Hunter Strickland, RHP. DOB: 9/24/1988. 6'5", 200 lbs.
2012 AA(Pirates): 2-2, 4.46, 42.1 IP, 3.19 BB/9, 7.02 K/9, 2 Saves
2013 High A(Giants): 1-0, 0.86, 21 IP, 2.14 BB/9, 9.86 K/9, 9 Saves
2014 AA: 1-1, 2.02, 35.2 IP, 1.01 BB/9, 12.11 K/9, 11 Saves
2014 MLB: 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 0.00 BB/9, 11.57 K/9, 1 Save
Hunter Strickland's baseball career has been a long roller coaster ride that reached dizzying heights and dramatic lows during the 2014 season. He was drafted but he Boston Red Sox in the 18'th round in 2007. Early in his minor league career, he was a pitch-to-contact starter with a FB in the 89-91 MPH range. He tended to run modest K rates along with very low BB rates. He was traded to the Pirates in July 2009 along with RHP Argenis Diaz for Adam LaRoche. Somewhere along the way he underwent surgery for a rotator cuff tear. He had an uptick in velocity to the mid 90's in 2012 when the Pirates moved him to the bullpen. The Pirates added him to their 40 man roster in the fall of 2012, but the Giants pounced when they tried to sneak him through waivers in the spring of 2012.
The Giants assigned him to San Jose where he impressed with a high 90's FB and terrific numbers as the SJ Giants closer, but then he blew out his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. He was back pitching again within 11 months of surgery and was lights out as the Richmond closer after a brief rehab stint in San Jose. He was called up to the Giants when rosters were expanded in September and immediately impressed by hitting 100 MPH in his first relief appearance. He earned his first MLB Save in a 13 inning win over the Dodgers. Manager Bruce Bochy put him on the postseason roster.
Strickland continued to throw in the high 90's in the playoffs, occasionally hitting triple digits. He earned a Save in the 18 inning NLDS win over the Nationals which became the defining game of the 2014 postseason. Then goferitis struck. Strickland continued to be lights out against RH batters, but LH batters turned around a total of 6 balls for HR's, mostly off high 90's FB's. There were whispers that Strickland was tipping his pitches. I'm not sure he needed to tip his pitches as with most of those dingers, everybody in the ballpark and watching on TV knew what was coming. Of course, the Giants went on to win the World Series which helped take the sting out of the dingers, but it has to be a concern going forward. Over the course of the postseason, Strickland went from being a possible closer in 2015 to being a question mark for the final bullpen slot. I think that spot is his to lose. Bruce Bochy clearly loves the guy, but a return of goferitis in spring training or anytime during the season could spell trouble as the Giants have a long line of hard throwing relievers ready to step up if the door cracks open.
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Probably another back end of the top 10 guy, like Okert. Look at that walk rate in AA, very impressive. Clearly the guy can throw strikes, perhaps he was throwing too many strikes, too straight, to one side of the plate.
ReplyDeleteNice report on his history, Doc. It's amazing when guys add those MPH's and how much more intriguing they become. Strickland reminds me a bit of Brian Wilson. Tommy John, check. High velocity 4 seam FB, check. Fiery persona, check. I think it possible that like Wilson, Strickland could be a guy that is more effective working a high velo cutter with a high velo 2 seam FG. Maybe a splitter too? He'd be nails if he had those tools.
-Baseball Guy
Well, Ben Zobrist is not going to be traded to the Giants. Him and Yunel Escobar are on their way to the A's for John Jaso and some prospects.
ReplyDeletei swear to christ, i dont get beane
Deletehe trades donaldson and then gets zobrist?
but damn, he makes the hot stove fun
bacci
A's gave up two top prospects and a ML proven player for Zobrist and Esconbar. We wouldn't haven't needed Escobar so it is hard to comp out what we would have to give up for Zobrist alone but none of the players the Rays got back were pitchers which I assume is what the Giants could have dangled. Seems like the A's were just a better fit for the Rays and their needs.
DeleteThe SS Robertson was pretty highly regarded too. Maybe he figures Barreto is is SS of he future now? I'm sure Fangraphs will have yet another article about how nobody can figure out what Billy is up to, but it must be good because, well, Billy Beane!
DeleteI always sort of admired Beane in the past but he is stating to look like a Fantasy baseball BM, just making moves to make moves.
DeleteGM
DeleteJaso gets shipped around! He's a better trading chip than a player. I guess the Giants were unwilling to give up Susac for him.
DeleteGive up Susac for Zobrist, not Jaso, of course.
DeleteZobrist would have been great for the Giants, but sometimes the best trade is one not made.
In Sabean we trust.....
I don't think the Rays would consider Susac the equivalent of Jaso and the A's also gave up their top prospect and another pretty good one. Plus they took on Escobar who the Giants did not have any use for plus the A's, the A's, are sending money to the Rays in the deal! Wow! All for one year of a declining Ben Zobrist!
DeleteIt can only be explained by Billy's fury that the Giants just won the World Series for the 3rd time in 5 years.
DeleteWell, I think everyone agrees that the fastball is good and how can you not like 98-100 on the radar gun, but there has to be more movement on his pitches and some sort of deception or MLB hitter will sit on that straight FB and send it deep just like thay did in the playoffs. I was really disappointed in Stickland's outburst against the Royals and Sal Perez but he sort of redeemed his actions by saying all the right things afterward. Must channel that fire in the right direction and I think the Giants clubhouse and pitchers had a profound influence on him post meltdown and will have a positive effect going forward. I think Bochyndoes love Stickland's FB but might need to think about not pitching him on back to back days, that seemed to lead to hurt him a bit IMO as well.
ReplyDeleteThis Strickland situation really reminds me of when Joe Nathan had a rough postseason against the Marlins in 2003 after a great year out of the pen. Ultimately, they traded Nathan for AJ, which seemed pretty reasonable gamble at the time, but AJ's play and attitude really didn't mesh in SF. However, the postseason failure did not seem to effect Nathan as he pitched pretty well for the next decade afterwards. I am really glad that Sabean and Bochy realize how much of a weapon Hunter can be out of the pen and are willing to allow some growing pains and have not dealt him this offseason. I think Sabean has learned from his past experience and Strickland will be nails next year and beyond. Go Giants!
ReplyDelete-Clint in Anaheim
Felipe Alou's handling of Joe Nathan is what convinced me the Giants had to have a different manager. Bochy's first accomplishment was stabilizing the pen which started with his recognition that Wilson had the stuff to be a closer. Bochy may well seem some of the same qualities he saw in Wilson in Strickland.
DeleteStrickland should be good.Bochy didn't handle him well down the stretch.He didn't pitch enough innings to be out in those situations.He should have a good season.
ReplyDeleteHunter is 25. He's not a kid. It's not that he got lit up in the playoffs. (Whether or not he should have been out there might be questioned.) It's how he handed adversity while he was out there that I think people are unsure of.
DeleteIt's still unclear to me what his (imagined) beef with Perez was in the first place.
KC is full of big egos, but Salvador Perez is not one them.
I should have mentioned that if you Google Hunter Strickland, about 45 of the first 50 links that come up are about his emotional meltdown in the World Series.
DeleteAnd ask leading questions to the article, such as 'Is Hunter Strickland a racist" because when the press asked him was said to him he said "I don't speak Spanish.' So, of course, he must be a racist... (People are stupid. People are stupid. People are stupid.) Of course, it's probably one of hundreds of languages and dialects he (and I) doesn't speak.
DeleteAnyway, yes, it's pretty much all about the jawing during the WS.
Figure one spot for Strickland/Cordier/Gutierrez/Kontos. With possibly Hall/Law/Okert/Osich in AAA, and the starters, there will be a ton of interesting options waiting in Sacramento.
ReplyDeleteI like Strickland's attitude. He thinks he can beat anyone. He's got talent. Now he needs to learn how to pitch. Rags and Boch will take care of that.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, he probably needs to lose the glove tap followed by holding the ball out for everyone, including the batter, to see before he even starts his delivery.
Delete