Add new comment

Now, I liked Forrest from the start in 2010.  He had moxie, and a decent fastball, and I figured there's nothing wrong with a short reliever especially if he can get a decent breaker and pitch Lowe-like in the pen.
Didn't see him as a starter long-term at all.  Situational arm maybe, but he didn't seem to have the right gameplan for a starter and you can't be a 1.5 pitch starter.
His changeup has come SOOOOO far since college.  It's nasty now.  His heater is getting hotter, and he's using it on both sides of the plate (can't throw inside to college hitters with those metal bats, so that's an adjustment most guys have to make, but still).  I remember him at 88-92 in college, and he's 92-95 now.
I thought his slider (or curve, I dunno what he was trying to throw) was sloppy and just for show, but they're saying he's tightened that thing up dramatically.
Forrest in college: Decent fastball, buncha junk secondary pitches, only works the outside half, walks a lotta dudes because of it.
Forrest now: Plus fastball, probably plus change, decent slider, works both sides AND has a plan of attack, lower-than-average walks (ie, half as much as his college #s).
And the Ms are talking about leaving him as a starter, even though he could be a relief arm now or a swingman easily.
He's legit.  He's gonna pitch in The League.  And I'm fascinated by his meteoric rise.
I would sell (someone else's) body parts to get an in-depth interview with Dr. Elliott about this and other things.  I'm fascinated that so many prospects in our system are adding 3 MPH to their fastballs or "surprising" power to their swings.  Makes me want to see Brad Miller after the offseason workouts for sure.
Forrest's worked hard.  He's upped his game in pretty much every area, and I'm happy to see good things happening for him.  And he's definitely holding down Pineiro-level (ie, second tier) arm status with Erasmo Ramirez and crew.
Fun stuff.
~G