Reality Check: Michael Pineda (Rookie Cheat Sheet)
=== Michael Pineda ===
THE BEARDED PROPHET: gives 50 prospects in order of projected 2011 roto impact -- Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, TAM is number one.
Ackley is #14 on the rook draft Post-It and Pineda is #15.
An interesting couple of remarks from HQ's minors guy Rob Gordon (who is at least as gung-ho as G or J) is that Pineda's slider is plus and that he has a "loose, easy delivery."
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The Mainframe Sez: Definitely, Michael Pineda has a loosey-goosey arm. We recognize Pineda's arm type from, of all things, MMA work and the touch that you get for putting a pin on such an arm.
We can certainly buy that Pineda's ligaments are wonderfully loose and resilient, but the delivery IMHO is anything but easy. He gets only the slightest shoulder torque on the ball before WHOOOM here comes the max-effort explosion. ... granted, the followthough is loose and easy.
Not as optimistic about the health as all that...
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Throughout 2009 and 2010 we heard the FKey7 complaints that Pineda had no slider. Naturally, we tripped out to Cheney and watched him throw telegraphed sliders that batters couldn't touch with cricket bats.
Pineda has a Doc Gooden fastball-overhand slider combo, but does need to stop telegraphing. On the other hand, at 100 mph maybe he can do what he wants...
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DEAD-OF-WINTER LINKAGE DEPT: you might, or might not, enjoy revisiting our August 2nd report from Cheney.
On the verge of being shut down for the year -- the 20-year-old threw 140 innings in 2010 -- Pineda sat mid-90's, hit 97, and when he did hit 97 he was still locating.
Pineda had been limited to 12 starts as a 19-year-old, amidst some scary elbow soreness. But tip another glass of sody pop ... in 2010, Pineda riffled through 25 easy starts, apparently with no elbow issues to speak of.
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Here is a bit of whimsy from SSI back in spring training. Pineda's 3-2 curve caused Mike Blowers to giggle in the booth ... when a batter is having to defend 96 mph located, any curve for a strike is tough. But Pineda's is a bombshell. Again the 2-pitch comparison to Gooden and Beckett occur ...
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It's easy to hold back Smoak and Ackley, and push Michael Pineda at the Rasmuses and Uptons around the majors. But come May 1st, that may be permanently in the rear-view mirror.
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Cheerio,
Jeff
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Photo - http://mariners.sportspressnw.com