Mom, what's a Ben Taylor?
- Thread starter Byrdbrain
- Start date
From a Mass Live https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.masslive.com/v1/articles/20186986/ben_taylor_boston_red_sox_pitc.amp article in Feb:
Well clearly I am a better fan than you because I saw his name in a box score a couple days ago and said, "Who the fuck is Ben Taylor?" then.
I for one am thrilled to know that Ben Taylor uses his legs. That differentiates him substantially from the non-ambulatory guys in our bullpen.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2017/4/1/15143514/rookie-ben-taylor-earns-place-in-boston-red-sox-bullpen has a writeup. More here.
Seems like he normally sits around 93 with the FB but has been clocked up to 96 in games. Scouting reports are pretty meh on his offspeed stuff (slider/changeup) but he's got good command and a deceptive delivery.
42/12 K/BB in Portland last year, 19/3 in spring training this year, 110/27 combined between single-A leagues. 1.14 WHIP for the minors combined, and pretty close to that at Portland and in spring training.
Seems like he normally sits around 93 with the FB but has been clocked up to 96 in games. Scouting reports are pretty meh on his offspeed stuff (slider/changeup) but he's got good command and a deceptive delivery.
42/12 K/BB in Portland last year, 19/3 in spring training this year, 110/27 combined between single-A leagues. 1.14 WHIP for the minors combined, and pretty close to that at Portland and in spring training.
I'm surprised so many people haven't heard of Taylor. He was one of the best MRs in the sox system last year and a 7th round pick. I guess he didn't jump up the prospect charts until this offseason after all the trades, but he's top 25 on soxprospects now. Struck out 98 and walked 22 in 79 innings last year. He didn't miss a beat going from Salem to Portland either. He had a 1ip 6 h 6 ER 2 HR performance in Portland, but outside of that he pitched 33 innings of 1.91 era ball giving up 22 hits, 2hrs, 11bb and 41k.
Granted MR prospects are never going to get that much press. Are there any sites out there that show avg, OBP and slugging against for Minor League pitchers? And groundball rate? Taylor has avoided the HR ball for the most part but has a pretty bad GO/AO ratio. Curious to see if there were lots of doubles off him.
It's funny because I made a post a few days ago talking about how Ben Taylor and Sheppard would be in the bullpen mix this year at AAA and that Ben would probably start the season in AA because of the logjam of MR... they must really like what they see.
Granted MR prospects are never going to get that much press. Are there any sites out there that show avg, OBP and slugging against for Minor League pitchers? And groundball rate? Taylor has avoided the HR ball for the most part but has a pretty bad GO/AO ratio. Curious to see if there were lots of doubles off him.
It's funny because I made a post a few days ago talking about how Ben Taylor and Sheppard would be in the bullpen mix this year at AAA and that Ben would probably start the season in AA because of the logjam of MR... they must really like what they see.
True enough. That and there are 3-5 MRs ahead of him on the prospect list that people have never heard of either in Gerson Bautista, Luis Ysla, etc. Add in the fact he's throwing harder than before and I guess he's easy to overlook.
Oddly enough, 31st is Yankory Pimentel who has the stuff to be a lights out reliever but isn't close to harnessing it. He did take a step forward last year but he's old and running out of time.
This thread has taught me that Ben Taylor is a potentially useful arm.
And that the "Justin Thomas" font is no more. This is a black day for baseball.
And that the "Justin Thomas" font is no more. This is a black day for baseball.