Sunday Baseball for the Sox Faithful

[ptatc 2,685]

Throwing strikes=Good

Not missing bats=Bad

Despite the great performance, I'm not encouraged that Giolito has been 90-92 today. I honestly don't know what to expect from him velocity wise. I've heard mid 90s and he's been low 90s ever since the 2nd inning of last start. That velocity is meat in the majors usually from a RHP.

I was at the game today. Lows 90's with that movement will play just fine. It moves much more than most FB at that velocity do. My guess is that he is listening to Cooper's philosophy of less velocity with more movement is better. He probably could still throw 96 with it being much straighter.

 

Besides with his TJ history he shouldn't be trying to hit the radar gun at the max too often.

[bmags 8,550]

Was at the game in upper deck so kinda hard to follow. Seemed like curve couldn't get over but the slider was used quite a bit. He was hit pretty hard often but right at guys so kinda lucky start but 7 IP no runs can't complain.

[soxforlife05 7]

Entirely possible at this point that we got 3 of our 5 starting pitchers for our next contender in the Eaton deal. Looks like we are going to be flipping some of this pitching for young bats in a couple years.

[Dunt 11]

Throwing strikes=Good

Not missing bats=Bad

Despite the great performance, I'm not encouraged that Giolito has been 90-92 today. I honestly don't know what to expect from him velocity wise. I've heard mid 90s and he's been low 90s ever since the 2nd inning of last start. That velocity is meat in the majors usually from a RHP.

 

Not necessarily. With Giolito's size and the plane at which he attacks hitters, 92 mph can be very deceptive. He had a lot of guys swinging through fastballs yesterday. I will happily take a Giolito who is sitting 92-94 with his fastball if it means that he is throwing his offspeed stuff for strikes (which he did with regularity yesterday). His changeup is still a bit of a work in progress and can be a little straight for my liking, but he has been fooling a lot of hitters with it so far through 2 starts. The curveball is as good as advertised when he is throwing it for strikes/burying it as a put away pitch. I think the pitch of his I've been most impressed with is his slider though. He was painting it low and outside all yesterday and if he lives there with it, Gio is going to have a very long, productive career at the major league level. I'm very encouraged with what I've seen so far from him, his approach is very mature for his age.

[southsider2k5 11,627]

Not necessarily. With Giolito's size and the plane at which he attacks hitters, 92 mph can be very deceptive. He had a lot of guys swinging through fastballs yesterday. I will happily take a Giolito who is sitting 92-94 with his fastball if it means that he is throwing his offspeed stuff for strikes (which he did with regularity yesterday). His changeup is still a bit of a work in progress and can be a little straight for my liking, but he has been fooling a lot of hitters with it so far through 2 starts. The curveball is as good as advertised when he is throwing it for strikes/burying it as a put away pitch. I think the pitch of his I've been most impressed with is his slider though. He was painting it low and outside all yesterday and if he lives there with it, Gio is going to have a very long, productive career at the major league level. I'm very encouraged with what I've seen so far from him, his approach is very mature for his age.

 

And from the looks of it, if Giolito needs to pull back on his stuff a little bit to gain some control and feel, he can survive pretty darned well against even a good offensive team. As he keeps getting his reps and locking in his mechanics, he can always add back as needed or wanted.

[bmags 8,550]

All of your comments reaffirm that off plate upper deck is really hard to have an idea how a pitcher looked (especially with 6 little ones)