Mound Musings: The Futures Game Showcase

Last Sunday, was one of the highlights of my season, as it always is. The Futures Game is a showcase of exceptional talent, both in the batter's box and on the mound. I mean, where else can you see so many quality young arms, on their way up, and all pitching in the same place, and on the same day? Admittedly, it's a little disappointing that they typically only throw one inning, and even more so that they shortened the game to just seven innings (eight with a tie), but there are a lot of things to watch for.

As usual, this was yet another interesting Futures Game. In fact, it might have been the best yet with rosters overflowing with Watch List young arms. I really thought the arms were beyond outstanding, but I was concerned that the juiced baseball might taint the game like it has MLB this season. Thankfully, for the most part, the pitching held up. Quality pitching, only facing hitters once, makes the hot ball a bit less dangerous. I think many of the pitchers featured in this year's Futures Game will be impact players, and there were quite a few arms you need to have on your watch list. If you are in a dynasty league, a couple of these guys should already be rostered.

MacKenzie Gore (San Diego Padres)

He currently resides in the penthouse suite of my Watch List, and his performance in the Futures Game did nothing to change that. In fact, following his stellar half season at High-A Lake Elsinore (1.02 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts in 79 innings) he's on his way to Double-A Amarillo. Gore has a somewhat unorthodox motion with a compact load and an exaggerated leg kick, which, coupled with him being a young southpaw (he's just 20) creates some challenges with regard to locking in a release point, but nobody really notices with his stuff. He already has an impressive four-pitch mix with a plus fastball (mid 90s with a lot of movement) and slider, and an average to above average changeup, but I actually like his curveball best of all. Upper 70s to low 80s rolling off a table just isn't fair behind his hard stuff. There have been some recurrent blister issues in his past, but that's about the only concern. He has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in a talented organization and should see San Diego sometime next year.

Ian Anderson (Atlanta Braves)

Speaking of high ceiling pitchers in talent-laden organizations, Anderson has long been a favorite of mine, even before he started moving up the Braves' pitching food chain. I have had Mike Soroka and Anderson ranked 1A and 1B on a team overflowing with outstanding young arms for the past couple seasons, and he's currently No. 3 on my Watch List. I love the downhill plane on his mid-upper 90s fastball, and he's another with a wipeout curveball (a pitch I believe is overlooked sometimes by developing young pitchers), along with a very good changeup. There's stuff and the repertoire that points to MLB success if he can command the strike zone, and that is coming although it still needs to improve (he has walked 43 in 87 innings at Double-A Mississippi this season but has still maintained a decent 1.23 WHIP while logging 113 strikeouts). Given his competition, listing him at or near the top of Atlanta's rotation in a couple years speaks volumes about his potential upside, but that's where I see him. And, one other thing worth noting, in this age of ridiculous home run totals, Anderson has allowed just 10 long balls in 229 professional innings.

Matt Manning (Detroit Tigers)

Yet another top five Watch List pitcher who played in this year's Futures Game, Manning was only marginally effective compared to most others, but that doesn't detract from his long term appeal. He and Double-A Erie teammate Casey Mize (who likely would have also pitched in the game if not sidelined with a minor shoulder injury) have been nothing short of dominant. That term gets thrown around a lot, but in this case it fits. He features a more traditional pitching motion, but at 6'6" there are a lot of moving parts so his release point can still be a bit inconsistent. That was his problem in this game, but overall, this season, he has shown steady improvement, probably attributable to his exceptional athleticism. He might have actually made the defensive play of the game, fielding a swinging bunt that appeared to be an easy hit, and throwing the hitter out at first base. Like those above, he has a solid repertoire with a low-mid 90s fastball, a nasty breaking ball, and an advancing changeup. If the command continues to improve, and I'm fairly confident it will, he should see Detroit next season, and has the tools to settle in near the top of their rotation.

Nate Pearson (Toronto Blue Jays)

Now for a little change of pace. Pearson is also firmly entrenched on the Watch List, but his ticket was extensively purchased with a huge arm. Like Manning, he's also 6'6" but he has displayed pretty good command. His challenges come down to two things. First, it probably helps his command only really throwing two pitches – his trademark fastball that touched 102 mph in this game, and a snappy, albeit sometimes inconsistent, slider. His changeup is a work in progress, and he'll need that third pitch. The other question mark is endurance. He has yet to exceed five innings in a professional start, so his ability to carry his velocity deeper into games is still unconfirmed. I think he may need to back it down a tick to maximize effectiveness and durability. His fastball showed a bit more movement and better location when he was sitting in the upper 90s. He could probably serve as a late inning reliever today, but the Jays want to see if he can start.

Deivi Garcia (New York Yankees)

Even though he is only 20 years old, Garcia was just recently promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. That's Rookie League to Triple-A in just about two years, and the Yankees are still trying to find him a challenge. If things go well at this stop he could theoretically see New York later this season. He got a very good fastball, one of those always beneficial big curveballs, and an improving changeup, so the tools are there. It seems the biggest question is his long term ability to hold up as a starting pitcher. He's 5'9" and 164 pounds (that might be generous), which isn't the prototypical body for a pitcher expected to toss 200 innings, but I generally don't worry too much about that until I see the guy can't. He's been facing bigger (and older) hitters pretty routinely in his pro career to date, and it hasn't bothered him yet.

And, here are some Futures Game short takes:

Those were just some of my favorites, but there were plenty more to enjoy. I'm not a big sinkerball guy, especially with hitters loving to tee up pitches in the lower half of the zone, but I do like Brady Singer a bit, and he's worth monitoring. Sixto Sanchez has hot stuff and could jump up into a serious Watch List guy if he ever harnesses it and develops more consistency with his secondary stuff. Keep tabs on Cuban southpaw Adrian Morejon. I like his stuff and he has shown me flashes of better things to come if he could just stay healthy long enough for it to all come together. Lastly, I finally got to see a little of Dustin May. Small sample, but not bad, and he gets the best hair award!

Some Notable Rotation Happenings:

• The Astros and Padres are reportedly among the teams showing interest in the Mets' Noah Syndergaard. I still think it's unlikely the team will trade him unless they are offered an overwhelming package, but he is a primary candidate to really benefit from the "changes in latitudes" angle. Thor owners can hope.
• Sean Manaea is now out on a rehab assignment as he makes his way back from September 2018 shoulder surgery. Shoulder rehab is notoriously unpredictable, but he was expected to miss this entire season. Even if he makes it back to Oakland this year, his value is likely to be much higher in 2020 and beyond.
• The Nationals are surging, and their big three rotation arms are the leaders of the pack. I have really liked Patrick Corbin over his last four starts, allowing just three runs with 35 strikeouts in 28 innings. When he gets on a roll like he has been of late, he can carry a fantasy pitching staff.
• I'm looking for pitchers who could show some improvement over the second half, making them a potential fantasy asset. Kansas City's Danny Duffy might be a guy who fits. He's still somewhat inconsistent, but when he locates he often limits hard contact. I'm tempted to see if he carries a cheap price tag in my leagues.
• Atlanta is getting valuable innings from Dallas Keuchel, but I am leery of his long term fantasy value. He's not missing many bats (just 12 strikeouts in 25 innings) and he likes to live in the lower half of the strike zone, which has been a pretty scary location this year. If I owned him I might be looking for a trade.
• Cleveland's Shane Bieber was named the All-Star game MVP. Occasionally a pitcher who doesn't impress me that much excels, and maybe that's the case with him. He gives up a lot of home runs (who doesn't these days), but he limits the baserunners and that's a very big factor in his success to date.

Endgame Odyssey:

With the Red Sox naming Nathan Eovaldi their closer (upon his return), they may shift their pitching help focus to a rotation arm. The Rays' Diego Castillo is heading out on a rehab assignment, and with co-closer Jose Alvarado now expected to miss six to eight weeks, he should be the primary closer upon his return. The Mets' thought the ninth inning was a done deal when they acquired Edwin Diaz, but things haven't been so cut and dried. After 57 saves in Seattle last year, he has imploded with alarming regularity this season. There have been rumors his job is in jeopardy, and maybe he takes a short break, but they have nobody to realistically step in. Greg Holland has allowed runs in four of his last five outings, with command being the primary issue. I think he'll pull out of it, but Yoshihisa Hirano could be a worthwhile add just in case. Toronto's Ken Giles has been mentioned quite a bit recently as a possible trade target for contenders. Obviously where he lands would impact his second half value, but Daniel Hudson could be a prudent stash pending a move. Cleveland's Brad Hand may be available, but the price may be going way up as the Indians' flirt with playoff contention.