1. Marcus Kean - His fastball gets into the high 80s, but it's the sink that makes the pitch effective. Kean does an average job of holding runners. Kean is nothing special in the field. The Free Agents hope he can work on his control a little bit. Every once and a while one slips away from him and either ends up at the backstop or in the right field bleachers. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! He changes speeds well enough to keep righthanders from teeing off on him. Kean is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Kean has some pop in his swing.
2. Basilio Pena - He's got a really stong arm, so he can blow it by you on occasion. He keeps his pitches low in the strike zone and throws a heavy ball. Pena's fastball is a tick above average, in the 90-91 MPH range on most nights. Pena's move to first base is average. The Free Agents hope he can work on his control a little bit. Every once and a while one slips away from him and either ends up at the backstop or in the right field bleachers. He hurts himself by falling awkwardly off the mound in his follow-through, which allows too many balls to go through the middle for base hits. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Pena is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Pena has some pop in his swing.
3. Art Tessdale - He has a fair pickoff move and isn't a particularly easy target for basestealers. Tessdale is nothing special in the field. He can hit 90 MPH but is too smart to try to get his fastball past most hitters. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! If you're going in to face Tessdale, better be wearing plenty of protection. He's wild. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Tessdale is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Tessdale has some pop in his swing.
4. Donn Brinkley - Brinkley is an above-average runner, but lacks the first-step explosiveness needed to become a basestealing threat. His defense is solid but unspectacular. His arm is accurate enough. This guy can't hit a watermelon with a lampost. Brinkley always has been a line-drive hitter who uses the entire field. Even though you might not start him, he's not a bad guy to have on your bench for the tough left-handed reliever.
5. Taiowa Luscher - A fluid delivery leaves him in good shape for fielding, and he has a reputation as a competent defender. His fastball gets into the high 80s, but it's the sink that makes the pitch effective. His pickoff move is only fair. The Free Agents hope he can work on his control a little bit. Every once and a while one slips away from him and either ends up at the backstop or in the right field bleachers. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! The running movement on his pitches makes life tougher on lefties than righties. Luscher is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Luscher has some pop in his swing.
6. Kirk Warlow - He has a fair pickoff move and isn't a particularly easy target for basestealers. Warlow is nothing special in the field. He can hit 90 MPH but is too smart to try to get his fastball past most hitters. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! He attacks lefties and righties with similar success. Warlow is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Warlow has some pop in his swing.
7. Tom Hallewell - One of the nice things about Tom is that he's a real clutch hitter. Hallewell has better-than-average speed, and he has made himself into a solid basestealer by developing a quick first step and studying the moves of pitchers. Though he can range pretty far in both directions, he has bad hands and often can't come up with balls. His arm is accurate enough. This guy can't hit a watermelon with a lampost. Hallewell always has been a line-drive hitter who uses the entire field. He hits righthanders and lefthanders with equal consistency.
8. Turkey Spalding - One of the nice things about Turkey is that he's a real clutch hitter. He might not deliver for you at the plate, but Spalding can certainly deliver in the field. He is an exceptional fielder. His arm is accurate enough. Spalding doesn't have great speed, though he reads righthanders' moves well enough to steal a few bases each season without getting caught very often. The book on Spalding is that you can knock the bat out of his hands with an average major league fastball. During the last two years, he has become more patient and gotten better loft on the ball. He hits righthanders and lefthanders with equal consistency. He uses the entire field and has gap power.
9. Chris Lutton - One of the nice things about Chris is that he's a real clutch hitter. Lutton is an intelligent baserunner with average speed, but he's not a basestealing threat. When you play Lutton you're not putting him in for his glove. Chris's arm leaves a little to be a desired. Even though you might not start him, he's not a bad guy to have on your bench for the tough left-handed reliever.
10. Clement Blakeley - He struggles with his command at times and is still learning to mix his pitches and set up hitters. His fastball gets into the high 80s, but it's the sink that makes the pitch effective. Though he lacks a good pickoff move, he checks the running game with a compact stretch delivery. He isn't especially quick off the mound but generally fields his position adequately. When you throw a curveball, it better break. Hanging curves equal earned runs in this league, you just can't get away with them. Unfortunately, Blakeley's curveball tends to hang. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Blakeley is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Blakeley has some pop in his swing.