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Graceffo just doesn’t look like the same pitcher since after his injury last season. I’m no expert, but there’s just something off when I watch him. I’m concerned. Highly. His attitude seems different too.
Hjerpe is also pitching tonight. I like watching him. He can be a little wild but his pitch is just so deceptive coming from his arm slot. I think if he refines the control a little and stays healthy (that 2nd one is a huge IF for him) then he could be really good.
I’m also trying to keep an eye on Roby tonight too. But 3 games is tough!
Windy game at Hammons field tonight. Roby is really racking up the K’s. 8 of them through 4 innings so far. He looks like he belongs in Memphis now. It just took him a bit to get everything working together again. His curveball is so exciting – especially the way it plays off his fastball.
Just to add on here – I also got to see Alec Willis pitch for my first time. Normally Palm Beach games aren’t televised and Willis has been hurt for something like the last decade. Or it feels that way anyway. First off, he’s really tall. I knew this. But it was still interesting to see. He looks like a young Wainwright. His pitches looked sharp too. Good movement and several different pitches getting mixed in. He struck out a couple batters in the inning I watched. I think there’s hope for him. He has some development catchup to do. But he was drafted very young.
I’m curious to see how the AAA rotation shakes out. Seems to me Robberse has to start. Robberse is a 22 year old who has a sub-1 WHIP and sub-2 ERA in his first four starts this year, with over a K an inning. I don’t want to get too excited. Maybe AAA catches up to him soon. But I’d hate to see him not continue to get starts. After that it’s murkier for me, though I’ve long wondered if Pallante’s stuff would play better as a starter than a reliever, and I’m inclined to see if Thompson can reclaim the velocity on his fastball, so those are my next two favorites to have AAA rotation spots. Graceffo, Kloffenstein, McGreevy, and Sanchez are more of a bunch for me. Hard to pick between those four.
On Thursday, the #STLCards system went 1-2. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach’s Kade Kretzschmar, reached base five times, drove in two and scored three runs. Other standouts: Thomas Saggese, Nick Raposo, Dakota Harris, Joshua Baez and Chase Adkison.… pic.twitter.com/AzeM3Ulkpg
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) April 26, 2024
RHP Andre Pallante, sent down by the #STLCards earlier this week, will make his first start for the @memphisredbirds Saturday afternoon, taking the rotation spot of RHP Victor Santos. The first 2024 Triple-A start for LHP Zack Thompson is still TBA.
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) April 26, 2024
Walker and Scott both on the bench for Memphis today.
Scott has played in three games and is 1 for 13, Walker has yet to play for Memphis.
Sem having a nice start again. In a SSS he’s been impressive, easily moved himself up on the ranking board in my mind.
Scott has definitely scuffled, but who knows if he’s just working on something specific, pissed about being sent down, fell into bad habits, etc….. time will tell. Great to see Saggese on the proper side of the .800 OPS mark as well.
Shady said:
They’d be as good as what the big club currently has going against MLB pitching.
Memphis’ offense is 20th (last) in the International League in runs scored and OBP and in the bottom five in every major hitting category. Be very careful what you ask for…
We know Scott can hit in the Texas League. The same can be said for lots of guys who never hit much above AA or AAA. No telling if he will be able to play ML ball.
Walker seems to be very vulnerable to pitching strategies employed against him.He doesn’t seem able to adjust at all. Maybe he is not well prepared as to the mental aspect of the game. Its 90% mental after all.
Mighty Quinn Mathews struck out 13 against 0 walks for Palm Beach tonight. Best performance this season by a minor league starter
If Gameday is accurate, Mathews was sitting at 92/93, with one pitch that was 96. So maybe they’ve coaxed a little more zip out of his fastball. His change up had a lot swing and misses too.
I watched Mathews on GameDay as well. He looked consistently with his fastball at 94-95. Looked like he was changing speeds effectively with his offspeed stuff around 79-83.
Pretty sure he is ready to be challenged at a higher level
The #STLCards system was 2-3 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach LHS Quinn Mathews, pitched six scoreless innings on three hits with 13 Ks. Other standouts: Sem Robberse, Nick Dunn, R.J. Yeager, Leonardo Bernal and Trey Paige. https://t.co/CRClxpWMHt pic.twitter.com/8HN9hgos69
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) April 27, 2024
We have 3 starters under contract for 2025 – Gray, Mikolas, and Matz. Lynn and Gibson have team options. How do you phase Robberse, Roby, Hence, and perhaps Mathews in over the next several years?
There can be no schedule. Their results will indicate when they are ready. So far, Robberse is closest but even he has only 65 career Triple-A innings. Hence pitched into the sixth inning for the first time in his career, but then struggled the next time out, requiring 83 pitches to get just 10 outs. Through four starts, Roby has a 5.68 ERA that isn’t screaming “promotion”. Little steps.
Robberse is the only one likely to make an impact this year. Inevitably, one of our starters will likely get injured, and that will be Robberse’s chance to join the rotation.
Roby and Hence are both in AA. They are at least a year away. Hence will probably get a promotion to AAA when Robberse gets one to MLB.
Roby’s 5.68 ERA and 1.32 WHIP will have to decrease dramatically before he earns a promotion.
As you said, Lynn and Gibson have options for next year. If anyone at Memphis forces their way into the MLB rotation, the Cardinals can simply decline the options. But their contracts look like they were written such that the Cardinals will trade them at the deadline if they are out of contention, which will also unclog a path to MLB for the Memphis 8.
Mathews is at Palm Beach. Fitting him into the rotation isn’t even a consideration right now.
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