Bleacher Bums Forum

I was hoping for more from Alzolay but he has taken a step in the right direction, IMO.  I'll be disappointed if he doesn't take another step next season (#2/3 level starter by season's end).

Are you encouraged by his year so far? He has shown flashes at times. Hopefully he keeps improving as he matures. That is what next year will show. I am no scout, but he seems to lack a consistent out pitch. If he and one of Steele/Thompson could make it. The Cubs could afford one free agent top end starter and there you have a competitive rotation. Marquez emerging healthy and dominant next year would sure uncomplicate things.

Alzolay makes me think of Geremi Gonzalez so far.  There are some things to work with, and you have to give him credit for staying in the rotation the whole season, which is a pretty under-appreciated thing in the modern game.  Still, yeah there's always a mistake or two too many so far with him, which is why a guy like Gonzalez comes to mind for me with him.  I don't know if missing some competitiveness or confidence is the right way to put it, but there's something missing he needs to find to take the next step up. 

He's also faced RH's for 229 PA, and he's faced LH's for 215 PA, almost a 50-50 split.

Managers are stacking LH hitters against him in his starts, which can't be helpful for him.

Here’s the thing about Alzolay that makes him a potential mid-rotation guy (rather than a back-end guy):  Alzolay has a Plus pitch. He had a 60 value slider. It’s a really good major league slider, way above average.

A back-end guy, for me, is a guy with average stuff all around. If he has command that day, he can have a good day. Think of Alec Mills, a guy who does NOT have a Plus pitch. A guy like Mills can even pitch a no-hitter on a given great day, but has stuff linitations.

Hendricks became Hendricks, in part, because from day one in majors, he had a Plus pitch as a foundation.

Right now, Alzolay is basically a 2-pitch pitcher—-with inconsistent command and is really hurt when the heater floats into the hitting zone. Hence, the lefty homer problem. He works close to 94, which is fine but, because he has a limited repertoire, he tends to pay a price with the occasional good-pitch-to-hit happens.

Put another way, he needs a third pitch that is a legit average major league pitch. Not even an above-average third pitch but an average pitch that he can command and throws with confidence—-something a hitter had to think about so will more often foul off a meaty heater or misplaced slider. Guys with a repertoire, or a Plus Plus pitch (think of Buehler’s heater) get away with mistakes that the current version of Alzolay almost never seems to get away with.

So, say, Alzolay can improve the change-up as an average major league pitch, which is HARD to accomplish, think we’ll get very different results from him.

But, the Plus pitch—which he already has—is a big deal. An important foundation. Of course, he’s not a kid anymore, so maybe he is what he is. Really like his mound demeanor, so don’t think he’ll be undermined by disappointing results so far.

He does have a generally good mound presence, but he started to show some frustration in the couple of starts before his IL stint.  Growing pains.

The tarp is on the field

Gordon Wittenmyer

Getting word this game is in process of being rescheduled as part of a 1pm, 5pm doubleheader tomorrow.