Meet the New Guy (No, Not Me)

Greetings, RoxPile readers.  As Ben informed you on Monday, I will begin serving as the new minor league correspondent for the site.  If you’d like to learn more about me, check out the “About Rox Pile” tab at the top of the page or even feel free to ask questions in the comments section.  But right now, I think there’s someone else you’re probably more interested in getting to know.

Drew Pomeranz, that not so surprising player to be named later in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal made his Rockies organizational debut last night for the AA Tulsa Drillers against the Midland RockHounds; and boy did he open with a bang.  After taking a perfect game 6.1 innings into his inaugural “Rockies” outing, Pomeranz finally surrendered a hit in the 7th – a single to RockHounds centerfielder Grant Green.  He ended the night with a magnificent line of 7 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 4 K’s, and 0 BB’s in the Drillers 6-0 win.

In truth, Pomeranz wasn’t quite as dominant as he was effective.  Midland hitters did manage to square up seven line drives off him and had it not been for a spectacular catch by Drillers left fielder Michael Mitchell to lead off the second inning, Pomeranz would have lost the perfecto, and quite possibly his shutout early in the evening.  That’s me really nitpicking though; overall our new star of the farm pitched very well working ahead of hitters all night (55 of his 78 pitches were strikes), keeping guys off the basepaths, and improving his ERA for the season, to a downright dominant 1.84.  (This includes his time spent in High A Kinston and AA Akron for the Indians)

Pomeranz sports a 90-93 mph fastball (which still could get to 95 as he matures) that explodes through the strikezone, an absolutely devastating curveball that shows a good, sharp, downward bite, and an improving changeup.  It’s the development of that third pitch which has the potential to make Pomeranz an absolute beast once he reaches Denver.  He didn’t throw it much in college as it would have been overkill there, but in order to be an ace at the major league level, he will need a third out pitch to go along with an already above average fastball and curveball.

Finally, not only is Pomeranz really, really good, he’s also really, really big.  At 6′ 5″ and 230 lbs, Pomeranz is a very intimidating firure on the mound.  This may just be me looking through my purple tinted glasses, but he really seems like the type of pitcher who opposing hitters are going to walk up to the plate against, take once quick glance at and say to themselves, “Oh no, not this guy”.

Looking Forward: Tonight, there’s more action to keep an eye on in Tulsa as Alex White, that other big name in the Ubaldo trade makes his fourth start in a Drillers uniform.  White’s looked quite spectacular the last two outings going a combined 7.2 innings pitched without allowing a run or a walk.  For this reason, a lot of folks want him called up immediately – I however, am not one of them. Check back tomorrow to see how White did as well as why I believe his Rockies debut shouldn’t come until September.