Martin Perez Now a Cut Above

Not only is Martin Perez pitching great, but he's creating some very colorful bubbles!

I’d be concerned about a guy all of a sudden having a significant velocity bump in his late 20s. Late teens, early 20s MAYBE. In 1990, Scott Erickson was all of a sudden throwing his sinker 3-4 MPH harder than before and not surprisingly having greater success. We know the end of that story. By late June of 1991 he was toast and was never even close to that dominant again.

I’d be concerned about a guy all of a sudden having a significant velocity bump in his late 20s. Late teens, early 20s MAYBE. In 1990, Scott Erickson was all of a sudden throwing his sinker 3-4 MPH harder than before and not surprisingly having greater success. We know the end of that story. By late June of 1991 he was toast and was never even close to that dominant again.

I think that's a field too far given that there has been a lot of talk about the Twins instituting new techniques to increase velocity. 

Whatever happens from here on out, I think it’s pretty fair to say Pérez has already shattered his projected contribution to the team. So, that’s playing with house money. If his new approach is legit, and he remains a mainstay with this over-performing club...well, someone deserves a raise.

I was one of the doubters. He has looked very good throwing way more strikes than his history would suggest. I will hold off on buying in until the league sees his cutter for a bit

The results haven't really been there in the majors which makes it easy to forget that he was once the #8 prospect in baseball at the end of the 2011 season: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2011/

Clearly the talent is there, just needed to be coached up a bit. 

The results haven't really been there in the majors which makes it easy to forget that he was once the #8 prospect in baseball at the end of the 2011 season: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2011/

 

Clearly the talent is there, just needed to be coached up a bit. 

Hah, nice find. Just after Trout and Harper, ahead of Machado, and at #16, our friend Jake Odorizzi(#24 Aaron Hicks, #28 Kyle Gibson, #36 Miguel Sano).

I liked this passage:

 

They said it: "The stats line hasn't been stellar, but we've had scouts at almost all of his starts and there has been a lot of progress as far as throwing strikes, attacking hitters and staying with his secondary stuff. The feedback from the scouts has been positive, and we're focused more on that than the stats lines." -- Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine on Perez's winter ball work

Destiny.

I don't remember Scott Erickson throwing harder. In fact, I saw him pitch for the UofA several times and if anything, he threw harder then.

 

What I do remember was TK leaving him in to try to complete his third consecutive complete game shutout at Boston in May 1991. He took a shutout into the 9th, but was clearly gassed, and while he did complete the game, he gave up three runs in the 9th, which wasn't the bad part. His arm was never the same after that game.

Also, Erickson’s ERA went down another half run after that start against Boston through a shutout in Yankee Stadium late in June. That’s when he started to turn into a pumpkin.

I’d be concerned about a guy all of a sudden having a significant velocity bump in his late 20s. Late teens, early 20s MAYBE. In 1990, Scott Erickson was all of a sudden throwing his sinker 3-4 MPH harder than before and not surprisingly having greater success. We know the end of that story. By late June of 1991 he was toast and was never even close to that dominant again.

I was 8 at the time, so I am probably completely wrong, but didn't he suffer an injury diving after a bunt that derailed him?

(I remember him mostly because my last name is Erickson and I have a cousin named Scott Erickson and always told people that).  

The 1991 Scott Erickson was an unstoppable force, but it came out of nowhere. Kelly called it a "fluke." That was one of the best pitching seasons I have ever seen.

Saying Erickson was never good after 91 isn't correct. He had some success in Baltimore and the Orioles overworked him WAY more than the Twins did in 91. Note that Erickson also led the NCAA in IP when he was in college.

For someone who "never pitched the same" after 1991, it's amazing that he had 51 complete games in his career (almost all after 1991, obviously) and a no hitter in 1994.