Saturday, March 15, 2008
This or That: Orlando Hernandez or Mike Pelfrey
This is a new segment in which I will be comparing 2 players from any team. I will mostly be comparing New York players to other NY players and this is for all sports. Today's includes the two Met's pitchers fighting for the 5th spot in the rotation:
Orlando Hernandez "El Duque"
6'2 220 lbs.
10/11/1969(?)
10 years MLB experience
Pros:
- Experienced MLB starter
- Proven
- Consistent when healthy
- Playoff experience
- Big game pitcher
- Older (he is not really 38 years old)
- Injury prone
- Using a new wind up
- Has not pitched in a live game yet (in spring training)
Mike Pelfrey
6'7 215 lbs.
1/14/1984
2 years MLB experience
1/14/1984
2 years MLB experience
- Pros:
- Fastball you can't teach
- Filthy Breaking ball
- Young/driven to win
- Potential Ace Pitcher
Cons:
- Very Inconsisten
- Inexperienced
- Control Issues
- Still needs time
Either one of these pitchers is a great pitcher to have as a #5 starter in any league. If you are going for a more prototypical 5 starter you go with El Duque, if you want to have 5 potential #1 or 2 starters you go with Pelfrey.
Stuff: Both of these guys have filthy movement, but here is how it breaks down. Pelfrey's arsenal includes a 2-seam fastball that will just run off the table and generate ground balls, a devastating slider that his still a work in progress (to see its potential watch last year's Braves game), a change-up that is an average pitch and still a work in progress, and a 4-seam fastball he just started working on this year.
El Duque has too many pitches, but here are some I can think off. 4 and 2 seam fastball topping out at 91 on a good day, a pitch which looks like a slider with weird movement, curveball at about 72, change-up, and a 55 mph bugs bunny curve.
Advantage: Draw
Spring: Mike Pelfrey has started 4 games this spring with his longest outing being 4 2/3 innings. In 13 innings he has given up 16 hits, 9 runs, 8 earned runs, hit 1 batter, walked 6, and struck out 5; pitching to a 5.54 ERA. The good news is that he has only given up 1 home run and that his best start came the start after they learned he was tipping his pitchers. Hernandez has yet to pitch in an actual game and has decided to pitch in another simulated game instead of a live one.
Advantage: Pelfrey
Overall: I am beginning to start learning towards Pelfrey. I had been hoping that with Santana he would be able to spend a full year in AAA and get to refine all of his pitches. Now I am not so sure the Mets even have a choice. With El Duque being hurt, not pitching live baseball yet, and changing he wind-up he might not start the season ready for the rotation. Pelfrey's biggest problem seems more like confidence than his pitches. All he has to do is trust the same fastball that helped him dominate college and make him the best pitcher in his draft and he will be fine as were Duque has to learn a new wind-up and pitch with a bunion on his foot. It should be clear as day who I am deciding with for now and for the future.
Advantage: Pelfrey
p.s. Omar sign Freddie Garcia we could use him!
Stuff: Both of these guys have filthy movement, but here is how it breaks down. Pelfrey's arsenal includes a 2-seam fastball that will just run off the table and generate ground balls, a devastating slider that his still a work in progress (to see its potential watch last year's Braves game), a change-up that is an average pitch and still a work in progress, and a 4-seam fastball he just started working on this year.
El Duque has too many pitches, but here are some I can think off. 4 and 2 seam fastball topping out at 91 on a good day, a pitch which looks like a slider with weird movement, curveball at about 72, change-up, and a 55 mph bugs bunny curve.
Advantage: Draw
Spring: Mike Pelfrey has started 4 games this spring with his longest outing being 4 2/3 innings. In 13 innings he has given up 16 hits, 9 runs, 8 earned runs, hit 1 batter, walked 6, and struck out 5; pitching to a 5.54 ERA. The good news is that he has only given up 1 home run and that his best start came the start after they learned he was tipping his pitchers. Hernandez has yet to pitch in an actual game and has decided to pitch in another simulated game instead of a live one.
Advantage: Pelfrey
Overall: I am beginning to start learning towards Pelfrey. I had been hoping that with Santana he would be able to spend a full year in AAA and get to refine all of his pitches. Now I am not so sure the Mets even have a choice. With El Duque being hurt, not pitching live baseball yet, and changing he wind-up he might not start the season ready for the rotation. Pelfrey's biggest problem seems more like confidence than his pitches. All he has to do is trust the same fastball that helped him dominate college and make him the best pitcher in his draft and he will be fine as were Duque has to learn a new wind-up and pitch with a bunion on his foot. It should be clear as day who I am deciding with for now and for the future.
Advantage: Pelfrey
p.s. Omar sign Freddie Garcia we could use him!
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