Hector Velazquez Starts Tonight...wait who?

[SouthernBoSox]

Intrigued to see Hector Velazquez. He has a very impressive breakout year last year and has followed that success into AAA. The story involves adding a splitter to his mix. His K rate has spiked big time and even more impressively he knows how to fill up the zone.

I expect him to come up and compete.

 

[shaggydog2000]

Intrigued to see Hector Velazquez. He has a very impressive breakout year last year and has followed that success into AAA. The story involves adding a splitter to his mix. His K rate has spiked big time and even more impressively he knows how to fill up the zone.

I expect him to come up and compete.

He has the worst K/9 of any Pawsox Pitcher who has thrown more than 10 innings, at 6.21 K/9, so I wouldn't expect a strikeout artist. On the plus side he doesn't walk that many people, and he isn't giving up hits down there either. His numbers are really similar to Kyle Kendrick, minus the home runs. We can hope that Velazquez' stuff translates better to the majors than Kendrick's did.

 

[patoaflac]

Theoretically he has a fastball, cut fastball, changeup and splitter. The splitter is his out pitch and all other pitches are not so good. I believe he could stick at MLB as a reliever (a la Koji); as a starter I don´t believe he will get past the fourth or fifth, but I'm no scout nor expert. Wish him the best.
Casil

 

[Darnell's Son]

Cuz wrote about Hector Velazquez and how he got to where he is now.

 

[Thetoddwalker]

I'm expecting 5 innings and 2-3 runs allowed. I am very happy that they are giving him a chance to show his stuff.

 

[streeter88]

If he were to give us 5 innings and 2-3 runs allowed that would represent a major win on that spot in the rotation lately. The bullpen has been lights out the last few nights, but is also tired from the extra innings. So I am hoping for 6 innings and that we are not more than 2 runs behind. I know that he can't help our hitters, but that's what I am hoping.

 

[chrisfont9]

He has the worst K/9 of any Pawsox Pitcher who has thrown more than 10 innings, at 6.21 K/9, so I wouldn't expect a strikeout artist. On the plus side he doesn't walk that many people, and he isn't giving up hits down there either. His numbers are really similar to Kyle Kendrick, minus the home runs. We can hope that Velazquez' stuff translates better to the majors than Kendrick's did.

Strangely his GO/FO ratio has kind of tanked now that he's stateside. It got as high as 1.96 in Mexico but is under 1 for his AAA season. Small sample though.

 

[JBJ_HOF]

Oakland hit .429/.478/.952 off of him.

 

[gryoung]

Well, his stuff didn't play so well last night in Oakland. Maybe it was just jitters. Maybe the team was tired from the late night flight. Maybe he got some bad breaks. Maybe he just sucks.

But, this is America. The land of second chances.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Oakland hit .429/.478/.952 off of him.

We need 2-3 more seasons of data before we can truly know who he is

 

[shaggydog2000]

Unfortunately that Kyle Kendrick comp was right. Turns out he's basically the same dude just with a bunch of crap tattoos. The A's are not good, and they hammered his regular fastball and his off-speed stuff. Especially the off-speed stuff. Looks like his sinker did ok.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Well, his stuff didn't play so well last night in Oakland. Maybe it was just jitters. Maybe the team was tired from the late night flight. Maybe he got some bad breaks. Maybe he just sucks.

But, this is America. The land of second chances.

Speaking of second chances, every year I see Jed Lowrie I'm amazed he's still playing, and batting third in the order no less. And nailing a 418 foot homer to dead center. Velazquez, way to start your MLB career. That was his first game, right?

 

[Byrdbrain]

Yes and quite possibly his last.
He made it way farther than most but he sure as hell didn't look like he belonged.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Velazquez found out last night that one of the big differentiators between AAA and the bigs is that the guys in the bigs don't have a problem with the breaking ball.

I'm shocked to discover he had 7 swings and misses. It didn't look like he was fooling anyone at all.

 

[nvalvo]

Strangely his GO/FO ratio has kind of tanked now that he's stateside. It got as high as 1.96 in Mexico but is under 1 for his AAA season. Small sample though.

He's also thrown something like 350 IP without an offseason.

 

[PaulinMyrBch]

I was hoping he'd be the Mexican Jason Marquis. I was reaching apparently.

 

[DeadlySplitter]

If Price is ready for Fenway on Wednesday, he's going back down right away.

But Pomeranz is probably another DL stint waiting to happen soon. They could try him again...?

 

[patoaflac]

His repertoire is good for AAA but not the big leagues. I believe he has a good split and pitching coaches could help him perfection one other pitch, he could be a very good 7th or 8th inning guy. On his support, yes he has pitched all year long and maybe he was very nervous (he was living his big dream, and for some,it´s not so easy to adpat to another country quickly).

 

[simplicio]

His repertoire is good for AAA but not the big leagues.

God I wish this didn't apply to every damn pitcher we have in AAA.

 

[AB in DC]

Isn't that statement true for basically every AAA pitcher?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

For what we have now, yes. But some times teams have these things called "prospects" in AAA

 

[patoaflac]

The problem I see is that it could also apply to some of our MLB pitchers.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

For what we have now, yes. But some times teams have these things called "prospects" in AAA

TINSTAA something something.