#13 Dan Runzler. LHP. BD: 03-30-1985. 6'4", 215 lbs.
2009 Stats: Low A: 1-1, 0.68, 26.1 IP, 13 BB, 45 K's. High A: 1-0, 0.84, 21.1 IP, 4 BB, 26 K's. AA: 3-0, 0.96, 9.1 IP, 7 BB, 11 K's.
AAA: 0-1, 0.00, 2 IP, 0 H, 1 K. MLB: 0-0, 1.04, 8.2 IP, 5 BB, 11 K's.
Dan Runzler was what has become a signature Giants late round draft pick out of UC Riverside in 2007. He had relatively few IP, a high ERA, but a big time fastball and prodigious K rates. The problem was he walked way too many batters. The Giants think they can fix pitchers like this, and sometimes they are right. Runzler pitched inconsistently his first two pro seasons still showing great K rates, but also struggling with his control.
It's a challenge to really get a handle on Runzler's 2009 season. He started off in Augusta where our old friend Steve Kline took Dan under his wing. He still walked his share of batters, but something seemed to click and he blew away hitters with a K/9 of 15.4! He then ripped through 3 more levels and ended up with a callup to the majors where he continued to pitch successfully. His sample sizes at each stop were miniscule, and even his composite record was relatively small. What he did record though was spectacular, K/9=12.42 and BB/9=3.78.
The Giants seem enthralled with Runzler and appear to be counting on him for a major role in the bullpen in 2010. He certainly has the tools to be a dominant reliever, but the continued significant walk rates are a bit worrisome that he could regress to his career long struggles. Hopefully Kline will continue to work with him early in spring training to consolidate the lessons from last season.
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