Comments on: Quick hits from Cedar Rapids

By: erik

erik — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:46:23 +0000

maybe a little, but i think he’ll always be below average in that regard.

By: cariocacardinal

cariocacardinal — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:40:35 +0000

Stidman = Rod Carew with a little more crouch?

By: Grant

Grant — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:36:40 +0000

Is Nieto throwing a 4- or 2-seam fastball? If he has below average FB velocity, you would have to think they will eventually stress throwing a two-seamer.

@Scott – Not really. Stidham isn’t crouched quite that low and he is very wide open, where Bagwell wasn’t. I’m having trouble coming up with a hitter whose stance compares to Stidham’s.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:29:28 +0000

Would Jeff Bagwell’s stance be a good comparison for Stidham’s?

By: JC

JC — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:15:33 +0000

Typically at that age (and it varies for different players) your getting close to maxing out. So at best you can think he might gain another 1-2 MPH avg on his fastball. So regardless his FB will never be anything more than avg. But the key to any fastball that is not upper 90′s is the movement…so if Erik is right and his FB has very little movement then it will be hard to imagine him having much success as he tries to climb the system ladder unless his offspeed pitches continue to develop and he keeps pinpoint control. But nothing more than an avg prospect at best.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:17:45 +0000

Thanks for the scouting report on Nieto. Since he’s only 19, could his velocity increase as he ages?