Garrett Richards

[Angel Oracle]

Counting on Skaggs for 2014 is wishful thinking IMO.

 

The Angels need to either trade or sign one of the remaining FA's for this starting rotation.

I can see Skaggs' MLB load being about 150-160 innings tops in 2014, and then hopefully 190 innings in 2015.

All the more reason to have a solid utility guy to take the rest of those starts.    

[UCLAngel]

A GREAT comp for Richards could well be a younger Justin Masterson.

In my mind, there's no such thing as a great comp (singular). You can't pick one guy out of thousands, say "these guys have similar stats," and call it a night. If your sample size isn't >10, I don't think the conclusion holds much weight.

These are so many more guys out there who don't magically find a strike out pitch after age 25. Hoping that GRich bucks that trend is great, but doesn't seem highly probable.

[mrwicked]

I'm scared if Weaver or Wilson gets injured. 

[Second Base]

I honestly have no idea where people get this idea that Richards lacks a third pitch.  Have they ever even seen the guy pitch?  Do they know what pitching is?

 

First Pitch: A 95-97 mph four seam fastball.  This is considered a "plus" pitch.

Second Pitch: A mid to high 80's slider.  This is considered a "plus" pitch.

Third Pitch: A two-seam fastball that has wild movement and sits at 91-93.  This is considered a "plus" pitch. 

Fourth Pitch: A NASTY 12-6 curve that he throws in the high 70's.  Makes hitters legs look like jello.  This is considered a "good" pitch.

Fifth Pitch: A change up with good movement in on RHB that he keeps low.  When thrown for a strike, this is a "good" pitch.

 

Richards doesn't have a third pitch.  He has a third, fourth and fifth pitch.  He'd be a better pitcher if he used his curve ball more. 

[jshep]

Well, Richards HAS pretty much been a two pitch pitcher in the majors.

[Docwaukee]

Well, Richards HAS pretty much been a two pitch pitcher in the majors.

not when he starts. 

 

everyone needs to check out his game logs. 

 

in both 2012 and 2013, he used fastball slider in relief appearances.  Yet when he started he also used his curve and change. 

 

He's got a difficult delivery to repeat and he's a slave to it.  In other words, you can see him trying to work thru his mechanics while he's on the mound in real games.  Once he gets more time and can just worry about pitching and not stridearmslotbalanceheadpositiontemposhiftdrivelegrearpocket all at once. 

 

It's like a golf swing. 

 

he has at least four major league quality pitches.  he got almost no college experience so when drafted, even though he was college aged, he was at the development stage slightly beyond high school.  He made about 2 years worth of starts in the minor over 5 levels in 4 years.  He's still developing big time. 

 

Even if he's league average or slightly worse this year, he will get better until he's 28/29. 

 

Also, have you seen some of the hitters look out at him after they whiff or look silly?  He's gets a ton of  'WTF was that' looks. 

 

He's got the best stuff in the org but he's far from the complete package. 

[Brent Maguire]

I'm shocked that Richards doesn't strike out more batters.

His fastball has unbelievable amounts of movement with cutting action or two seam action. The slider is very good. Curve ball has the classic 12-6 movement and is an above average pitch. And the changeup even looked good at times last year.

Command is obviously an issue but there are plenty of pitchers with bad command that still strike our batters.

If he has a GB% over 50 and a K/9 rate over 7 next year, that would be awesome.

[Second Base]

Richards will very likely will strike out more batters in the coming years.  His low K numbers so far have a lot to do with not being able to spot his pitches.  He tends to leave them up and over the plate where he can be hit.  But he's improving in this area every year.  I think that eventually he'll reach the point where he starts using his fastball, slider and curve in two-strike counts.  He'll blow them away with high heat, get them chasing on the slider or watch them fold with that 12-6.  

 

When he starts doing that, he'll be unstoppable. 

[Brent Maguire]

I'm not as high on him as you are Scotty but I'm a believer in Richards being a solid starter.

He should be a #4 that's cheap for the next few years and that has a lot of value.

[UCLAngel]

I honestly have no idea where people get this idea that Richards lacks a third pitch.  Have they ever even seen the guy pitch?  Do they know what pitching is?

 

First Pitch: A 95-97 mph four seam fastball.  This is considered a "plus" pitch.

Second Pitch: A mid to high 80's slider.  This is considered a "plus" pitch.

Third Pitch: A two-seam fastball that has wild movement and sits at 91-93.  This is considered a "plus" pitch. 

Fourth Pitch: A NASTY 12-6 curve that he throws in the high 70's.  Makes hitters legs look like jello.  This is considered a "good" pitch.

Fifth Pitch: A change up with good movement in on RHB that he keeps low.  When thrown for a strike, this is a "good" pitch.

 

Richards doesn't have a third pitch.  He has a third, fourth and fifth pitch.  He'd be a better pitcher if he used his curve ball more.

If you look at pitchfx his different fastballs all have very similar velocity. His cutter can be devastating but he doesn't throw it as much because he can lose his release point. Really he has two speed, which I think is so much more important than "pitches." If his cutter or two seamer was substantially different in speed, then they would be infinitely more effective. As is, he really throw 2 pitches a majority of the time: a fastball that averages 94 mph (regardless of how it "moves") and a slider. He needs that change to start working.

[LAAMike]

Thanks for the link to the blog, Inside Pitch.  Equally weighting ERA, WHIP and K/BB and using the last chart, our staff consists of the following:  Weaver - 1.167, CJ - 3, GR - 4, Santiago - 3.67 and Skaggs - 4.5.  Obviously small sample size in some cases but this method does put our pitchers in some perspective. 

[LAAMike]

Using the stats from the blog Inside Pitch provided, other pitchers would be:  Blanton - 4.16, Arroyo - 2.5, Capuano - 3.5,

AJ Burnett - 3.16, U Jimenez - 3.33 and Malholm - 4.33.  Using these very incomplete stats and rankings (although they are at least based on something)

it would seem to indicate that Chuck is right and Malholm should be avoided and Arroyo looks to be heads and shoulders the best alternative.

[YouthofToday]

I don't see why we should state Skaggs might not be ready this year. If he doesn't out it together by the All-star break his future outlook is incredibly negative IMO.

[Brent Maguire]

I don't see why we should state Skaggs might not be ready this year. If he doesn't out it together by the All-star break his future outlook is incredibly negative IMO.

The only way to find out how good Skaggs is by giving him starts at the big league level. 

 

Hopefully he gets anywhere from 15-25 starts so we can see what he is. 

[Blarg]

I don't see why we should state Skaggs might not be ready this year. If he doesn't out it together by the All-star break his future outlook is incredibly negative IMO.

By the All Star break he will be celebrating his 22nd birthday. At age 22 Cliff Lee was still in the minors.

[YouthofToday]

By the All Star break he will be celebrating his 22nd birthday. At age 22 Cliff Lee was still in the minors.

One case study = insufficient sample size.

[Blarg]

What is your required sample size, >10?

[floplag]

What is your required sample size, >10?

 

thats what she said? 

 

sorry, too easy i know

[tdawg87]

I think Gio Gonzalez is a good comp for Skaggs, although Skaggs is younger than Gio was when he made his debut. Gonzalez didn't really break out until his first full season in the bigs, in which he was 24 years old.

[Angel Oracle]

By the All Star break he will be celebrating his 22nd birthday. At age 22 Cliff Lee was still in the minors.

What some forget is that Lee was a late bloomer, not being a rotation regular until his age 25/26 season in 2004 with a +5.00 ERA.

After his first solid season came at age 26/27 in 2005, he slumped in 2006 and 2007 and didn't truly blossom to where he is now until his age 29/30 season in 2008. 

 

Skaggs isn't far from being ready.  

He's doing just fine for his age, just needs to re-tweak his starting position on the delivery some.

 

The potential of a Weaver/Wilson/Richards/Santiago/Skaggs rotation is miles ahead of the potential in the start of 2013 season rotation.   It might take until the 2015 season to get there, but it is intriguing. 

Edited January 31, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Mark68]

If Howie isn't traded for another starting pitcher before the season, I expect it to happen by July 31, unless Skaggs and Santiago step up (which they are more than capable of doing). I just don't see Richards as a legit starter without a third pitch. He might be a more than capable pen arm though.

[Second Base]

He has a 3rd pitch. In fact it's a "plus" pitch. Where are you getting this from? Saying Rivhards lacks a 3rd pitch is like saying Weaver isn't deceptive enough on RHB. Crazy kids.

[tdawg87]

To be fair I think it's because he only really throws 2 pitches as a reliever, which is what we have seen a lot of from him.

[TroutAdell]

I think everyone is jumping the gun. I want to see Richards pitch in the spring then base my decision on that. Young pitchers can develop. Given that he got a number of starts last season I think he will improve. Of course, Butcher is the elephant in the room. I sure wish he has been replaced then I would feel better for the entire staff.

[Blarg]

You may have jumped the gun on that screen name.