Heaney, Newcomb listed in top 10 of Best LHP Prospects

[KevinJ14]

Heaney #5 and Newcomb #9

 

http://m.angels.mlb.com/news/article/106938006/2015-prospect-watch-top-10-left-handed-pitchers

 

Interesting Heaney dropped, but they did mention that he is the most polished LHP in the group with nice control graded at 65.  Nice to see that we have 2 on such a list.

[wopphil]

Urias is a stud. I hope his arm stays healthy.

[ukyah]

3 years for that mets pitcher to come back from tommy john. that's a tough road for a kid. wish him the best. angels and royals got two on the list, which while nice is utterly meaningless. it sure is a few steps ahead of where the farm system used to be.

[Angelsjunky]

Where do the Dodgers get these wonderful toys?

 

Edited January 22, 2015 by Angelsjunky

[Angelsjunky]

On a serious note, while it is hard for me to get excited about a player who has only pitched 14 innings in professional baseball, and in the low minors at that, I am also starting to get excited about Newcomb. I'm starting to get the sense that he has true ace potential so that, in a few years he may be the staff ace, not Heaney or Richards. The thought of Richards as the #2 starter is intriguing indeed.

[Glen]

And yet our farm system will still probably be ranked 30th.

[Second Base]

I don't understand why it is believed Nuke has greater upside that Heaney. Is it simply because of his fastball? Heaney sat 92-95 last season before exhaustion set in at the end of the year.

Anyway, it'll be really interesting in a couple years when Skaggs is back in the swing if things and reaching his potential in the middle of a rotation.

Richards, Heaney, Shoe, Nuke and Skaggs can not only be cost effective, but win a lot of ball games.

[ELEVEN]

Exhaustion made Heaney into trade bait? Red flag on his arm strength?

[Second Base]

It's actually pretty frequent among young pitchers with upside. It happened to Weav his first and second years, it happened to Skaggs 2 years ago, it happened with Heaney last year. Heck it even happens to the Japanese pitchers once they come stateside.

The baseball season in America can be long and grueling.

[ukyah]

It's actually pretty frequent among young pitchers with upside. It happened to Weav his first and second years, it happened to Skaggs 2 years ago, it happened with Heaney last year. Heck it even happens to the Japanese pitchers once they come stateside.

The baseball season in America can be long and grueling.

 

 

The baseball season in America is long and grueling.

[Stradling]

Grueling and long is the American baseball season.

[Angel Oracle]

Hence, the need especially for good pitching depth

[SoWhat]

I've seen a decent amount of Heaney and I wouldn't say he sits 92-95, it's more 89-93.

Edited January 22, 2015 by SoWhat

[ettin]

"Grueling and long the Baseball season America is!" - Yoda Moncada

[tdawg87]

Heaney was number 2 last year.

Debbiedowner.jpg

[ELEVEN]

It's actually pretty frequent among young pitchers with upside. It happened to Weav his first and second years, it happened to Skaggs 2 years ago, it happened with Heaney last year. Heck it even happens to the Japanese pitchers once they come stateside.

The baseball season in America can be long and grueling.

One of those guys had TJ surgery and the other has consistently lost velocity since then.

Was that supposed to allay my concerns?

[tdawg87]

Weaver is one of the best pitchers in Angels history, so there's that. And despite his drop in velocity he still remains successful.

 

As for Skaggs, TJ will never not be "concerning" but it's not what it used to be. He is still very young and has a lot of skills to be successful in the future.

[Second Base]

Lol Weav lost velocity 5 years after dealing with fatigue. If you believe there's a correlation strong enough to ignore the Cy Young performances and natural aging process, then I'd love to hear that dribble.

As for Skaggs, yup he had TJ surgery. So did Strasburg, Harvey and 50% of the pitchers in the major leagues. It happens to most good pitchers. Maybe in high school, maybe college, maybe the minor leagues. But regardless, it happens.

[QuinlansMinion]

Lol Weav lost velocity 5 years after dealing with fatigue. If you believe there's a correlation strong enough to ignore the Cy Young performances and natural aging process, then I'd love to hear that dribble.

As for Skaggs, yup he had TJ surgery. So did Strasburg, Harvey and 50% of the pitchers in the major leagues. It happens to most good pitchers. Maybe in high school, maybe college, maybe the minor leagues. But regardless, it happens.

Weav will be a cy candidate again in 2015.  You guys are sleeping on him expecting him to be a number 3 starter.

[Second Base]

I'm expecting a high 3's ERA and around 200 innings. Not bad at all for a guy that throws 86.

[ettin]

Heaney's drop is East Coast Bias in action. In Miami he was top now that he is in Anaheim he's "tainted".

[Second Base]

I think you're aware of how that works ettin. I just wish more people saw it.

Heaney is on top playing for a prospect heavy organization and suspect now that he's out West with the Angels.

Grichuk was an after thought with the Angels but once he was traded for the Cardinals he was considered a huge find.

The farm system ranked dead last in baseball somehow manages to produce Trout, Calhoun, Conger, Cron, Richards, Shoemaker and Morin, all in a very short time frame.

The farm system with Heaney, Newcomb, Baldoquin, Tropeano, Bedrock, Kubitza and Yarbrough still is considered bottom of the barrel.

[John Smith]

Jim Callis @jimcallisMLB  Â·  4h 4 hours ago

Heaney, but still have hope for Skaggs too. @helloduwag26: who do you like more heaney or Skaggs? @Angels

[Butcher'd]

The Angels are a bottom of the barrel farm system still. Not as bad as the last 3 years, but very much in the 21-26 range I'd say

[QuinlansMinion]

People that rank farm systems are hilarious.  For all we know, the worst farm system could turn out to be the best farm system.  Im pretty sure nobody looked at Matt Shoemaker in our farm system and thought hey maybe this guy could go 16-4 in his first season in the big leagues.

 

We have a lot of great prospects, and who knows maybe some more Shoemaker's waiting in the wings.  All this farm system rankings stuff is hogwash.  
 

And theres my rant for the day.