Troy Taylor is an under-the-radar pitcher to maintain your eye on within the Seattle Mariners system. A 22-year-old right-hander who was taken within the twelfth spherical of the 2022 draft out of the College of California Irvine, Taylor impressed evaluators within the Arizona Fall League with a two-pitch combine that has him well-positioned for a future function as a big-league reliever.
“I’m an enormous fan of what he can do athletically, as a mover,” stated a scout I spoke to. “His stuff is sweet. He’s a man who in all probability leads to the bullpen with the Mariners, and sooner moderately than later.”
He’s already come a good distance. Taylor was an infielder at Rancho Cucamonga’s Los Osos Excessive Faculty, and when he did sometimes take the mound — “I closed a few instances” — all he actually did was throw as laborious he might. It wasn’t till he obtained to Cyprus Junior Faculty, after which to UC-Irvine, that he “really began studying learn how to pitch.”
Taylor has understandably discovered much more in regards to the nuances of his craft since signing with Seattle, however he nonetheless stays something however a technician. Topping out at 98 mph and sometimes averaging “5 and a few change,” he nonetheless tries to throw his heater as laborious as he can. He identifies as an influence pitcher.
Including a 3rd pitch is a purpose — the Mariners have him engaged on a changeup to make use of in opposition to left-handed hitters — however his fastball-slider mixture will at all times be his bread and butter. The previous isn’t solely his greatest pitch, it has distinctive traits.
“I’ve a whole lot of run on my fastball,” defined Taylor. “I throw with 4 seams, nevertheless it comes out with about 16-to-20 inches of run. Technically it tags as a sinker, however I throw a four-seam fastball. I feel the run comes from my decrease arm slot. I don’t attempt to make it run, it simply comes from my pure slot.”
His complementary providing grades out as solid-plus and is modeled after the one thrown by a younger Mariners reliever who logged a 34.7% strikeout charge final 12 months.
“We’ve been attempting to shoot for sweep on my slider,” Taylor advised me. “The purpose is 85 [mph] with low teenagers of sweep within the zone. That’s the largest a part of it, throwing it laborious and within the zone. They train us the Matt Brash spiked slider, so I’m throwing that one.”
Taylor had a 31.0% strikeout charge to go along with a 3.38 ERA over 45-and-a-third innings this previous season between Low-A Modesto and Excessive-A Everett.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Charles Johnson went 6 for 8 in opposition to Wayne Gomes.
John Roseboro went 10 for 23 in opposition to Catfish Hunter.
Earl Battey went 11 for 23 in opposition to Paul Foytack.
Roy Campanella went 15 for 32 in opposition to Hoyt Wilhelm.
Elston Howard went 25 for 65 in opposition to Juan Pizarro.
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HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS HOWARD-HOMER BONUS
Ryan Howard went 6 for 9 with 5 residence runs vs Braden Looper.
Frank Howard went 5 for six with 4 residence runs vs Larry Sherry.
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One other pitcher who impressed within the Arizona Fall League has been flying each bit as far under the radar because the aforementioned Troy Taylor.
“The pitching right here — particularly the beginning pitching — hasn’t been all that nice lately,” a scout advised me. ‘However there are some arms that make you go, ‘OK, that man might be going to be within the huge leagues.’ One in every of them is Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa. “That have a look at the all-star sport was like, ‘Whoa, that fastball has obtained severe life. He turned me on.”
A 23-year-old right-hander whom the Texas Rangers took within the thirtieth spherical of the 2019 draft, Hoopii-Tuionetoa retired all three batters he confronted within the Fall Stars Recreation, two through strikeout. All advised, the Wailuku, Hawaii native made 9 appearances within the AFL, logging 10 strikeouts and permitting simply 4 hits over nine-and-two-thirds innings His regular-season numbers, which got here primarily on the two A-Ball ranges, included a 2.96 ERA and a 25.0% strikeout charge.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Hack Miller completed his transient big-league profession with a .444/.500/.788 slash line. On April 23, 1944, within the first of his 11 profession plate appearances, the right-handed-hitting backstop bashed an eighth-inning, three-run homer to present the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. On July 5 of the next 12 months, Miller went 3-for-4 in what could be last MLB sport because the Tigers topped the Boston Purple Sox 9-8. Detroit went on to win the 1945 World Collection in seven video games over the Chicago Cubs.
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A quiz:
4 gamers logged greater than 1,700 hits within the Nineteen Nineties. Craig Biggio and Tony Gwynn have been two. Who have been the others? (a touch: they have been teammates for one season, however not in that decade.)
The reply might be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Present Ngoepe has been employed to handle the Diamondbacks’ Arizona Advanced League affiliate. The 33-year-old native of Pietersburg, South Africa performed in 28 video games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017 and in 13 video games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.
The Seattle Mariners have employed Danny Farquhar to the place Main League Pitching Strategist/Assistant Pitching Coach. The 36-year-old former big-league reliever, who suffered a ruptured mind aneurysm whereas pitching for the Chicago White Sox in 2018, mentioned his transition from participant to educate in my November 21, 2021 Sunday Notes column.
Mike McCarthy will probably be serving because the pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers, this coming season. The 36-year-old erstwhile minor-league hurler was the Oakland A’s bullpen coach final season.
Bud Harrelson, a switch-hitting shortstop who performed for the New York Mets from 1965-1977 earlier than ending his profession with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers, died on Thursday at age 79. Recognized primarily for his protection, Harrelson slashed .236/.327/.288 with an 80 wRC+ and 19.1 WAR.
Billy Gardner, an infielder who performed for 5 groups from 1954-1963 and later managed the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas Metropolis Royals, died earlier this week at age 96. The Waterford, Connecticut native was a part of two World Collection championship groups, the 1954 New York Giants and the 1961 New York Yankees.
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The reply to the quiz is Mark Grace and Rafael Palmeiro, who performed along with the Chicago Cubs in 1988.
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A number of days in the past I ran a Twitter ballot — this with a caveat that numbers aren’t the whole lot — asking if Pie Traynor needs to be within the Corridor of Fame. Inducted in 1948, the longtime Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman completed with 2,416 hits, 58 residence runs, a 107 wRC+, and 37.9 WAR over a profession that spanned the 1920-1937 seasons.
The ballot outcomes have been something however favorable. Solely 37.6% of the individuals who voted really feel that Traynor belongs, whereas 62.4% are of the opinion that he doesn’t. Depend me among the many minority. Placing his profession and the evolution of the sport into context, the Framingham, Massachusetts native is a clear-cut Cooperstown-worthy choice.
Do Traynor’s numbers pale compared to these of different Corridor of Fame third basemen, to not point out various notables who’re on the surface wanting in (howdy Sal Bando, Buddy Bell, Ken Boyer, and Graig Nettles)? Certainly. However once more, context is required. Throughout his time, and for roughly twenty years to comply with, Traynor was thought of by many to be the most effective third baseman in baseball historical past. A lot for that cause, in 1948 he grew to become the primary at that place to be voted into the Corridor of Fame by the BBWAA (Jimmy Collins, who performed from 1895-1908, was elected through the Veterans Committee in 1945).
Traynor’s B-Ref bio web page informs that he “was usually thought of the most effective the game produced from 1876-1950,” whereas his glorious SABR Bio Undertaking biography, penned by James Forr, echoes these phrases with “individuals as soon as known as Traynor the most effective third baseman in historical past.”
Once more, Traynor’s numbers — actually by trendy requirements — don’t again up his inclusion. That stated, his popularity and fame inside the context of his profession very a lot do. That ought to positively matter.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Lachlan Wells fanned 14 batters whereas permitting simply two hits over six innings for the Australian Baseball League’s Adelaide Giants in a 4-0 win over the Sydney Blue Sox on Thursday. The 26-year-old left-hander, who’s 6-0 with a 0.63 ERA on the season, signed a minor-league take care of the Philadelphia Phillies final weekend.
Quincy Latimore is slashing .307/.389/.425 and has gone deep twice in 144 plate appearances with Adelaide. The 34-year-old outfielder has performed in 2,000 skilled video games, together with 1,118 stateside in affiliate ball, and has 1,900 hits.
Matt Davidson has signed with the KBO’s NC Dinos. The 32-year-old former MLB infielder spent final season with NPB’s Hiroshima Carp.
NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars have signed Anthony Kay. The 28-year-old left-hander pitched for each the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets final season.
Miller Hogan has a 1.10 ERA to go along with 30 strikeouts and simply two walks in 32-and-two-thirds innings for the Puerto Rican Winter League’s Gigantes de Carolina. The 27-year-old right-hander pitched within the Tampa Bay Rays group from 2018-2022 earlier than spending 2023 with the impartial American Affiliation’s Kansas Metropolis Monarchs.
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Left on the cutting-room ground from my Victor Scott II interview that ran right here at FanGraphs on Tuesday was what he advised me a couple of favourite passion. Not his burgeoning rap profession — that was the interview topic — however moderately his expertise with a sport whose all-time greats embody Earl Anthony and Pete Weber. The 22-year-old St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect is a kegler.
“I’ve labored at a bowling alley since I used to be round 14 or 15,” defined Scott, who grew up in Atlanta. “My dad was a safety guard at Midtown Bowl, and his hours have been 12am to 3am each Saturday evening. He’d say, ‘Hey, if you wish to make a little bit little bit of lunch cash, include me.’ Whereas I used to be there, I might do some bowling.”
Scott began getting extra severe in regards to the sport final offseason. Not solely did he buy two bowling balls — “a strike one and a spare one” — in addition to his personal sneakers and bag, he started educating himself on “the oil patterns and the boards, sort of changing into a scientist within the bowling sport.”
The speedy fly-chaser hadn’t but bowled a 300 on the time we spoke, though he had scored as excessive as 250. His latest scores included a 215 and a 211, so by his personal admission he’s no Mookie Betts.
“I feel Mookie is like 250 to 270 persistently, so I’m not at his degree,” stated Scott. “At the least not but, Perhaps sometime.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy wrote about Australia native Luisa Gauci, whom the Milwaukee Brewers have employed as a hitting coach for his or her Arizona Advanced League affiliate.
Miranda Remaklus of Redbird Rants wonders why the St. Louis Cardinals miscommunicate harm points with the fanbase.
The Rating’s Travis Sawchik regarded again at Chicago’s Comiskey Park and the retro constructing increase.
The KBO will probably be instituting a number of rule adjustments within the upcoming season, certainly one of which is robotic umpires. Jee-ho Yoo has the story at Yonhap Information Company.
Gene Baker grew to become the primary Black supervisor for an affiliated minor league staff when he took the reins of the New York-Penn League’s Batavia Pirates on June 19, 1961. Ben Blumenu wrote about it for SABR’s Recreation Undertaking.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Jackie Robinson slashed .349/.468/.462 with 40 stolen bases for the Montreal Royals in his lone minor league season.
Satchel Paige went 11-4 with a 1.86 ERA over 111 innings for the Triple-A Worldwide League’s Miami Marlins in 1956. He did so in his age-50 season.
Dan Uggla’s 190 residence runs from 2006-2011 have been essentially the most from a second baseman over that six-year span. His 425 walks have been additionally essentially the most at his place.
Luis Arraez is 16 for 27 with two residence runs and three walks in 30 plate appearances at Nationals Park.
David Wright had 6,872 PAs, 1,777 hits, 2.945 whole bases, and 51.2 WAR.
Manny Machado has 6,874 PAs, 1,737 hits, 3,045 whole bases, and 50.2 WAR.
Nellie Fox acquired 74.7% of the vote in his fifteenth and last 12 months of BBWAA Corridor of Fame eligibility. Twelve years later, in 1997, the longtime Chicago White Sox second baseman was voted in by the Veteran’s Committee.
On at the moment’s date in 1963, the Baltimore Orioles acquired Luis Aparicio and Al Smith from the Chicago White Sox in change for Hoyt Wilhelm, Pete Ward, Ron Hansen, and Dave Nicholson. Aparicio gained a pair of Gold Gloves, swiped 166 bases, and gained a World Collection in his 5 seasons as an Oriole. Wilhelm had 41 wins, 99 saves, and a 1.92 ERA in his six seasons on the South Facet.
Edwin Jackson was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Tampa Bay Rays on at the moment’s date in 2006. The appropriate-hander, whom the Dodgers had drafted in June 2001, subsequently modified organizations 17 extra instances through commerce or free company earlier than pitching his final big-league sport in 2019.
Gamers born on at the moment’s date embody Terry Forster, a left-handed pitcher who logged 54 wins and 127 saves whereas showing in 614 video games for 5 completely different groups from 1971-1986. The most effective hitting pitchers in historical past, Forster slashed .397/.413/.474 over 86 plate appearances. He went 1-for-1 on 19 completely different events.
Additionally born on at the moment’s date was Smead Jolley, a prolific hitter who is taken into account to have been one of many worst defensive gamers in baseball historical past. The hulking slugger slashed .305/.343/.478 over 1,815 big-league plate appearances with the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Purple Sox from 1930-1933, whereas his numbers within the Pacific Coast League have been that of legend. Within the four-year span that preceded his time within the American League, Jolley batted a cumulative .385 with 138 residence runs for the San Francisco Seals. After washing out of MLB as a consequence of his defensive ineptitude, he returned to the PCL and batted .366 with 52 residence runs for the Hollywood Stars over the following two seasons.