Is it common to have three guys with live arms the variety of Bibee, Williams, and Espino all coming up so tightly packed? What’s an example elsewhere in MLB of three true FOR types all coming up at the same time in the past 5-10 years?
I know Espino is behind the curve with the injury, but realistically, all three of them could be ready for MLB in ‘24(not saying they will all break camp)
And then in terms of potential top of rotation stuff, is there anyone coming behind them in the lower levels that has stuff potentially on par with those three?
I don't recall three coming up very often at the same time... Maybe Zito, Hudson and Mulder of the A's in 99/2000? It's not common though I can tell you that much... Tigers trio of Mize, Skubal and Manning was supposed to a set, but they have been a flop in that type of sense overall.
Allen is still ranked via some sites as a top 100, so he's kind of there (I think he gets his debut before the trio cause of AAA experience).
Behind them at the moment... Campbell, we haven't see yet, and Messick has been good but he doesn't have the ceiling upside. His floor is a lefty Eli Morgan so I see him making the bigs at least as a reliever. Cantillo, is like Morris, great stuff but has been injury prone. Burns is another in the mix, but sounds like more a reliever, swing man in the future if he doesn't get his health and velocity back 100%. Nikhazy is more secondary stuff than fastball so he's not the easiest to predict when it comes to the bigs. Hankins, we don't really know what he is yet. He's still got a great ceiling on paper, but we don't know who he is right now after Tommy John.
So on paper, Campbell may be the only one with enough possible upside/ceiling to get to that type of ranking.
@Tondo @Gson
How is the class looking overall with the college pitchers compared to the hitters right now? I feel like last season we couldn't skip on one of those hitters early...
Cleveland is going to try to find guys to add to Campbell and try and find the Bieber/Bibee in the draft. Draft though is BPA of the guys you feel like you can sign in a sense (though from what Bimbo hinted at, and I am reading the hint right, it sounded like, this class isn't as strong as last years).