Baker, Wells and Voth

[wildcard]

39 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

It’s not what you think.  It’s what Hyde thinks.  There’s 3 spots.  If Rodriguez makes the rotation, then Voth and Wells go to the bullpen so in all probability there is one spot and it’s between Politi, Krehbiel, and a few others.  I have seen nothing from Politi that makes me think he should be kept.   They may surprise us and go with someone like Baumann if he looks good he’s next couple of times.    But I don’t think there are really 3 open spots.  At least one of those go to Voth or Wells.  Maybe two depending on GRod.

I agree.  Its not what you think.  It what Elias/Hyde/Holt thinks.

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I agree.  Its not what you think.  It what Elias/Hyde/Holt thinks.

Fair enough.   We’ll see.   

[sportsfan8703]

Baker and Voth have been huge letdowns so far this season. They need to get it together fast. 

[RZNJ]

Just now, sportsfan8703 said:

Baker and Voth have been huge letdowns so far this season. They need to get it together fast. 

Baker has looked better his last two appearances.  He's at least commanding the fastball now.   Voth needs to get back last year's curveball fast, his career depends on it.

[Tony-OH]

5 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Baker and Voth have been huge letdowns so far this season. They need to get it together fast. 

Are you talking about the Baker who was bad on opening day, or the guy that has allowed just one hit and no runs over his last two appearances covering three innings? Or you can even go with the overall season Baker with the 2.65 FIP, .184 XBA, .249 XWOBA (MLB average is .315).

So what you really meant to say is Baker's first outing of the year, when it was bitter cold and windy was a "huge letdown" even though the Orioles still won the game.

 

[Tony-OH]

5 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Baker has looked better his last two appearances.  He's at least commanding the fastball now.   Voth needs to get back last year's curveball fast, his career depends on it.

Voth's curveball has lost about an inch of horizontal movement and about two inches of vertical movement from last year. Last year he really struggled with the curveball until June, so I wonder if it's just a pitch that he doesn't have a good feel for in either cold weather or it just takes him awhile to find it each season.

Saying that, the curveball was pretty good in April and May of 2021. 

Interestingly, his spin rate on it is 2910 this year and it was 2902 last April when he struggled. Last June and July, when the pitch was a weapon, the spin rate for the curveball was 3023 and 3017 respectively. 

I'd say the key is the spin rate for him and that could just be the feel in cold weather. Yesterday the curveball had more spin but he hung them belt high. It looked more location based than a lack of stuff which suggests he's not the far off.

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Voth's curveball has lost about an inch of horizontal movement and about two inches of vertical movement from last year. Last year he really struggled with the curveball until June, so I wonder if it's just a pitch that he doesn't have a good feel for in either cold weather or it just takes him awhile to find it each season.

Saying that, the curveball was pretty good in April and May of 2021. 

Interestingly, his spin rate on it is 2910 this year and it was 2902 last April when he struggled. Last June and July, when the pitch was a weapon, the spin rate for the curveball was 3023 and 3017 respectively. 

I'd say the key is the spin rate for him and that could just be the feel in cold weather. Yesterday the curveball had more spin but he hung them belt high. It looked more location based than a lack of stuff which suggests he's not the far off.

Good to know.   They definitely did not look as tight as last year.

[NCRaven]

I look at the bullpen as a work in progress, which is probably true for every team, every year.  Some pitchers will step up and some will fall back.  Guys in AA and AAA may make their ways to Baltimore and there may be trades later in the summer.  I can't get too upset about it after one week. 

When the one game that we lost and should have won was due directly to a dropped ball in the outfield.  The other games were lost regardless of the bullpen's performance.  True, the bullpen wasn't good in Boston, but it didn't cost us those two games.  The defense and starting pitching did.  Voth was bad in game 3 against Texas, but two hits ain't gonna get it done.

[Winter]

Big appearance by Baker today, hopefully he builds on it.