Can someone help me on the whole Pawelek fiasco?

[RammyFanny]

Can someone give me a quick reason why everyone is so down on Pawelek (including whatever injuries he's been plagued by)? He was obviously young coming out of highschool, and I see in 05 he started, and pitched good (2.70 ERA---1.07 WHIP). In 2006, he started, and pitched pretty good (2.66 ERA--1.26 WHIP). In 07, he came out of the bullpen the whole year and sucked. He's still only 21 for most of next season. What's the reason he came out of the pen to start 07 again (out of shape was it?), and why for some reason am I remembering a bad rep on him before the 07 season, even though he pitched pretty good before that?

 

 

BTW, I remember the whole tripping over his playstation story and breaking his off arm, but I don't exactly remember when.

[Guest]

The Playstation injury was in July 2007, right before he was supposed to go to Boise. He broke his right (non-throwing) arm and it wasn't that serious. Otherwise, he's had no injury problems. He did show up out of shape before the 2006 season...which is why he got stuck in extended spring training/Boise that year.

 

The reason he came out of the pen in Peoria in 2007 was because of his horrendous control. He's been having major mechanical problems which have resulted in his bad control. Until he gets his arm slot figured out, it looks like he's going to struggle in full season. Oneri was talking him up saying he had figured out an arm slot in instructs. I'll believe it when I see it.

[Outshined_One]

His stuff has also gone flying out the window. The guy was supposed to have dynamite stuff and move quickly coming out of the draft. When he began his career in the Cubs' organization in the AZ League, everyone was praising his stuff and thought he'd be a likely bet to start 2006 in Peoria. BA named him the #1 prospect in the AZ League, allowing him to beat out Nick Adenhart for the honor.

 

Since then, though, his stuff has taken a huge step back. It'd be one thing if he were out of shape, had bad mechanics, and still had pretty good stuff...but that just isn't the case.

[Guest]

Nothing is wrong with his arm though. I think better mechanics --> a return to better stuff. That was the case in 2006 with Boise.

[RammyFanny]

Any early indication on if he'll start next year or come out of the pen (probably too early to tell)?

 

CR, when were these instructionals that Oneri said he's fixed the slot problem?

[Guest]

Any early indication on if he'll start next year or come out of the pen (probably too early to tell)?

 

CR, when were these instructionals that Oneri said he's fixed the slot problem?

 

It was in fall instructs (third page of this thread). Here's a link to the story itself.

 

It's too early to tell but I think it comes down to how he does in March at Fitch. If he has improved his control/mechanics, I can't see how he doesn't make the Peoria rotation.

[snoodmonger]

when you say he's lost his "stuff," are we talking velocity, break on his breaking balls, control? All of the above?

 

A loss of velocity can obviously be attributed to mechanics, but it can also mean something worse, so I'm hoping that at least stayed consistent.

[Banedon]

As a guy that only ventures into the minor league forum once every leap year or so, can someone tell me how this guy injured himself with a playstation?

[Guest]

when you say he's lost his "stuff," are we talking velocity, break on his breaking balls, control? All of the above?

 

A loss of velocity can obviously be attributed to mechanics, but it can also mean something worse, so I'm hoping that at least stayed consistent.

 

Loss of velocity (92-94 pre-draft and Mesa to upper 80s) and a major loss of control (he's never had good control though).

 

As a guy that only ventures into the minor league forum once every leap year or so, can someone tell me how this guy injured himself with a playstation?

 

He supposedly tripped over it while getting some water at night and broke his non-throwing arm.

[Banedon]

He supposedly tripped over it while getting some water at night and broke his non-throwing arm.

 

Thanks. I guess the moral of the story is don't store your PS in the middle of the room.

[craig]

Velocity is way down, control is way down, and the breaking stuff seems very inconsistent. I agree it could be mechanics, but there is a good chance that his arm isn't what it was. That's often injury. And sometimes the physical maturation that can give many pitchers more velocity and many hitters more power can tighten the arm and cost other pitchers arm speed and velocity. Who knows.

 

But I'm somewhat skeptical that it's totally mechanics. If you've got the arm to throw 94, I'd expect that even if your mechanics were messed up that sometimes just by mistake you'd gun some 94's. If you're averaging 87 but throwing 10% in the 92-95 range, that sounds like inconsistent mechanics that can't consistently do it right. But it seems somewhat unlikely that scouts should see you three games straight without hitting 91, and attribute it all to bad mechanics and suggest your a mechanics adjustment from 94.

 

I also think it's easily plausible that he could be in relief again. There are lots of lefty relievers who throw in the upper 80's. If there isn't some reason to think that he's turned some switch, why wouldn't they keep him in relief?

[Guest]

He supposedly tripped over it while getting some water at night and broke his non-throwing arm.

 

Thanks. I guess the moral of the story is don't store your PS in the middle of the room.

 

If you believe the story.

 

Craig, Pawelek would get into the low 90s once in a while in Boise last season (I remember he topped out at 93 in one outing on the road) which is what makes me think (hope?) it might not be injury/general loss of velocity.