Nothing wrong with a flame-throwing #2 with crazy-good K and control rates to back up our #1 Cy-Young-winning horse. Here's hoping our Liriano proves more durable :)
Liriano, btw, was the #83 prospect for BA in A ball, then injured his shoulder and missed most of 2003, after which he was unranked in AA and AAA even while destroying those leagues as a 20 year old.
I don't know how under-rated he is now though. Pineda's forearm/elbow scare frightened off some people in the beginning, but BA has him at #16 and Keith Law has him at #25, I think, in the minors.
Pitchers listed ahead of him by BA:
Teheran (basically Pineda last year)
Hellickson (Pineda this year)
Chapman (he throws 103 MPH, I get the attraction)
Taillon (best HS arm from last year and maybe for several years)
Shelby Miller (Pineda from 2 years ago, with 4 extra K/9 at the time)
Matt Moore (what we dream Paxton will be in the low minors)
I get it. Pineda's right there with all those guys. For me personally a pitcher who can throw like Pineda in AA and AAA gets a bump over HS pitchers who haven't really got pro experience, or low minors guys in their 4th pro season.
But Pineda's right up there with the prospect greats, as he should be. It's almost time for him to make grown men look like little kids swinging at moving T-ball stands.
Brandon Morrow with Fister command. Yeah, that's Liriano all right. Can't wait to see it in the regular season. :)
~G
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