Derek
Table Setter
- Joined
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Narrator: That was not the caseCan they get spin rates on high school pitchers? Are they allowed to bring them to a facility equipped with the required high speed cameras?
Spin rates aren't everything - look at Phil Maton.
"[Phil Maton’s] fastball ranked in the 99th percentile and his curve in the 84th percentile [in spin rate] last season.
The spin helped the curve. The fastball not so much. Last year the opposition hit .135 (5-for-37) against Maton’s curve. They hit .329 (26-for-76) against his fastball." = Hoynes
It would be interesting to do a study and see what percentage of TOR starters were drafted out of HS vice college. My guess is that the really elite arms got drafted so high out of HS that it didn't make sense to turn down the money and go to college. If that's the case then college pitchers are higher floor/lower ceiling guys.
I'm not saying that spin rate is everything, but something needs to really pop off the page to warrant taking a HS pitcher anywhere in the first few rounds otherwise, the decision-making process is flawed and we're taking unnecessary risks. There needs to be something that the Indians think they've keyed in on that tells them "this guy is closer to Josh Beckett than Mike Stodolka or Matt Hobgood".
Also, of course, they're getting spin rates on HS pitchers. These kids go to dozens of exposure camps with that kind of tech available.