Happy Totals
Andrew Moore, obviously about age 13, shown twirling a 3-hitter for the Beavers

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Andrew Moore gets the start for the AAA Rainiers on Tuesday night.  

Jeff:  "The Mariners promoted their best pitching prospect to Tacoma.  Maybe we should head out tomorrow night."

Cindy:  "They moved him up because they're getting ready to put him on the Mariners or because he was good in AA?"

Jeff:  "I think I'll put that on my blog.  Thanks hon."  

G-Money:  "You do realize I adopted Moore circa 2013, right.  I just don't remind people of my groks every other post."

In spring training we boggled about his Ultra King Felix (TM) pitch sequences, which apparently have not abated SO far.  (See also the directly previous March post for Moore's arsenal.)  Less importantly, Jamie Moyer (TM) boggled about Andrew Moore's scale weight or pitching future, one of the two, hard to tell which.

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Another PCL day, another shutout for Ryan Weber.  He has always had an "outlier" sink to his fastball and an "outlier" ground ball rate.  But this year in Tacoma he was getting 70.1% grounders ... before his 14:1 ratio Monday.  

He doesn't strike guys out, at all, but in 2017 he seems to have stopped making mistakes and suddenly cured his gopheritis.  That, or he's just gotten lucky.  But an 0.75 WHIP in Tacoma, six starts, argue the former. Eyes slideways because things like that DO happen to pitchers, which is why they keep getting 3-Card Monte'd around baseball on the waiver wire.

On the off chance that these last 6 starts be a plateau leap for him ... Weber threatens to become the next Jake Westbrook - in the sense that any 87 MPH lefty with command (say, Halama or French) threatens to become the next Jamie Moyer.  We're just fans, not paying the $50,000 waiver fees (?), so there's no cost associated with our dreaming about it.

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Tuffy Gosewisch isn't likely to hold any community college classes in hitting, but he certainly could hold them in game-calling.  This interview makes him sound like Socrates behind the plate.  He's slated to catch 55%, 60% of the games until Zunino returns; until then hope for lots and lots of sac bunts from our catchers.  At least we're not compounding the problem with a second hole in the lineup.  Tacoma's center fielder has a 3:11 EYE in the PCL, since you bring it up.  

:- /

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In a My Northwest article, Jerry Dipoto accused Guillermo Heredia of being "one of the best defenders in the game" and having THE best break on the ball that Dipoto has seen in YEARS.  That's "THE #1 BEST" jump on a batted ball that currently exists or has recently existed in the majors.  I remember when the aged Pokey Reese was supposed to be the very best infielder in the majors and that justified a roster slot no matter what he hit.

If that's true that Heredia has MLB's best jump on a fly ball -- and Dipoto wouldn't say it if it weren't true -- what's the holdup on 550 AB's for this man?  Compared to other glove specialists, e.g. Leonys Martin let us just suppose, Guillermo Heredia hits a mortal ton.  

Wait, so does our shortstop hit a ton for a SS.  Wait, so does our second baseman for a 2B.  Wait, so does Nelson Cruz for a major leaguer.  Wait, this offense is really lurking.

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Yovani Gallardo is doing good.  So is Ariel Miranda.  Our pal Mal has kept a steady stream of pro-Gallardo facts incoming, among which we noticed that these two yo-yo's are #22 and #23 in the American League for expected fielding-neutral ERA.  That means technically, they're#2 starters.  Wow, just wait until the big kids get out of school.  The big kids being K-Pax and The King, never mind July 31 trade target Drew Smyly.

Jerry Dipoto thinks Gallardo is better even than Mal thinks he is.  Gallardo has gone from zero to hero in three Mariners starts?  What is this, this 1970's Orioles?  But yeah, we'll unpack Dipoto's statements on Gallardo next up.  Maybe Jerry Dipoto, not Yovani Gallardo, is the guy who pulls silk kerchiefs out of his top hat.  If Gallardo is actually a solid #3 starter this year, that will be (1) my own most pleasant Mariners surprise since approximately Dave Fleming and (2) one whale of a big boost in the Mariners' playoff chances.

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Philly and Toronto comin' up,

Dr D

Comments

1

That's me, pretty dang pumped up about the Moore promotion.  In fact, I had just checked the Texas League box scores to see his numbers from last night, when I expected him to start.  He didn't, so I figured I missed his spot by a day.  Probably did, but man is it cool that he's only about 15 minutes from Safeco.  

Have to drive over the mountains to a conference this afternoon....otherwise I might dial up a Tacoma game on the computer tonight.

There's something about him.

Don't know anything about Ryan Weber except that in 64 MLB innings (7 starts, 14 RP's) he's run a 1.27 WHIP.  He doesn't K anybody, but he doesn't walk anybody either.  A FIP of 4.55 indicates he's another one of those Mix-N-Match 6-7-8 guys.

Gallardo? A #2?  Not buying that.  Miranda?  I've said he was a #4, with #3-ish upside, if one can discern the difference between a 4 and a 3.  

Bet your bippy, I will have a Happy Andrew Day today.

Grok us all the particulars, Doc, if you make the game! Give him an "Atta Boy!" for me.

2

On what you and others have said with Moore.  It's still kind of weird to be talking about another Moore though.

Biggest surprise to me ever as an Ms fan was Boone 2001.  I realize he's not a pitcher so...Chris Young or Doug Fister since I don't recall Fleming.  And the only surprises in the 90s rotations were that they made the playoffs twice with that.  That.  Half-baked fluff. 

3

I was curious how important defense has been so far this season to teams success. I sorted teams on fangraphs by UZR and the cumulative record of the top 10 teams are 137-174, including the Mariners ranking 10th.

4

mostly teams haven't played the same number of innings.  By UZR/150 they're 9th, By Def 8th, 15th in DRS but by ARM (since I've noticed significant gunning) 3rd.  3rd in BIZ, tied for 10th in OOZ breaking it down further.

Motter looked good but was much worse at SS than Segura by the stats.  But Martin was better than Dyson in CF and Gamel has been better in RF than Haniger by the stats.  Vogelbach was bad and Valencia had been decent.  Air Moes 19 innings in CF have been the best CF play on the team by UZR/150.    Whatever the catching change means for the stats.  SSS of course but it's those SSS that are adding to team totals. 

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For any pitcher with 30+ IP, and is the only pitcher with 30+ IP and a 70%+ GB% since 2013.  It's fun to imagine a poor man's version of Brandon Webb as the team's 9th or 10th Starter.  Weber credits his new success to an improved slider, but I think he may be throwing a rising four-seam fastball for the first time in his career.  Brooks recorded 2 out of 80+ pitches in spring training, which is 1 more than it recorded in his previous several hundred pitches at the major league level, but also the Mariners as a team seem dedicated to increasing the use of rising fastballs.

After years of the Mariners' pitching staff running Vertical 'rise' of ~8%, one of the lowest rates of rise in the league, this season, the team 'rise' on 4-Seamers is +10.4, and that's without Drew 'Rising Fastballs make strikeouts' Smyly.  So it makes sense that the team would encourage/teach Ryan Weber to throw a rising fastball, not necessarily for strike outs, but to change the eye level, and make hitters that much more likely to swing over his change up and sinker.  I'm interested to see how long he can keep it up.

10

With the solid head on his shoulders to match.

These guys are super valuable to have in your organization even if the best they can do is hang in there in spot appearances at the big league level. But I'm guessing the Mariners view his bread and butter pitch as a plus weapon if they can create an alternative weapon. The idea of throwing a high fastball or some sort of alternate bendy pitch is an attractive one...without that, he's a groveler as Doc would say.

12

Give this win to the bullpen!!!  And the give some love to the new guys:  Segura, Motter, Gamel, Heredia!!!!!

Oh, a Zunino homer in Tacoma along with a Moore win!!!!!

13

went 6-14 with 2 Doubles, a K and a BB.  Let's see...Mariners, Rainiers, Travelers, Nuts, and Lumberkings 16 OF to play got hits today.   17 played.  .386 on the day, 27 for 70.  For maybe every 20 times I get an inkling to check something like this I find what I was hoping to.  Seattle and Tacoma OF combined for .448 including Dysons 0-3.

14
OBF's picture

YEAH!  GO MOORE!

Here is a nice write up of the game from LL:  http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2017/5/9/15603122/andrew-moore-strong-in-t...

Tyler smith also of Beaver glory is also on the Rainers...

BTW, If you guys aren't following the #1 college baseball team in all the land (hint, it's the beavs) YOU SHOULD BE!  Just a great fun team!  AWESOME pitching, lights out defense, and plenty of offesne (not much power, but good patient hitters and speed)  

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