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A Look at the Bowling Green Hot Rods Pitching Staff; Matthew Moore, Joseph Cruz, Nick Barnese, and More

The Hot Rods staff is interesting. Its rotation is filled mostly with former high school draft picks and the big names are Matt Moore and Nick Barnese, although Joseph Cruz is making a push to be included in the new big three. A few interesting college arms are also on the staff and I've included them.  

Star-divide

For quick reference

Matt Moore

Joseph Cruz

Nick Barnese

Josh Satow

Shane Dyer

Marquis Fleming

Matt Moore LH

Statistics

21 starts in A-ball, a little over 100 innings, 141 strikeouts, 58 walks, and three (!) home runs against. That's a K/9 of 12.61, which is actually the lowest of Moore's career (12.84 and 12.75 the previous two stops.) A 3.35 tRA and 2.6 FIP makes everyone happy.

Scouting

Fastball in the mid-90s with a disgusting curve to boot, he still has to develop a change-up and his control is all over the place at times. Expect his swinging strike rates to be ridiculous once he gets to a level where we can measure them.

Joseph Cruz RH

Statistics

Surprisingly it's Cruz, not Nick Barnese, who rates out as the second best starter on the BG staff. A 3.39 tRA and 2.56 tRA are solid markings no matter the name. Oh, and he gets 51% grounders.

Scouting

Sits in the low-90s but can hit 94. People talk about projectable with his 6'4" 195 lbs. frame and it seems to have taken some affect this year.

Nick Barnese RH

Statistics

Strikeouts are down from previous years, but so are the walks. It's odd to say a 3.47 FIP and 4 tRA are disappointing, but well, they are.

Scouting

Fastball in the low-90s with sink and a breaking ball. Like Moore, he lacks a change-up, but like Cruz, his stuff is generating a tantalizing amount of grounders.

 Josh Satow LH

Statistics

In 55 innings he's struck out 59, walked 14, and allowed one homer. Satow has faced 46 lefties this year, and given up as many baserunners (10 hits, all singles, and 2 walks, one intentional) as strikeouts.

Scouting

Former college starter, Satow has a very good change-up and uses it well considering his fastball doesn't top 90.

Shane Dyer RH

Statistics

3.66 FIP and a 61% groundball rate top Dyer's credentials list. He's another former college starter, but unlike Satow, he's still in the rotation.

Scouting

Has a solid knuckle-curve to go with a fastball in the low-90s and change-up. Some have questioned Dyer's mechanics and that leads to speculation that his future is in the pen.  

Marquis Fleming RH

Statistics

Another guy with more Ks than innings pitched and someone who gets a ton of groundballs. He's a reliever and a college arm as well.

Scouting

Not sure, but maybe we can ask him on Twitter.

---

Information used was acquired from StatCorner, FanGraphs, Baseball America, and personal references.

1 recs  |  Comment 21 comments |

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Moore was striking out over 13 guys per 9 for a good chunk of the season

before a recent “cold” stretch, but then he struck out 9 in 5 innings last time out. I wonder if we’ll shut him down early and cap his innings.

Vroom vroom party starter
www.raysprospects.com

by Imperialism32 on Aug 11, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

He was also walking over 6 per 9 for a good chunk of the season

A drop in Ks should be expected to come with improved control.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 11, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

His month of June was insane

42 strikeouts to 9 walks in 27.2 innings… 13.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9

Vroom vroom party starter
www.raysprospects.com

by Imperialism32 on Aug 11, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Just out of curiosity

Do we have any idea of how Bowling Green’s home park plays yet? I.e., if it’s a pitcher’s stadium or a hitter’s stadium?

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 11, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Use MLE

Just compare him to any other park that you might know at the same level.

I can't help that I make some things look easier than they really are.

by Sandy Kazmir on Aug 11, 2009 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Joseph Cruz is the strawberry milkshake from coney island of Bowling Green's pitching staff

We thought we had it all with our chocolate and vanilla shakes, but then this new shake comes in and just rocks everybody’s world, and in the process passes the chocolate shake as the 2nd best shake in the lineup, but with the potential to maybe one day pass vanilla.

by BJ the Bossman on Aug 11, 2009 2:43 PM EDT reply actions   1 recs

tRA is probably not a good metric to be using in the minors

because batted ball data from minor league sources is wholly unreliable.

Tools Whore

by Tyler on Aug 11, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Right

I included it only so people wouldn’t groan about only using FIP.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 11, 2009 2:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions   0 recs

Out of Curiousity......

Are you guys planning on taking a look at the Hudson Valley pitching staff? I really want to take a look at the other pitchers down there besides the obvious(McEachern, Lobstein, and Colome).

I didn't say I wasn't flawless, but I damn sho' don't tarnish!

by RWRays on Aug 11, 2009 4:53 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I posted reports on the three that I saw live

May go back later in the season, and if so I can do another one. The 27th is ‘bring your dog to the game night’, so if I’m slow at work, I might head up there.

http://www.draysbay.com/2009/8/9/983179/hudson-valley-scouting-report

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 11, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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