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Perfect two innings with three K's. Call him up.
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I think Choi has a marketable skill if he's figured out how to BABIP .600. :- ) Wonder what his LD% is.
Welcome to Professional Baseball . . .
Stephen Pryor
Having just acquired two more in the Lee trade (6-7, 250 Beavan and 6-5, 220 Lueke), it is safe to say that the Z regime likes their big, tall pitchers.
In the draft, the first pick was 6-4, 195 streetballer Taijuan Walker (more on him below); then in the 3rd round 6-4 Ryne Stanek (though a skinny 180); then 6-3, 210 James Paxton.
In the fifth round came 6-6, 225 Stephen Pryor, who signed on the dotted line in a hurry and went directly to Everett.
Pryor finished his college career at Tennessee Tech in the Ohio Valley, which is decidedly not the SEC, but despite a couple of wobbly outings he finished with the ridiculous total of 75 K in 41.0 IP.
So far, professional baseball has been a joy ride for the 95-mph fireballer, who is a reliever all the way:
6 G, 11.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 15 K, 0.82 ERA.
Walks were kind of high in college, too, but he also kept H and HR down as he's been doing in Everett.
Anyway, it's the kind of flashy Everett launch that we saw from Dennis Raben two years ago, so he'll be fun to watch.
Taijuan himself
We all want to know: can he leave hitters in his wake the way he did to the Fighting Scots (as seen here: http://www.maxpreps.com/photo/gallery.aspx?athleteid=ac4548f8-7b19-491b-885a-e97f0e5485de&imageid=818697aa-200a-4968-a5be-ab221ee17331&ssid=61c3c85c-e2fb-45d7-841a-0573891bad91#imageid=818697aa-200a-4968-a5be-ab221ee17331) I feel like one of the Fighting Scots on most days :)
So far, so good. Walker made his pro debut on July 10 in rookie ball, pitching the 5th and 6th frames against the AZL Royals:
2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Can't argue with that.
Seon Gi Kim
I know absolutely nothing about this guy, except that he's 18 years old and from South Korea.
All he's done in 5 appearances in rookie ball is strike out 29 in 25.1 IP and walk only 3. Oh, sure, he's given up 36 H and 18 ER, but it's the peripherals that count, right? 0.7 HR/9, 1.1 BB/9, 10.3 K/9.
It's a start, anyway.
Ji-Man Choi
Finally, another Korean. 19-yr-old catcher and 1b is almost certainly just on an amazing lucky streak, but it's a good way to start your pro career.
47 AB, 24 H, 4 xbh (all dbls), 5 BB, 7 K -- .511/.556/.596
Everything is falling in for this kid, who has played 8 games at first and 6 at catcher. Won't continue, but a promising start.
Comments
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Evidently batters have it. More and more you hear about the desire to have pitchers "throw downhill." You used to never hear that. Now it is a scouting mantra. Tall guys are in! Sometime in the future the new "Moneyball" will tell about how B. Beane had success by finding the undervalued short pitcher.
Beane will probably find the future Ron Guidry or Pedro Martinez or Fernando Valenzuela or Dave McNally.....all who will be written off because they were only 5'11!
moe (standing tall at 5'8 1/2!) (Well OK....5'8 1/4! But that is as low as I will go!)
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I'll pass.
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AZL Padres Top 3rd
Pitcher Change: Taijuan Walker replaces Eric Valdez.
Bryan Altman called out on strikes.
Adan Velazquez called out on strikes.
Gunnar Terhune hit by pitch.
With Corey Adamson batting, wild pitch by Taijuan Walker, Gunnar Terhune to 2nd.
With Corey Adamson batting, passed ball by Jose Hernandez, Gunnar Terhune to 3rd.
With Corey Adamson batting, wild pitch by Taijuan Walker, Gunnar Terhune scores.
Corey Adamson walks.
Mykal Stokes called out on strikes.
AZL Padres Top 4th
Paul Bingham singles on a ground ball to second baseman Jean Acevedo.
With Joe Agreste batting, Paul Bingham caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Jose Hernandez to second baseman Jean Acevedo.
Joe Agreste walks.
Carlos Garcia grounds into a force out, shortstop Bryan Brito to second baseman Jean Acevedo. Joe Agreste out at 2nd. Carlos Garcia to 1st.
With Jhonaldo Pozo batting, wild pitch by Taijuan Walker, Carlos Garcia to 2nd.
Jhonaldo Pozo reaches on fielding error by second baseman Jean Acevedo. Carlos Garcia scores.
Bryan Altman pops out to shortstop Bryan Brito.
AZL Padres Top 5th
Pitcher Change: Matthew Petiton replaces Taijuan Walker.
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OK...3 and a PB...but that's either Taijuan Walker being incredibly wild or the catcher sucking hardcore...I'd have to see it to judge.
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This is why the Taijuan Walker pick surprised me. It seemed more like a Fontaine/Bavasi pick than a Zduriencik pick. Raw, toolsy, athletic kid with dubious baseball experience and acumen. Athleticism and raw stuff makes you saw wow. Commitment and experience make you say hmm.
Here's hoping it works out, but it just sorta feels like Aumont all over again.
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2 more appearances since this post. 2 more IP. 3 more K. 0 more BB. 0 more R. 1 more H.
8 G, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 18 K, 3 SV
0.69 ERA, 0.00 HR/9, 3.95 BB/9, 11.85 K/9
Faced 51 batters and struck out 18 of them. Interestingly, none of his walks are against LH.
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Pineda 7/18 -- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 3 K
James Jones in July (low-A Clinton) -- 21-for-59, 4 dbl, 3 tpl, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K, 4 SB/0 CS (.359/.419/.692 in his last 10 games)
Brian Moran (LH reliever; former Ackley & Seager teammate) laid waste to Clinton with 48 K and 6 BB and yielding only 6 ER in 40.1 IP. Got the call to do battle with High Desert. So far holding his own with 7 K and 1 BB and yielding 3 ER in his first 6 G (8.0 IP). That's 55 K and 7 BB cumulatively. He has yet to yield a professional home run in 76.2 IP.
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Just the usual game at High Desert: Rich Poythress goes 4-for-4 with 2HR & 7 RBI in a 17-11 loss. Poythress, Johermyn Chavez, Kyle Seager and Dennis Raben are all going to end the year with some mighty shiny Cal League stats. Chavez already has 23 HR and 38 BB (3 walks last night). Poythress 18 HR and 35 BB. Raben 10 HR and 13 BB in only 31 G. Seager has 127 H and 48 BB. Setting up another intriguing AA team next year to see how they do under more normal conditions.
Welcome to professional baseball . . . Mickey Wiswall. Lefty-hitting 3b drafted in the 7th round out of Boston College. 7 xbh (3 dbl, 4 HR) in his first 44 pro ABs, including a double and HR last night, makes for a nifty .622 SLG out of the box. But 14 K vs. 2 BB not so hot.
Despite the flukishness of his torrid pace (.537 BABIP), it appears that Ji-Man Choi really is a prospect to keep on the radar. JFrom vouches that the kid can hit and the 10 BB:13 K eye ratio is awfully promising. 5 SB/1 CS in 20 G is also cool for a 1b being auditioned at C.