Good afternoon Yankee fans! Baseball is finally upon us, as I'm writing this while watching the Yankees battle the Phillies in their second spring training game. Anyway, back on subject. My next installment of the Young Gun Profiles is Joba Chamberlain, who quickly became a fan favorite after his exciting debut in the bullpen in 2007. According to Joe Girardi's interview during the game today with Michael Kay, whether or not Joba starts or relieves has yet to be determined. Regardless of when he pitches, he will be a huge asset to this team this year.We all know his numbers, but here they are just for fun:
2007 with A+ Tampa: 40 IP, 51 K's, 2.03 ERA
2007 with AA Trenton: 40.1 IP, 66 K's, 3.35 ERA
2007 with AAA Scranton/WB: 8 IP, 18 K's, 0.00 ERA
2007 with the MLB Yankees: 24 IP, 34 K's, 0.38 ERA
Over the course of the 2007 season, Joba had a combined K/BB ratio of 169:33. Wow.
On to Chamberlain's arsenal:
Fastball: Chamberlain is a big guy with a big fastball. He sits around 96-100 MPH, and locates the pitch like a veteran. His fastball is one of his major strengths due to the movement on the pitch. The life on the ball combined with the speed and Chamberlain's ability to locate make for a deadly fastball that he gets a lot of outs with.
Slider: This is Chamberlain's main strikeout pitch. He's got a plus slider that he throws so fast, most hitters are fooled into thinking its a fastball, only to watch the ball dive into the dirt, well underneath their swinging bats. The slider is easily his best secondary pitch. He's got great command with it, rarely leaving it hanging up in the zone. Not much else to say here, you've all seen how he uses the slider. It is indeed a nasty, nasty pitch.
Changeup: This is the pitch that we've seen the least of. Coming out of the pen last year, Joba relied on mainly his fastball/slider combo, so we haven't seen much of his changeup. Its probably his worst pitch, although its not a bad pitch comparatively. His change is considered average, but he's been working on it a lot in the minors. The main problem I have with Joba coming out of the pen again is that the development of the change will be further stunted. According to the Yanks, its coming along fairly well. When Joba does use it, he uses it early in the count to try to get ahead of the hitter.
Curveball: This is another pitch we haven't seen too often. The first time Joba threw his curve, was against Boston, right after he gave up his first earned run. He struck out the next hitter with the curve, and the batter looked fairly caught off guard to see a true off-speed pitch. Joba's got an above average curveball. He's got good control with it, and can get a decent amount of strikeouts with it.
Chamberlain overall has plus control, but not plus command. He can't pinpoint the ball like someone like Kennedy or Mussina can, but he is able to keep is walk totals down regardless. He can get away with his lack of plus command due do the velocity on his pitches. On a good note, Joba has made improvements in this area over the last year.
The true challenge for Chamberlain will be to seamlessly transition between relieving and starting, if indeed he does spend some time in the bullpen in 2008. However, I believe that Joba has a good enough head on his shoulders to handle the move. Another challenge will be to keep his weight down. However, I don't view this as too much of a problem. Is it just me, or does it look like Joba has shed a few pounds in the off season? He looks like he's in better shape to me, and if I'm right, then his weight won't be a concern.
Like I did with Hughes' profile, I'll quote EJ Fagan on some interesting lines to help everyone get a better feel for Chamberlain.
Fagan on Joba's ceiling: "Chamberlain is a bona fide potential #1 starter. He has the control, power, and secondary stuff to do it all. He has been reported to be an unceasing competitor who wears his emotions on his sleeves. He certainly has the ability to strike out 200 while posting an ERA over 3.50, which makes him an ace in my book. He'll probably pitch his fair share of innings and even have a shot at a Cy Young down the line."
Fagan on comparing Joba to another player: "C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is a little bit taller and wider, but they have the same basic pitching style. They both have a strong fastball which sits at 94-95, and both throw a slider/curve/changeup setup. Sabathia's achilles heel prior to his successful 2006 season involved a lot of maturity issues, which Chamberlain (who is already a father) does not seem to have. The college polish is certainly there."
Joba will be a special player if he stays on his current track. He's a truly exciting player to watch, and the energy boost he provides the team on and off the mound is invaluable. He will play a big role in 2008, and I look forward to watching his progress closely.
3 comments:
"They both have a strong fastball which sits at 94-95," uhh... joba's fastball doesn't sit at 94, more like 98-100!!! What was EJ Fagan thinking when he wrote that? Obviously, he hasn't kept a close watch on joba!!! 94-95 lol.
In Fagan's defense, the report he wrote that I quoted was also a year old, just as Hughes' was. Many sports writers don't consider Chamberlain a "prospect" anymore, given that he has pitched 24 MLB innings, and will not pitch in the minors again barring injury or a short stint to stretch his arm out in June if he starts in the pen.
When Fagan wrote that, Chamberlain was battling some weight issues and some minor arm problems, which hampered his velocity. When Joba is healthy and in shape, he can hit 98-99 mph consistently on his fastball.
Good write-up buddy. I love Joba. I believe it was Jd Drew that was struck out after Lowell's homer over the monster off Joba. Drew had no idea what happened to him, and it was awesome. I never knew Joba has a kid...very interesting.
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