Thanks Doc. Because this series gives me a REASON to open my mind about Fister.
*IF* - prior to 2009, Fister was more 3/4, and the coaches got him to CHANGE his game, that might well fit with all the minor league data. The 10+ hits - they might have been against the 3/4 delivery. When a player changes something, there is typically an adjustment period where stats can go wonky ... say, for example that he'd revert to 3/4 intermittently - and he's pitching BP again.
And of course, once the change 'takes' - the coaches and scouts can make a call in just a couple of games. The total data pool is filled with much -- which the coaches can factor out.
One of my mantras about youth is - players improve because they get better at "something" -- not simply because they get older. This 'angle' (pardon the pun), may well make Fister a different MLB pitcher than he was in AAA. The counter-point to this is that he "might" have lost the 7-K ability, too. There's no question that he's been surviving with 4-5K stuff and avoiding hits.
Of course, this is precisely why pitchers are tricky to project. A new pitch or little tweak in mechanics and the ball starts dancing - and you can toss out tons of previous data.
I'm still wait and see on Fister - but at least now I have a reason for some optimism.
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