I actually saw a breakdown of Kershaw's mechanics at one point - not sure if it was MLB Network or on a site somewhere - but with the way he comes to the plate, you really don't pick up the ball until very, very late, probably as late as you do with Sale, if not later. It's hard to see it watching him from behind, but if you watch him head on, it's incredibly difficult to see it.

Yeah, it looks like he keeps it behind his body longer (from the batter's eyes) than most pitchers, opening up at a later juncture. I suppose there are different types of deception. Sale's length and low slot create so much horizontal movement that batters don't know if it's going to be a foot outside or inside until it's too late. That's how you get quality RHHs to literally lunge at a ball that winds up crossing over their right shoe tops.

All of this is beside the point I was making. Yeah, okay, maybe he develops a way to shoot lasers out of his eyes that distract the batter and he throw 9 straight no-hitters or whatever. He's a consensus top 4 pitcher in the Majors, that's about as high a "ceiling" as anyone has ever layed on a prospect.

Huh? His K rate is going up, his walk rate, BAA, ERA etc. are going down, appreciably. Don't agree with the flukey/lucky characterization at all, sorry. The talent was always immense and the recent spate of pitching injuries tells me that we ALL know far less about mechanics than we think we do. Someday soon, someone will admit this. Kodi Medeiros being drafted 12th, way, way higher than any mock I saw, is an indication of this, imo.

 

Do you really think the Brewers took him there on a 1 in 20 chance he remains a starter? Of course not.