I was intrigued with him for many reasons. One, I was an A's fan. But as a 'baseball fan,' I couldn't wait to see this stud...if he threw 95-98, he must be UNHITTABLE!
How could this have happened?
Well, lets think about it a little deeper. Baseball is a very difficult sport. REALLY difficult.
As a pitcher, a "can't miss prospect" must usually learn a 3rd pitch. And he must learn command. Add onto that, he must learn the "art" of pitching...how to effectively get hitters off balance. 95 mph alone is a tool, it qualifies you as an apprentice...but you're no journeyman or craftsman until years of training (2-5 at best).
As a hitter, a "can't miss prospect" has to learn how to hit the off-speed stuff with regularity and authority. Hitting 95 mph fastballs may qualify you as an apprentice...but years of training and climbing the ladder are also required.
I "knew" all of this in theory...I believed the experts. But I now "know" it. I've watched well over 100 high-D1 college baseball games in the last 1.5 years and I now "know" that 90+ mph from the bump won't cut it even with the 9-hitter unless you've got something else. Throwing off a hitter's timing is IMPERATIVE and when you don't, you pay for it. And many say high-D1 is better than rookie...more like low-A, maybe high-A depending on the teams in the game. So even then, you've got a minimum of 3 more levels to master the craft of pitching if you just want to be a 'journeyman' MLB pitcher.
Hitters at high-D1 who can only hit a fastball are in trouble too. For the first time in their lives, they will face 90-ish nearly every game. But they'll face 90-ish mixed in with offspeed stuff like they've never seen before. I've seen many 'great' hitters come into my favorite D1 program and take at least a year to claw their way back to within sight of hitting .300 again (BTW, they usually hit .500+ in HS). Its tough. At least 3 levels to go if they're drafted. There is so, so much to learn. Its a humbling game!
Sometimes as fans we think someone "failed" when they never play past college or only make it to "A" or "AA."
Sometimes as parents we feel our sons failed when they strike out 3 times or give up a game-winning HR. I am telling you that your HS(or above)-baseball playing son is a STUD! Yes, I believed all this "maturation stuff" in my mind. But I now know it. I loved sitting next to one of my son's teammates' father last year as fans came up to the radar-gun booth at the ballpark and could barely throw 65 mph. Yet these same fans will scream that a player "is weak" who only throws 85 mph. Go to a HS or college or minor league game (your son's?) and marvel at the wonderful talent before you.
