SP candidates for next season. We're not signing four new guys.

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, waroriole said:

That’s very surprising on Lowther. Every time I’ve seen him it’s a very slow breaking curve. Kind of like a get me over curve. It might break a lot but it’s easy to see it coming. Full disclosure, I haven’t seen him much lately when he’s had better results, I saw him mostly in the beginning the year when he was getting pounded like the batters knew what pitch was called. 

You mean when the Orioles were yo-yoing him back and forth between AAA and the majors, pitching him in relief for an inning or two after sitting for 10+ days at a time? Probably not the best time to make an opinion of a guy.

[Frobby]

It’s nice to see these guys finishing respectably.   Lowther wasn’t great tonight, but he hung in there.   He’s had a 5.06 ERA in September in 5 starts, and 7 of the 11 ER he’s allowed this month were in one game (which I had the misfortune of attending).   

Hooefully all these guys learn something from the adversity they faced this year and come back stronger for it.  Or, at least a couple of them do.  
 

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

You mean when the Orioles were yo-yoing him back and forth between AAA and the majors, pitching him in relief for an inning or two after sitting for 10+ days at a time? Probably not the best time to make an opinion of a guy.

Yes, one of the biggest questions I wish we could get an answer to, but never will, is why an organization that prides itself on developing young players treated one particular player this way.

That, and what in the world happened with Yolmer Sanchez just a few days before the start of the season.

[OriolesMagic83]

3 hours ago, SteveA said:

Yes, one of the biggest questions I wish we could get an answer to, but never will, is why an organization that prides itself on developing young players treated one particular player this way.

That, and what in the world happened with Yolmer Sanchez just a few days before the start of the season.

Well maybe the O's were lacking in cannon fodder for the rotation.  They must not be much of a believer in Lowther's potential.  At least it's better than the couple of years the O's yo yo'ed Gausman back and forth between the minors and majors.  Instead of being developed into a top of rotation arm he is now (Giants must love the O's, we gave them Yaz and Gausman).  I know Gausman didn't go to SF directly.