Baseball Beginnings

Posted By John Klima on November 22, 2009

Mike Minor has the right frame, a limber and relatively loose 6-3, 200-pound build that produces easy 90-91 fastball velocity with arm speed and room to add another mile or two. In other words, Minor still has some projection, which is a nice thing to find in a top shelf college left-hander from a recent draft. Too bad he didn’t bring what he showed in the bullpen before his AFL all-star start. I was standing above him in Surprise. Better view than any you’d get on TV.

Minor has arm power and strength, but his movement and command, not his velocity, are going to be his weapons.  I watched his bullpen and saw fastball command that is ready to be tested in the major leagues once he masters major league consistency. He threw two fastball variations in his pre-game, both of which will be weapons for him as a major leaguer.

Minor’s fastball has cut action on the right side of the plate, but it needs more power for it to be as effective a major league weapon as it can possibly be. He cuts the plate in half with a fastball with sinking action to the middle of the plate. Minor adores throwing his change-up, which in game was a steady 81, and will be a mainstay for him against right-handed hitters.

Minor’s non-televised bullpen was far better than his TV start, which was marked by over-striding created by overthrowing. Sometimes, a player’s mistakes give you a very interesting insight into what makes them good in the first place.

In Minor’s case, bad mistakes took away what he has that is good.

The home run Brandon Allen hit against him is an example. Allen is a strong left-handed hitter, but an incomplete overall hitter. He’s armsy and wants extension, because his hands don’t work well enough.

Minor overthrew and hung a fastball. He took away everything that got him there. In the words of a wise man or two, dance with the lady who brought you to the dance.

Minor did not bring his mechanics into this game with him and this is the mark of an inexperienced pro. The Braves have six starting pitchers signed for 2010, so Minor can have some minor league innings to weed out the mistakes that didn’t hurt as much in college.

These are not fatal flaws, but it would have been nice to see Minor pitch with his premier stuff.  One minor flaw that should be addressed is that Minor slightly hooks his wrist as he breaks his hands. It’s not very pronounced and you can’t see it on TV or on video, but it won’t help him hide the ball and will be a disadvantage his power will not afford him the luxury to continue in the major leagues.

I like Minor and I think he should become a quality No. 1 or No. 2 starter in time.

GRADES for November 7 bullpen and game outing:
Fastball velocity                55/60
Fastball command             45/55
Fastball movement           45/55
Change-up velocity          50/50
Change-up command      45/55
Change-up movement    45/55
Overall Future Potential:    55

What the Grades Mean

Categories: 2009 Draft, 2009 Minor Leagues
Tags: Atlanta Braves, Mike Minor, Vanderbilt