colbyjack

I like Greene better than Tulo as a hitter, so I have him ranked higher. I also have Pennington ranked higher than Braun because I think he's a better all around player. But I agree with bjkrautk, I think Braun could be taken higher than where most have him ranked because the guy just keeps on hitting, although there are some concerns that he is so successful hitting because of the aluminum bat. Tulo is back healthy now and had a big week for Long Beach State. Also as bjkrauktk noted, Greene's affiliation with Boras likely will cause him to be the 3rd or 4th college IF selected. Lowrie is a sandwich pick or 2nd rounder, the rest are legit first-rounders.

This statement reminded me that the media a few years ago when Beane eschewed Sheets in favor of Barry Zito and how much of a genius he was for doing so. Where's that camp now that the worm has turned, so to speak? Beane didn't take Zito over Sheets due to talent. He took Zito because he signed catcher Gerald Laird (I think that's his name) the week before the draft as a DFE for a lofty cost. That made him have to look for a budget-oriented pick. Sheets signed for what, $2.4+ million, with Zito signing for well below $2 M. Sheets was expected to be the A's pick all along (if he fell that far) until the Laird signing. Is there any hope of this? Or is signability going to insure that either Kansas City and Washington take the High Schoolers? You're right EDR, it would seem as though someone in the top 4-5 picks would take a pitcher. Who knows, maybe we'll be the first team that does, as the top pitchers are advised by Boras. On pure need, you would think the D-Backs would target pitching if there was a guy worthy of the #1 overall selection, and who knows, maybe they'll look for somewhat of a bargain pick since they also own the #1 pick in the sandwich round and every round thereafter, along with an extra, high-3rd rounder from the Ms for Sexson. But I wouldn't count on any of the teams picking ahead of us to go the cheap route. Maybe the Nationals, since their ownership situation really hasn't been settled, but Jim Bowden definitely had more money to play with this past offseason. The Royals haven't really been cheap in recent years given the extra picks they've had the past 2-3 years. The Ms have a first-rounder for the first time in a few years, the 3rd overall to boot, but they don't pick again until the 4th round. And of course the D-Backs are guaranteed to spend at least $3 million. Bill and I were talking about this yesterday, but Cameron Maybin is the perfect Jack Z. pick. If he falls, which certainly is possible, I can't see anyone else being our pick. Can anyone see Jack Z reaching for Bristow or McCutchen at this point? Would Bristow be a huge mistake over Zimmerman? I don't think Bristow or McCutchen would really be that great of a reach. McCutchen is a heck of a hitter, not just a toolsy speedster. Bristow is a great athlete. I would prefer Zimmerman, but I'm preparing myself for the standard Jack Z. prep pick.

I'm not a fan of minor league baseball's stats, and several other things that seem to be lacking from past year's coverage, but their game updates have been a real treat. I was tempted to tune into the Stars game to listen to Dana pitch, but it's hard to win me over when the Brewers are on.

Tons of games on TV all week. If you check out Fox College Sports listings, you will find all sorts of replays at all sorts of times during the day. I'm going to list the games that will be played live at the times listed. Tuesday, April 19 6:00 pm: ESPN2 LSU @ Tulane A great matchup, and a great rivalry. Plenty of good players to watch on both teams. Stat-heads may enjoy to watch LSU's Ryan Patterson, who is putting up monster numbers. Wednesday, April 20 7:00 pm: CSTV Texas @ Rice Texas has been on 5,243 times so far this spring, so you know who to watch for. Friday, April 22 6:00 pm: ESPN Ohio State @ Michigan The Big Ten gets some love on ESPN. Saturday, April 23 Noon: FCSA Wake Forest @ Maryland Wake Forest's Mark Antonelli is a top prospect for '06, otherwise not a huge game to watch prospect-wise. 3:00 pm: FCSA South Carolina @ Alabama South Carolina has several interesting players that I've profiled before. Alabama ain't too shabby. 4:30 pm: FCSC Auburn @ Mississippi St. Auburn features C Josh Bell, Miss. St. has Brad Corley patrolling the OF. 6:00 pm: FCSA Florida State @ Miami Similar to the Longhorns, both FSU & Miami have been on TV a ton this spring. Miami 3B Ryan Braun is the guy to tune in for in this one. 7:00 pm: CSTV Baylor @ Nebraska If you haven't had a chance to watch Alex Gordon walk yet this season, here's your chance. Baylor fireballing righty Mark McCormick may be on the mound for the Bears. Sunday, April 24 Noon: ESPN2 Texas @ Oklahoma St. Texas, on TV? Noon: FCSA Florida State @ Miami This may be a replay of Saturday's game, I didn't bother to check. 1:00 pm: FCSP Washington @ Stanford I don't think this game is in real-time, since they're on the West Coast. Washington has Brent Lillibridge, while Stanford has several intriguing draft-eligible prospects including 2B Jed Lowrie & 1B John Mayberry Jr. Baseball America's weekend preview: www.baseballamerica.com/t...eview.html They profile Tennessee 3B Chase Headley, who is hitting .377/.554/.730 this season, with 11 dingers and 10 doubles. He has an impressive 43:10 BB:K ratio, but he's made 12 errors at the hot corner.

Jason Neighborgall 5-2, 5.55 ERA, 11 games (all starts), 48 IP, 40 H, 64 K, 42 BB, 12 wild pitches, 11 HBP It's kind of sad to say that these numbers are an improvement over his success over the past couple of years. He still has no control, and reportedly still has the same confidence issues from before. Plus, he's advised by Scott Boras. I wouldn't touch this guy with a 10' pole, unless someone could convince me that they could "fix" him.

Greg, I'm the guy that has suggested that the Brewers draft shortstops given their history drafting successful shortstops, even if they moved on to play other positions. Check out the last installment of my draft retrospect series, as I even suggest that the Brewers may be wise to focus more on college players as well: Draft Retrospect 4 And I don't necessarily disagree with your suggestion. Given the Brewers' history in drafting and developing high profile arms they may want to shy away from drafting pitchers early. However, as I've said time and time before in relation to so many different subjects, I would never limit my decisions to certain groups no matter what the circumstances are. On top of that, who is to say: 1. That the Brewers haven't already adhered somewhat to this notion. Keep in mind, they never expected to have JM Gold, Nick Neugebauer (they were actually targeting Neugie in round 1 in '98 before Gold fell, and then Neugie fell to their 2nd rounder) or Mike Jones (ranked in the preseason as the #1 prep player) fall in their laps where they did, so that actually fits one of your two standards. and 2. That things won't get better, particularly given the story that Bill posted on the homepage in which he conducted an interview with BP's Will Carroll. Things under Doug Melvin seem to be significantly different that they were under Dean Taylor and Sal Bando, and who knows, maybe the Brewers finally will be able to produce more of their high-profile arms in future years. I agree, it is an interesting discussion. When everything else is even I typically go with the percentages, and without a doubt the percentages benefit hitters in the first round. Not just in the Brewers' history, but in all of baseball. With most of the top pitchers available for this June's draft advised by Scott Boras, and the number of talented young hitters available, I take a hitter almost without thinking twice.

BA's most recent HS POY watch, this week focusing on CA prep OF John Drennen: www.baseballamerica.com/t...05poy.html

Player updates for the week of 4/11-4/17 Luke Hochevar 8 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 6 K, 5 BB vs. Arkansas Hochevar gets knocked around a little bit by one of the best teams in the SEC. Ricky Romero 9 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 ER), 9 K, 3 BB vs. Pacific Romero uses 118 pitches (79 for strikes) to notch his first complete game of the year. With only 6 hits and 3 walks allowed, it would seem that Romero may have been the victim once again of a big inning. Mike Pelfrey 7 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 9 K, 2 BB vs. Northern Iowa This type of line has been common for Pelfrey all spring. Jeff Clement .355/.514/.673 in 107 AB, 10 2B, 8 HR, 30:21 BB:K, 3 Es USC didn't play this weekend, only played 2 games on the week, but Clement added another bomb. The errors have been kept down as well. Alex Gordon .411/.575/.798 in 129 AB, 12 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 41:17 BB:K, 17 for 20 SBs, 5 Es Gordon's patience is impressive, and he's burning teams by walking him by stealing bases. Tyler Greene .329/.410/.539 in 152 AB, 10 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 18:41 BB:K, 16 for 17 SBs, 9 Es The errors have slowed, but so has Greene's bat. I had the chance to watch Georgia Tech today, and Greene, like Gordon, has one of the best baseball bodies out there. Ryan Zimmerman .430/.489/.662 in 151 ABs, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 17:6 BB:K, 14 for 16 SBs, 6 Es Zim' keeps on hitting.

I agree, if the Crew takes a pitcher this year that player had better be as close to being a sure thing as possible. They've definitely had better luck developing hitters in team history, particularly shortstops. Thanks Greg for digging up the backgrounds of our top pitchers, it definitely puts the notion in perspective. I would be inclined to limit pitching draftees in at least the top 5 rounds to (1) college sure things a la Sheets (who don't come around very often) and (2) the occasional guy who falls, or about whom we've figured out something that other teams haven't. I think your #1 point is a little too extreme. While I would lean towards a hitter in the first round of the draft (not only because of team history, but based on the info I dug up in my player procurement story), you just can't limit your options like that. It's like drafting exclusively from the college ranks or not taking HS pitchers. While the Brewers haven't had much luck with pitchers drafted early in recent years, there are plenty of solid arms to be had in rounds 2-5. I do agree that you're much more likely to find an arm later in the draft than you are a hitter.

http://ftp.baseballamerica.com/images2005/carillomiller425325.jpg This picture includes Miami RHP Cesar Carrillo & UNC LHP Andrew Miller, who faced off Friday night. BA's weekend preview, including a brief bio on the Carrillo/Miller matchup, a few days late: BA weekend preview, 4/15-4/17 Carrillo with his ugliest pitching line of the year, but his winning streak remains intact as Miami beats UNC 17-7. Georgia Tech vs. Florida State is on right now, with Alex Gordon & Nebraska facing Cliff Pennington & Texas A&M at 3:30.

I wasn't trying to put you on the spot bjkrautk, I prefer Hochevar as well, I was just curious to learn why you preferred him over Pelfrey. I agree on the athletic bloodlines, and he has very good makeup. His repertoire is another plus. I got to see Hochevar pitch twice last year and I was really impressed with the way he pitched and commanded the strike zone. I'm hoping Tennessee finds their way to TV at some point this spring on a Friday so I can watch him again. As for Mark A's involvement, I agree, if it comes down to a financial decision, he very well could be involved. I just don't see him coming to the scouting department laying down what he believes the pick should be. I could see the scouting department approaching Mark A. with the possibility of spending more on a player that has fallen.

Well, since you asked http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . I'm only going to include stats that seem to be on the up. There haven't been updated stats for Lorenzo Cain, while Brandon Jasper and Chad Miller haven't really improved upon their previous numbers. Jon Mungle still sits on 2 ABs. The two biggest names to watch are probably my preseason favorites, Deik Scram and Derek Miller. I'm going to update their stats, and try to show what they have done, along with a few others, since my last update. Dustin Timm 3-1, 2.70 ERA, 12 appearance (all relief), 26.2 IP, 18 H, 18 K, 5 BB 3 appearances, 9.1 IP since last update, 5 H, 10 K, 1 BB Stephen Barnes 6-2, 2.74 ERA, 12 appearances (10 starts), 66 IP, 52 H, 50 K, 20 BB 2 appearances (both starts), 13 IP since last update, 10 H, 14 K, 0 BB Deik Scram .456 batting average in 114 AB, 11 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 16 SB 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 11 SB in last 48 ABs Derek Miller 3-0, 1.09 ERA, 5 appearances (all starts), 2 CG, 33 IP, 22 H, 41 K, 8 BB 2 games (both starts) in last 16 IP (you do the math), 12 H, 25 K, Shane Buriff 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 14 appearances (8 starts), 2 saves, 48.1 IP, 36 H, 41 K, 23 BB 4 appearances (2 starts) in last 16.2 IP, 17 H, 21 K, 5 BB Derek Miller has been fun to follow since the Catamounts season began. A pitcher that has missed significant time due to arm troubles, the Brewers really did their homework with Miller using the DFE process perfectly. He's relatively old, but could move quickly if the Brewers decide to plug him into a lefty specialist role. Buriff, another LHP, has given up more hits lately, but the reduced walks are well-welcomed. Barnes has been pretty steady all year, and like Buriff, it's especially great to see the control numbers coming down. Timm appears to be getting more dominant in recent weeks. His arm may finally be getting back to full strength. And Deik Scram hasn't missed a beat since last year. He is an offensive machine, with strong if not spectacular numbers across the board. With the way so many of our DFEs are performing, the Brewers may be able to fill the empty half of Helena's squad with a slew of signings, and this doesn't even include the people we have absolutely zero stats for.

Despite disagreeing on Drew's future bjkrautk, I enjoy your priority list. Although I have to ask both you and UWRyan428 two things: 1. Why do you like Hochevar and not Pelfrey? 2. Why do you think Clement could move to 3B if he fails behind the plate? I too prefer Hochevar over Pelfrey, but Pelfrey does have the more dynamic pure stuff. I'm thinking my Kyle Sleeth comparison for Hochevar may be too great to ignore, but I'm wondering if there are certain things that just stand out to you. And several people have brought Mark Attanasio's name up in regard to the draft. Do you really expect him to be that involved in the draft, at least when it comes down to making an actual selection? A lot of people thought Doug Melvin and Ulice Payne might have an influence on Jack Z. After taking a brief one-year high school hiatus in selecting Rickie Weeks and Tony Gwynn Jr. in the first two rounds in 2003, Mr. Z. bounced back with Rogers & Gallardo last year. Mark A. may open up the pocketbook a la Arte Moreno of the Angels, but I really can't see him getting involved, pointing to someone like Jered Weaver as pitching in his old backyard. Isn't he originally from the NYC area? Should we assume that he will push from anyone from the NYC area, possibly St. John's Craig Hansen, another Boras advisee?

Turning the DP is a huge problem here. What the HECK is going on with the infielders? I was at the bulk of today's game, thanks to Pedro, and I can tell you the double plays were cleanly fielded. Hall was slow on his relay to Spivey on one of them, might have been slow on another, and the third missed DP was just a matter of a weakly hit grounder that the Pirates runner simply out-ran the relay to 1B. I think on any other game, or with any other runner, the Crew could have just as easily been 3 for 3 in those chances. If the team would have gotten one of those DPs, and if Capuano hadn't walked the leadoff guy, the Pirates never would have scored two runs. Capuano looked just a hair wild today, but I love the guy's composure. I think it's going to be a long season for the Pirates. Wilson and Bay may be good hitters, but not good enough to carry that offense. And the ball that Hall hit was crushed. As soon as he hit it I thought it was long gone. When the ball was in the air I looked down at Craig Wilson, who had turned his back and slowly jogged to the wall, where he calmly turned around, put his glove up, and caught the ball with his back to the wall without leaving his feet (so you can't say he was robbed). It looked as though the ball died in the air, as Hall got a lot of air under it. It's always fun to see Hall put a charge in one, and he just missed that one (it might have been out with the roof open). The balls Jenkins & Overbay hit were no-brainers. Nice to see Jenks go the opposite way, as he has seemed to be trying to hit more that way this season, which is a good sign. He'll get hot before the month is over. Great win. I missed the 8th & 9th innings when things got exciting.

BA gives a few of our farmhands love in today's edition of their Daily Dish: ? One of the leagues hottest hitters is Triple-A Nashville outfielder David Krynzel, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs in an 8-7 win over Oklahoma last night. In five games, the 2000 first-round pick out of Green Valley High in Henderson, Nev., in batting .471-1-9. ? West Virginia may have the Sally League?s most dynamic double-play combination in second baseman Hernan Iribarren and shortstop Alcides Escobar. The tandem paired for five hits in an 8-5 loss at Lexington last night, but their early play has Power hitting coach Tony Diggs excited about their potential. ?(Iribarren) is a good hitter right now because of his bat quickness,? Diggs said. ?He?s so relaxed at the plate, and even for a free swinger, he makes good contact and has good plate coverage. For his age and maturity, he can really do a lot of things?take it the other way very well, show pull power. Escobar?s offense could be similar, though. He?s got great hands and good wrists. He?s got solid instincts and the tools to match.?

DHonks, I had a short video clip of Romero but now I can't find it. MLB always does an awesome job with their previews, but I think you will like his delivery. No wasted movement, and an electric arm. st year I asked a simple question...who looks and pitches the most like Sheets. The answer was a Righty from BC, I think Lambert. So I'd like to pose that question again. Lambert was the most similar to Sheets physically, I don't think he necessarily threw the most similar to Sheets. In the same fashion, I would say California prep RHP Jeff Lyman represents Sheets the best physically, with a shorter yet stockier build. He has the same builldog mentality, but his delivery is much, much different. No one's delivery is really like Sheets' of course, but no one's delivery is like Lyman's either, who uses a classic, roundhouse delivery in which he shows his back to the batter's box. He has a lively fastball that has been clocked in the mid-90s this spring, and a pretty good breaking ball. For pure stuff, I'm going to say Sean O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan has a great fastball-curve combo. He also doubles as a hard-hitting 3B/OF, so that comparison doesn't apply http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Florida RHP Bradley Clark has a low-80s curveball, which would be the most similar to Sheets' in velocity. I'll go with O'Sullivan, just because I love the way he pitches, spotting his fastball perfectly to set up his curveball, which is a dominant pitch when it's on. As I've said before, I'd avoid Catchers at all costs. Every catcher we draft in the top 15 rounds is a wasted Hart or Hendrickson. I'd rather focus on developing defensive catchers and just make it a point of trading for or signing offensive catchers. As much as I like Clement, I keep going back to this point as well. I don't think it's as easy trading or even signing a decent one on the FA market, although we did this past offseason with Damian Miller, but drafting and developing catchers is never an easy task. Thanks for your reports on Bristow brew82, I hope to see more of them when you have the chance. He's one guy whose name just keeps coming back to me. I may like some other players better, but Bristow seems to fit the Jack Zduriencik profile better than any other profile that projects to be there at our #5 overall selection.

I believe MassHaas mentioned in a thread that Jack Zduriencik has real high praise for Periard in spring training. I'm guessing both he and Langille will end up at Helena. There aren't any major Canadian prospects at this point in time. SLAM sports does a great job tracking the top draft eligible prospects: Top '05 Canadian draft eligible players Leroux is shooting up draft charts this spring from the college side, while Chris Robinson is a solid, but not spectacular, college catcher. James Avery is a bit on the raw side, but scouts love his arm. I already profiled 1B Nick Weglarz here: Brewerfan.net Nick Weglarz player profile He could go in the first few rounds. Canadian players typically are ranked lower than their American counterparts, just because scouts for the most part have better chances to see the domestic guys play. Canadian teams do travel, and Weglarz plays for Team Ontario, as well as numberous Perfect Game events, so he's a well-known commodity. With the way Justin Morneau has slugged for the Twins, more & more teams may take Weglarz that much more seirously. He has also drawn the attention from colleges, as he's committed to play at Oklahoma State. Prep LHP Mike Wilson is a well-built, projectable pitcher at 6'5", 215 pounds. Wilson has committed to play for Michigan. He currently throws in the mid-80s, but with his size a spike in velocity is expected by a lot of scouts. I haven't heard any reports on him from this spring, so he may have already shown a small spike in velocity for all I know. Prep RHP Ivan Rusova has impressed several people while attending PG events. He shows a very live arm with good movement on all of his pitches and solid mechanics. Simlar to comparisons to Morneau for Weglarz, a guy like Rich Harden may ensure that Rusova doesn't get overlooked. I haven't seen him commit to any university, but currently he's the top rated prep Canadian according to PG/BA.

Just curious Brian, which logo is drawing the most interest?

Kat, the Journal-Sentinel guys weren't patrolling the parking lots yesterday, at least not by me, so I was unable to pick up any copies of the newspaper.

You don't have to buy a copy of the paper to enjoy the story: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Brewerfan.net Meanwhile, Brian Kapellusch, 27, a computer programmer, is tinkering technically with the increasingly popular Web site, Brewerfan.net, which he and a few like-minded men created three years ago. The site has fostered a virtual community, tip-tapping its keyboards well into the night and with no small obsession about the Brewers - or about the promise of things to come. "If they get good it probably won't be as fun," Kapellusch said at his house in Waukesha, sitting before his computer in a room including caged rabbits and a ferret and adorned with framed portraits of Rob Deer and Joey Meyer, among other substantiation of the Brewers crabbed fortunes. Kapellusch's Web site has grown from about 50 visitors when it began in May of 2001 to the more than 3,700 souls who dropped in on a single day last week, when on opening day the Brewers gutted the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2. Good stuff. Congrats Brian, and congrats to Brewerfan.net.

I'm sure he's not unknown in the scouting community. He's not a top prospect, but he's a guy that most certainly will be drafted. Just because he's not mentioned doesn't mean no one knows about him. If you notice, there are a few players that people step up and make sure we all know about. And since we didn't give Reinhard any love, the Journal-Sentinel has: www.jsonline.com/sports/c...317241.asp Check out the story on Jeff Newcomer, the Warhawks leading hitter, as well. And since you sound so offended that Reinhard wasn't mentioned, I can't believe you didn't bring his name up. C'mon man, he's hitting .550/.677/.975 in 40 ABs this season with an amazing 20 to 4 BB to K ratio. (I would add a smiley to my above comments, but that would take away from the dry sarcasm that is meant to be intended).

Well, the draft is two months away. While there hasn't been too much news on the high school front, at least not enough that has leaked out, the talent towards the top of the draft has stayed pretty much the same. I'm curious to get people's thoughts to see what way you're leaning. There doesn't seem to be as much interest this year as there was last year, although I think it was a lot more fun tracking the progress of all of the college pitchers when it seemed as though it would be a lock that the Brewers would select one of those arms. So, who would you take? Would you focus on a positional player of need? Would you adhere to the best player available philosophy? Would you lean towards Drew or Weaver should they re-enter the draft (note to bjkrautk, you're not going to be able to sign them at a discounted rate)? Pitcher vs. hitter? Do you want someone that could move up quickly, or are you looking for the player with the highest upside? And if your answer is Alex Gordon, Justin Upton or Cameron Maybin, mention someone else as well since I don't think any one of those 3 will be available. If you want to include those guys, maybe offer your top 5 players that you would like to see the Brewers select.

Is the cupboard now bare after the AAA boys that we have been touting for so long, or is this an aberration? I can't believe the total ineptitude of our minor league teams. Are we pushing too fast? There is some good depth past the talent at AAA, but once those guys advance, there aren't many, if any, top-flight prospects. Plus you look at how quickly several of them have progressed, as Rickie Weeks spent all of a month below the AA level in our system. I don't think it's a case of pushing our prospects too fast, but what offensive players do we really have after almost the entire Nashville lineup? The team focused almost entirely on arms early in the 2004 draft, and there really hasn't been a guy that has stepped up similar to Cory Hart in recent years (Hernan has, but he was a non-drafted free agent). It's good for the big-league club that almost all of our very top prospects are at AAA and AA this year, but not so good for the teams below, and even the talent at AA is mostly pitching. And, it is extremely early. I still think the Brevard County lineup will come around. There are several advanced college bats on that team that will start pounding out some hits once they heat up. The Power will also start to score more runs IMO. The Huntsville squad I guess I'm less confident of, as they seem to be built for extreme small-ball. While the runs have been hard to come by, the pitching hasn't been bad. It is an interesting way to look at it though. After Prince, Krynzel, Weeks, Hart and Nelson, what hitters are left in the system? Palmisano? Hernan? Nelson Cruz? It may be a good time to start targeting some hitters again early in the draft.

Sure thing Katuluu. I'm going to try to buy like 10 or 12 of them.

Player updates for the week of 4/4-4/10 Rick vs. Cal State Northridge: 7 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 7 K, 2 BB Romero bounces back after losing 3 straight. He's usually close to unhittable, so the 10 hits in 7 IP stand out. Luke Hochevar vs. Kentucky 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 10 K, 1 BB Hochevar keeps on dealing. Mike Pelfrey vs. Illinois State 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 10 K, 4 BB Pelfrey continues to dominate in recent starts. Plenty of college games to check out on TV today and tomorrow. Check out the preview thread for more info. Season updates, 4/10/05: Luke Hochevar 8-1, 1.52 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 3 CG, 65 IP, 41 H, 75 K, 16 BB, 1 HR, .181 BAA Hochevar has been consistent all year long. Not a whopping number of Ks, but the low hits allowed and walks totals are particularly impressive. Mike Pelfrey 5-2, 1.68 ERA, 10 games (all starts), 2 CG, 69.2 IP, 42 H, 76 K, 18 BB, 2 HR, .179 BAA As noted above, Pelfrey has been pitching better of late, not that he ever was pitching that poorly. His numbers are amazingly similar to Hochevar's. Ricky Romero 6-3, 2.24 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 64.1 IP, 51 H, 72 K, 17 BB, 0 HR, .221 BAA A few rocky outings in a row for Romero. Still good numbers, and he has yet to allow a HR. Alex Gordon .398/.570/.788 in 113 AB, 9 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 38:16 BB:K, 15 for 16 SBs, 4 Es I got to watch Gordon this weekend in two of the games vs. Texas. Gordon didn't get many pitches to hit, and drew 8 walks over the weekend. He seemed to get impatient at times, as his strike zone expanded anxious to hit the ball. Despite going 0 for 4 on Friday, he drew 4 walks in a 16-inning game. He got a couple of hits in Saturday's contest, and showed a nice, clean, fluid stroke. He has one of the best baseball bodies I have ever seen. Ryan Zimmerman .414/.476/.633 in 128 AB, 10 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 14:6 BB:K, 11 for 12 SBs, 5 Es I got the chance to watch Zimmerman on Saturday, a game in which he went 2 for 4 with a double. He hit the double in his first at-bat on a pitch that was well outside the strike zone and high. He swung anyway, went with the pitch, and laced it down into the RF corner. He was swinging more at the first pitch, and seemed to be a little more impatient at the plate that what I saw from him last weekend. My excitement was tempered a little bit, but he still is a great hitter, and he just carries a certain level of confidence about him that I really enjoy. And defensively he just gobbles up anything that is hit his way. Today he went 3 for 3 with a walk, raising his average to .414. Tyler Greene .345/.428/.561 in 139 AB, 8 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 17:34 BB:K, 16 for 17 SBs, 9 Es The strikeouts continue to pile up for Greene, and the extra-base totals aren't as good as you would like to see given those Ks. The errors are leveling out a little bit as he seems to be shoring up defensively as the season progresses. Jeff Clement .356/.511/.663 in 101 ABs, 10 2B, 7 HR, 27:18 BB:K, 3 Es Clement's defense has been steady all season long. I had the opportunity to watch him play twice over the weekend, and I still see nothing wrong with him behind the plate. He's not a gold glove candidate, but he's not going to hurt a team back there either. He has a good eye at the plate, and he's not getting much to hit these days. He takes his walks, and despite being a power guy, he doesn't strikeout much. While I'm not sure if he's going to be a spectacular player, I think he could be quite steady, and prove to be a consistent run-producer at a position where run production is hard to come by.