Colin Balester: 3 Things to Expect

I have to say, I am not nearly as excited for the season debut of Colin Balester as I have been the other you starters. Maybe it is because he has been up here before and we know what he can and can't do, while the other guys were mysteries without ceilings. Maybe it is because his AAA stats and performance this year didn't reflect a player with half a year of big league seasoning.

Deep down, though, I think it is because I don't want to be disappointed. Mock and Martin got knocked around a little bit; Balester has proven that could be the same based upon his previous track record.

Here is what to look for with Balester on the hill tonight.

1. One bad pitch per inning. Even in his better starts last season, Balester was all over the place, which can be fine. The problems start when he starts getting too much of the plate. Don't be surprised if he gets taken deep a couple times.

2. Good use of velocity. Balester throws three distinct pitches: a 92 mph fastball, a 84 mph change, and a bowel-moving 75 mph curve. The only problem is that his change stays very flat. Unlike Tyler Clippard, who hides his very well and has the bottom fall out at 54 feet, Balester stays open. He throws it infrequently enough that it doesn't get killed, but the second and third time through, batters can more readily identify the fastball.

3. A fair pitch shake. JD Martin got an irresponsible after 4 as he was beginning to hit his stride. Unless Balester gets ripped for a big inning and can't find his way out, expect him to get 95-105 pitches. He's been here and done this before, and while the bullpen is "rested", it shouldn't be trusted.

Detweiler to Start Monday

There are a number of reasons to like and dislike the move.

Likes:
• The Pirates haven’t seen him before. He might be able to cruise through the lineup a couple times. The Pirates are not the Red Sox.
• Get the first round pick some major league experience before sending him down to AAA to refine his game.
• A pitcher who can strike batters out.
• Showcase talent in the farm system for a possible deadline trade.
• Show confidence that his game is progressing each season.
• Smart move not breaking up the rotation in Syracuse… they’ve had enough turnover already.

Dislikes
• His control isn’t good enough to beat major league hitting yet.
• He doesn’t have the pitch selection to get through the lineup twice.
• He is being limited to 5 innings per start, and likely will not be given much to work with.
• There was nobody in Syracuse management needed to bring up.

Depending upon the how the Nationals hit, if Detweiler can make it to his through the order to his second at bat, whether it is four or six innings, it should be regarded as a solid start. What would not be good is for him to fall into Jordan Zimmermann’s pattern of falling behind early and giving Manny a chance to give him the hook after two or three. Regardless of how well he pitches, this is likely a one a done scenario for Detweiler, and will likely be starting back in Harrisburg or Syracuse next week. Balester is the most obvious choice to take the spot long term, as he has shown the ability to consistenly eat up six innings and not put the other team up six runs. His ERA and record at Syracuse don’t quite tell the whole story, as his BABIP is an astronomical .404. The K/BB rates are not out of ordinary, so it is likely that he has been a little unlucky.

In other news, looks like we were correct in our assessment of Scott Olsen… now how do we get the memo to Cabrera?