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=== Curve Ball ===
Erasmo's curve is his third pitch. For most guys, a curve is a "deuce." For Erasmo, a curve ball is definitely a "trey."
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It has a bit of an unusual shape -- it stays up pretty much, and breaks wayyy in on a LH hitter.
He throws it about 78-80 mph, whereas the change is 80-82, so here's your "snake tongue" effect, two pitches with the same velocity that break in opposite directions. Halladay, Lee, and Haren use this factor to star in the big leagues.
He threw 7 of them, 6 for strikes. He did get one of them hit hard, an 0-2 curve belted deep to CF for an out. Blowers chewed him out on TV for getting that much of the plate on 0-2.
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The curve is definitely useful, but is a rather pedestrian pitch. The Giants' hitters didn't have a lot of trouble timing it; they got the top half of the ball several times, as is usual with curve balls. On the other hand, he did not "hang" any curves and I don't figure he will. It's almost more like a slow cut fastball than something that would roll and hang.
So, that's a cool thing for a third pitch. Usually you're scared of something bad happening on your worst pitch. With Erasmo, that's not really the case; it's just that the curve is not a putaway pitch.
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We're talking about one game. Maybe when he gets the curve ball down, it bites better. We'll see.
.
=== Grades ===
Here is the effectiveness of his toolbox on March 15th. "Fastball" considers velocity, location, movement and deception -- just how good it is at beating hitters.
50 is average; 60/Plus is better than major league standard; 70/Plus-Plus is a special weapon that can win games in MLB all by itself; 80/Plus-Plus-Plus is like Rickey Henderson's speed or Randy Johnson's fastball.
| 60% Fastballs |
60, Plus |
Established it easily. Good zip |
| 24% Changeups |
60-70, Plus |
Defied Giants hitters with impunity |
| 14% Curve balls |
45, Mediocre |
6/7 strikes, but not much bite |
| Makeup |
70 |
How does a little rookie act like this? |
| Pitchability |
60-70, Plus |
Stayed ahead in count, mixed well, but little knowledge of hitters |
| Overall |
60 |
Pitched like a good SP in majors, right now |
If Erasmo executed those pitches exactly, he'd be like the 25th- or 30th-best pitcher in the American League in 2012.
If, on the other hand, Erasmo started showing the Doug Fister, Dan Haren command he gets credit for ... then, yes. You'd be talking about a Fister type of landing in the American League.
Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez was a guy who used to pitch in the template that Erasmo showed Thursday -- short RHP with good command of a 92 fastball, hump up to 94-95 maybe, good curve, good change, pitch ahead in the count.
If Erasmo has better command than this in him, somewhere, then he could be a pretty exciting young pitcher. Doug Fister didn't throw 94 mph.
My $0.02,
Jeff