Klaw chat comments

[gunnarthor]

 

With the plethora of quality starters we have in the rotation now and for a few years to come, it's not like we need to rush him.  He's only a #4 overall draft pick who has 2+ minor league seasons and who will likely play in A ball again next year ;-)

It would be nice if he was ready for the majors at 21 but even as the #4 overall pick, no one thought that was likely.  Most scouting reports on him at the time were really impressed by his athletic ability and stuff but almost all of them said that he would have to learn how to pitch. 

 

I'm also not sure it's fair to suggest that he should be ready with "2+ minor league seasons" under his belt.  He was a HS pitcher.  The #1 overall pick, a 4 year college senior, has yet to debut.  Trey Ball, the next HS pitcher taken, has similar numbers through the same levels.  A few of the college pitchers taken have had a cup of coffee in the majors but Stewart's progression seems to be just fine at this point.

 

Of all our prospects, I think I'm most curious about how the Twins deal with him.  He did a full season at high A last year so maybe they let him make the jump straight to AA.  Obviously, this is probably a pretty big year for him, at least prospect-wise. 

[nicksaviking]

I have no problem with pot, but I also don't have an issue saying the usage of it by a professional ball player is a mark on his character or make up. If a guy knows the consequences of his actions are going to hurt his team yet does it anyway, that's a big problem. It's not a stupid, it's purely selfish. Not that it's not reconcilable.

 

No different than if eating carrots suddenly became illegal.

[Willihammer]

 

And Seattle likely wants Danny Hultzen to live up to the bill of a #2 pick. Let's just let Stewart advance as appropriate.

There is some space between 20/21 y/o phenom and advancing at a reasonable pace for a top 10 pick. So far Stewart is on track to repeat High A in his 4th year, no?

[Brock Beauchamp]

There is some space between 20/21 y/o phenom and advancing at a reasonable pace for a top 10 pick. So far Stewart is on track to repeat High A in his 4th year, no?

More like his third year, as he only pitched a few innings in his draft season.

 

Stewart isn't progressing as quickly as we'd like and there are reasons to be concerned but he has moved one level per season up to this point.

[Pius Jefferson]

 

Why doesn't KLAW just answer the questions instead of insulting the people who ask the questions? I like reading his stuff, but the negativity is sometimes annoying.

 

The best answer is he's just a legit jerk who think he's better than the yokels asking questions.

[Hrbowski]

 

Pedro had a plus plus changeup

a plus to plus plus fastball

a plus curveball

and an above average to plus slider/cutter

all with a plus to plus plus command and control.

 

Other than size and maybe work ethic and drive, Berrios is nothing like Pedro.

Berrios has an excellent fastball, although it can get a little flat, on his good days he sits between 96-101, he also has a very good curve and change.

[bluechipper]

 

Berrios has an excellent fastball, although it can get a little flat, on his good days he sits between 96-101, he also has a very good curve and change.

I always thought he was more in the 92-96 range.

[PseudoSABR]

 

I always thought he was more in the 92-96 range.

Right, I've never seen triple digits reported.  Would be cool though.

[bird]

 

With the plethora of quality starters we have in the rotation now and for a few years to come, it's not like we need to rush him.  He's only a #4 overall draft pick who has 2+ minor league seasons and who will likely play in A ball again next year ;-)

I might be misreading this, but I detect a hint of criticism. Is there something you would have done differently?

 

IIRC, Stewart was very widely viewed by the draft experts to be the 4th best prospect in the draft class. The Twins picked 4th. Was there a lot of criticism at the time about the pick?

 

Of course, the development people might've stunted him. There's always that theory I guess.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Right, I've never seen triple digits reported.  Would be cool though.

Berrios can't touch triple digits. Every report I've read has him in the mid 90s, tops.

[brvama]

When Kohl was drafted he was rated as the #6 best dropback passer in HS and was headed for Texas A&M.  He stated when he signed that he would then be able to concentrate on just one sport.  While a gifted athlete, playing 2 sports can slow some of the development on either sport.  So given that, I am not real concerned at this point.  Let's see how 2016 goes first.   

[dgwills]

 

I have no problem with pot, but I also don't have an issue saying the usage of it by a professional ball player is a mark on his character or make up. If a guy knows the consequences of his actions are going to hurt his team yet does it anyway, that's a big problem. It's not a stupid, it's purely selfish. Not that it's not reconcilable.

No different than if eating carrots suddenly became illegal.

Eh.... Nobody thinks they're going to get caught. Teenagers definetely don't think that way. There really aren't any mistakes a person can make that I will not forgive. The main thing is that they have a good work ethic.

[twinssouth]

 

Berrios can't touch triple digits. Every report I've read has him in the mid 90s, tops.

 

 

Right, never seen triple digits.  Highest I saw him was 97

[twinssouth]

Totally agree with KLaw on Kepler. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Right, never seen triple digits.Highest I saw him was 97

Same here. Going from memory, I recall 97. Never 98 or higher. He seems to sit around 94.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

It would be nice if he was ready for the majors at 21 but even as the #4 overall pick, no one thought that was likely.

Actually, a number of observers thought Kohl Stewart was among the "closest to the majors" in the 2013 draft:

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/6311-baseball-americas-best-tools-list-for-2013-draft-pitchers-and-hitters/

 

Probably a function of being one of the top picks, but he certainly wasn't universally viewed as a 4-year project (not many top picks are).

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Same here. Going from memory, I recall 97. Never 98 or higher. He seems to sit around 94.

Having seen Berrios numerous times from GCL,to Instructs to FSL to Spring Training, and him being one of my favorite players (especially considering I'm a Cubs fan), I've seen him hit 98 a few times but nothing consistently up there.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Yeah, other than smoking weed, which btw is legal in a number of states and likely will be legal everywhere soon, I've never heard complaints about Rosario's makeup. I generally like KLaw, but that is kind of lazy analysis.

They've been saying legal everywhere soon since the 70's...  As for Rosario, I could care less about his past marijuana indiscretions and MLB feels the same way (no drug testing for the big boys-just all those MiLBers) but I've heard complaints for years from organizational staffers/clubhouse attendees about his attitude/makeup.  It comes down to more or less cocky/arrogant and doesn't put in a full effort; personally I've never seen it.  I just ran into him less than a month ago over in Jupiter, FL at the WWBA HS tournament; was as nice as could be.  My only concern is when I asked him why he was at tourney, he said he was watching some friends play; the kids that were playing were 13-17yo...

[Hrbowski]

 

Same here. Going from memory, I recall 97. Never 98 or higher. He seems to sit around 94.

I heard he hit 101 last year at AA, but of course the gun could have been juiced.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Actually, a number of observers thought Kohl Stewart was among the "closest to the majors" in the 2013 draft:

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/6311-baseball-americas-best-tools-list-for-2013-draft-pitchers-and-hitters/

 

Probably a function of being one of the top picks, but he certainly wasn't universally viewed as a 4-year project (not many top picks are).

Most HS pitchers are at least  four year projects if not longer. You're often going from raw throwers and turning them into pitchers, it can take a bit for everythign to start clicking.

[nicksaviking]

 

Most HS pitchers are at least  four year projects if not longer. You're often going from raw throwers and turning them into pitchers, it can take a bit for everythign to start clicking.

 

I understand not calling Stewart a bust even though his strikeout numbers are pointing toward one. 

 

However the fact that he was billed as a guy with high 90's heat and now (or perhaps always?) sits in the low to mid-90's is a pretty big concern to me. Guys don't add velocity as they age which kind of tells me that we did not really receive what was being billed.

 

If at draft time we knew that the 98 MPH heater and wipeout slider were actually a 93 MPH fastball and perhaps no usable slider, would any of us really wanted him picked at #4? I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say he's at least on the cusp of being a bust.  Absent a pretty unprecedented increase in velocity and the addition of an out-pitch breaking ball, I don't see what kind of factors are available to make him the kind of pitcher that this team needs.

[Loosey]

 

True on all counts, and a lot of his "issues" don't need to be public. I'll leave it at that. 

 

That said, Molitor really does believe in him. Rosario had a terrific rookie year. We'll see how he does going forward. 

Also, If I recall Molitor had some issues in the early 80's with drugs and partying.  He figured it out and seemed to turn out to be an OK ballplayer.  Might be a great manager to have, because he can actually relate to some of Rosario's past issues.  I don't see how a Rosario should be considered a guy to trade away because he made some mistakes a few years ago.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

I understand not calling Stewart a bust even though his strikeout numbers are pointing toward one. 

 

However the fact that he was billed as a guy with high 90's heat and now (or perhaps always?) sits in the low to mid-90's is a pretty big concern to me. Guys don't add velocity as they age which kind of tells me that we did not really receive what was being billed.

 

If at draft time we knew that the 98 MPH heater and wipeout slider were actually a 93 MPH fastball and perhaps no usable slider, would any of us really wanted him picked at #4? I don't think it's that much of a stretch to say he's at least on the cusp of being a bust.  Absent a pretty unprecedented increase in velocity and the addition of an out-pitch breaking ball, I don't see what kind of factors are available to make him the kind of pitcher that this team needs.

I don't think there was any false advertising on him, maybe organizational overhype.  Here are some blurbs on him from Baseball America before the draft, after the 2013 season and after the 2014 season.

 

Draft report on him 2013:

 

Stewart has boosted his fastball from 88-93 mph last summer to 91-96 for much of the spring, though his velocity tails off at times in the later innings. His life and command with his heater make it even more dominating, but his best offering is a power mid-80s slider with tilt. He has improved his curveball and shows feel for his changeup, and he'll display four above-average big league pitches at times. He has a clean delivery and should get even better once he concentrates solely on baseball. Stewart has been limited at times this spring because of minor shoulder (a carryover from football), hamstring and thumb ailments, but none is a major concern

 

After the 2013 season:

 

shoulder soreness and kept him off the mound at instructional league. Strong and athletic, with a clean delivery, Stewart has a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with plus life and command. His putaway pitch is a mid-80s power slider with tilt. His curveball continues to improve and he has a feel for a changeup, giving him a chance to have four above-average pitches.

 

 

After the 2014 season:

 

logged just five innings after July 17 coming down with shoulder inflammation and losing velocity. Blessed with a strong, athletic frame and a clean delivery he repeats with ease, Stewart brandishes a 93-96 mph fastball that shows plus life. He also mixes in an occasional hard sinker but prefers to put hitters away with a mid-80s power slider that ranks among the best in the system. His other two pitches project to at least average but could still use some work. His curveball shows 12-to-6 action at its best, while his changeup remains inconsistent but has shown good sink and tumble.

 

 

[Loosey]

I think people are paying too much attention to Kohl Stewart's Strikeout Rates.  I wish he was striking out 8-9+ guys per 9, but he isn't. 

 

On the flip side it could be much worse.  He isn't getting rocked and he only gave up 2 HR's in 130 IP.  If his stats were exactly the same; 3.20 ERA, 2 HR's allowed but he struck out 115 batters instead of the 71 what would we be saying about him?  He's 20 years old in his 2nd full season of only playing baseball.  It's possible he may never develop into what we all hoped he would, but if he can learn to pitch he also could be a very good addition to the Twins in 3 years or so.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I think people are paying too much attention to Kohl Stewart's Strikeout Rates.  I wish he was striking out 8-9+ guys per 9, but he isn't. 

 

On the flip side it could be much worse.  He isn't getting rocked and he only gave up 2 HR's in 130 IP.  If his stats were exactly the same; 3.20 ERA, 2 HR's allowed but he struck out 115 batters instead of the 71 what would we be saying about him?  He's 20 years old in his 2nd full season of only playing baseball.  It's possible he may never develop into what we all hoped he would, but if he can learn to pitch he also could be a very good addition to the Twins in 3 years or so.

 

so if his outcomes were more repeatable (stats wise only, we are only talking stats here).......would we be less worried? Of course, I don't get the question at all.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Most HS pitchers are at least  four year projects if not longer. You're often going from raw throwers and turning them into pitchers, it can take a bit for everythign to start clicking.

Most HS pitchers aren't taken 4th overall either.

 

Every amateur ballplayer is a bit of a project, teams often rank them on the odds they won't be as much of a project, because that has real value.

 

Stewart wasn't drafted 4th overall with the expectation that his first 2.5 pro seasons would look like they have.  He's not yet a bust, of course, and he could certainly turn things around and will have many more opportunities to do so, but I don't think it's accurate to imply his development is exactly where everyone expected it to be right now.

[blindeke]

80% of what people say about "makeup" is b.s.

[Loosey]

 

so if his outcomes were more repeatable (stats wise only, we are only talking stats here).......would we be less worried? Of course, I don't get the question at all.

I'm assuming very few of us on TD have actually seen him pitch live.  So stats are what we have to go off of.  At the end of the day he isn't getting rocked, but he isn't blowing guys away.  I'm just asking/saying I think he is at a crossroads in his career.  If he can start to get outs by strikeout rather than whatever other way he is doing it then I think most of us will be happy.  And yes, my prior question/statement was rambling .  I think I rambled again.  But I am not too concerned yet.  He didn't go into the offseason with any injuries I am aware of and can hopefully condition better and work on that strikeout pitch if he has it. 

[nicksaviking]

 

I don't think there was any false advertising on him, maybe organizational overhype.  Here are some blurbs on him from Baseball America before the draft, after the 2013 season and after the 2014 season.

 

Draft report on him 2013:

 

Stewart has boosted his fastball from 88-93 mph last summer to 91-96 for much of the spring, though his velocity tails off at times in the later innings. His life and command with his heater make it even more dominating, but his best offering is a power mid-80s slider with tilt. He has improved his curveball and shows feel for his changeup, and he'll display four above-average big league pitches at times. He has a clean delivery and should get even better once he concentrates solely on baseball. Stewart has been limited at times this spring because of minor shoulder (a carryover from football), hamstring and thumb ailments, but none is a major concern

 

After the 2013 season:

 

shoulder soreness and kept him off the mound at instructional league. Strong and athletic, with a clean delivery, Stewart has a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with plus life and command. His putaway pitch is a mid-80s power slider with tilt. His curveball continues to improve and he has a feel for a changeup, giving him a chance to have four above-average pitches.

 

 

After the 2014 season:

 

logged just five innings after July 17 coming down with shoulder inflammation and losing velocity. Blessed with a strong, athletic frame and a clean delivery he repeats with ease, Stewart brandishes a 93-96 mph fastball that shows plus life. He also mixes in an occasional hard sinker but prefers to put hitters away with a mid-80s power slider that ranks among the best in the system. His other two pitches project to at least average but could still use some work. His curveball shows 12-to-6 action at its best, while his changeup remains inconsistent but has shown good sink and tumble.

 

Good callbacks.

 

It's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that I mis-remember or bought into felonious draft hype regarding his fastball.

 

I like the previous mentions of his power slider, but this summer I was under the impression from our posters in the know (I believe you are among them)  that his slider was actually poor and it did not look like it was improving, meanwhile his fastball generally sat 92-93.

[Mike Sixel]

I also am not at the worried point yet.....curious might be a better word.