The Blowfish: Pitching Rotation and Bullpen report

 

On paper this is a kind of bland pitching staff with no obvious strengths and weaknesses, but dig deeper and there's some big question marks and exciting pieces build on.  Overall rating is generally not a great grade to look at for anyone other than an ace and nowhere is that exemplified more than this crew.

Starting Rotation:

Ace RHP Wanda Dreggler leads the rotation with a 5 pitch arsenal that can mix movement and velocity effectively, but might lack effective lateral break against left handed hitting. With A+ control she can effectively paint the corners and throws with above average velocity and break. She's only 26 and is on a very organization friendly 8.6 million contract so there's some room to develop, but it's an open question as to whether she can become the true ace of a championship run.

Backing her up is Lad Bradwick, a right hander who has excellent measurables but is badly hurt by an extremely limited pitch selection. A 4 seam fastball that reaches the mid to upper 90's, a slider with good break, and changeup for the strikeout pitch. On their own these are good pitches but together it's the arsenal of a bullpen specialist, not a #2 starter on a great franchise. If he can add a screwball or cut fastball I might give him another look (no idea if developing new pitches is possible, but I really hope it becomes an option). At only 27 years old he does have some time but it won't be on my team.

Bartholomew Draculo stands at #3 and was really tailor made for that role. Typically the third pitcher is a stopper, able to hold the line when the team is on a losing streak and put up quality starts like a machine, giving the offense and bullpen a chance to reboot. At 32 years old Draculo serves as a veteran presence on a young rotation, but isn't so old that his fastball has lost any pop yet. Yet another right hander, Draculo can reach for a 4 pitch velocity based arsenal that includes 4 and 2 seam fastballs and can mix in a curveball and forkball for grounders and whiffs. With above average control and velocity that 2 seamer is probably going to work as a primary pitch with the 4 seam as an option for high strikeouts or overpowering weaker opponents. He is also on an extremely franchise friendly 6.8 million contract.

Last but certainly not least we have Shania Burns who I discussed a bit in the OP. The only left hander in this group, she's probably the most intriguing prospect long term. Though only rated a B overall I think she has the most intriguing pitch selection coupled with solid measurables and a friendly contract at 5.8 million. At just 29 years old she has a few seasons to improve those average velocity and junk stats and throws pitches that effectively mix speed and direction. She isn't there yet but definitely a piece worth holding onto. I think her ceiling is a number 2 or 3 starter on this rotation.

My biggest concern with Shania is the average break and velocity on her pitches. In SMB 2 control was one of the least important stats because there were no wild pitches, in fact low control could be a huge advantage because it made pitchers less predictable, even against the AI. She needs to pick junk or velocity and focus on building that to really achieve her potential, ideally up to about 70 for whichever program she ends up pursuing.

Bullpen:  

Julio Huper: At 42 years old, left handed closer Huper has seen significant drop off from his SMB 2 days where he and Joanna Heater made a tough setup/closer pair. While the effectiveness of his fastball arsenal was always based more on break and control than velocity, he's now hurling tailing fastballs in the mid to low 80's and a 4 seamer that tops out at 89. Sure he can still throw a 12-6 curve, but even with his propensity for strikeouts that's only going to last him so long. It's time to pass the torch and either move down to mid-inning reliever or retire after a solid career. When you've struck out the likes of Hammer Longballo, you've earned your day in the sun.

Joanna Heater: This right handed fireballer may only be rated a B- overall, but with 4 seam velocity approaching 100 mph and above average accuracy she can simply overpower opposing batters or toss in a changeup with a 15 mph drop off in speed, generating plenty of 8th and 9th inning strikeouts. She can also throw a curveball but with extremely poor break it should be used sparingly. Heater has dropped a small amount of velocity from her SMB 2 days but still stands as the highlight of this bullpen and most likely internal candidate to replace Huper at closer. Personally I think her skillset is best suited to 8th inning setup but she could be a bridge to finding a good free agent to close out games. She also isn't breaking the bank at 4.4 million.

Mindy Marshwater: On paper the weak link in this bullpen, she nonetheless merits some consideration for an intriguing pitch selection, club friendly contract at 2.8 million, and relative youth in a bullpen with an average age around 35. She isn't ever going to blow up radar guns throwing a high 80's - low 90's 4 seamer but is able to mix speeds with lateral and downward break with a screwball/curveball combination that somewhat offsets her poor break and velocity. Her control is approaching average, but with that selection of pitches if she gets behind in the count she could create a lot of walks or grooved home run balls. Best used for pitching matchups near the end of the order, but worth hanging onto as a developmental project, with better break on those pitches she could become a solid worker out of the pen.

Geoffrey Jenkins: Long reliever/spot starter, 38 year old right hander Jenkins serves as a solid veteran presence in most bullpens and could be a good mentor to Marshwater or whoever comes in to replace Huper. At 3.8 million he's a bit overpaid compared to Marshwater and throws a banal 4 seam, 2 seam, and slider combo that ideally would generate plenty of fly balls but, with sub par velocity, break, and accuracy could just as easily end up flying out of the park. For a championship run Jenkins could eat up unimportant innings and save the more important pieces like Huper and Heater for big innings, or he could cover injuries to starting pitchers to prevent going to a 3 man rotation, but if you've lost Dreggler or Draculo in a 7 game series then you've got some problems that Geoff Jenkins isn't going to be able to dig you out of. Frankly you're best off looking for a new long reliever even if you have to up the price point a little.