Josh Smith
Smith is off to a slow start in Pensacola. In his first two starts he threw 5.2 innings combined with 11 earned runs, 15 hits, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. He rebounded in his most recent start going 5 full innings with just 2 earned, 2 runs, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. I went back and watched his first and last starts this week. His fastball velocity is down a little bit from where reports were on him last season and where he was in Dayton two years ago. He is throwing 86-89 so far this year where he was 88-91 in the past. In the first game he really struggled to locate his fastball with anything resembling consistency. In the last start, he was able to locate his fastball more consistently, but when he did miss, like in his first start, he was missing up in the zone. At 86-89 MPH he simply can’t miss up in the zone and get away with it. I can’t be sure that he was throwing two breaking balls, but it looked like it. One was more of a traditional looking curveball, while the other one looked like a slurve that swept across the zone. Both pitches kept hitters off balance with only a lone exception that got crushed as it broke over the middle of the plate. He also threw a nice looking change up that he sells nicely.
David Vidal
I didn’t take a chance to look at him offensively, but while watching Josh Smith’s two starts I couldn’t help but notice three different “highlight reel” plays made by Vidal. I have said it before, but will say it again: Every time that I see him play he makes at least one of those types of plays. His glove is good, but his reaction time is even more impressive. The guy can flat out get it done at third base.
Ismael Guillon
In his most recent start Ismael Guillon walked 9 batters and threw 5 wild pitches. I didn’t see the game, but I heard from a source who was there that Joe Hudson saved plenty of other wild pitches as he bounced “over 20” pitches in front of the plate.
Chris Manno
The lefty has only appeared in three games this year and began the year on the DL with a strained back, so his stats need to be taken with a big grain of salt (as do most April stats). His fastball continues to show very nice movement, when coupled with his more unique mechanics (low arm slot, herky-jerky arm action). He would miss up in the zone when he did miss with the fastball, but was mostly at the knees with the pitch. The slider looked good on the night that I watched him throw with nice bite on it.
Mark Prior
Prior pitched twice in the last week. The first game had poor results as he allowed 4 runs in 0.2 innings. The second game was much better with a perfect inning along with a strikeout. In the first game he really struggled with his control and command. He struggled to find the strikezone, but when he was in the strikezone he was often missing up in the strikezone as well. The stuff itself looked good as his fastball had a bit of late movement on it and his curveball was 78-81 MPH and had nice, short breaking action on it. In the second game his control was much better, throwing only one “hit-me” pitch, a breaking ball that got lined to Kristopher Negron at third. His fastball was either at the knees, under the hands or high and outside.