Tuesday, December 20, 2016

DrB's 2017 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #11 Steven Okert

Steven Okert, LHP.  DOB:  7/9/1991.  6'3", 205 lbs.  Drafted in 2012 Round 4 out of Univ. of Oklahoma.

2016 AAA:  4-3, 3.80, 47.1 IP, 11 BB, 60 K.
2016 MLB:  0-0, 3.21, 14 IP, 4 BB, 14 K.

Okert has had his ups and downs as a prospect.  As recently as August 6-13, 2016, I had him just about written off after he gave up a total of 7 ER in 3 IP over 3 Appearances for AAA Sacramento.  This was after an early season cameo with the Giants in which he had an ERA of 6.00.  Then, over his next 7 appearances he pitched 8.2 scoreless innings with 1 BB, and 11 K's.  That got him a Sept callup in which he posted an ERA of 1.13 in 8 IP with 1 BB and 8 K's.  He will now go into Spring Training competing with Josh Osich and Matt Reynolds for the Lefty Specialist role in the Giants bullpen.  He  had a large L-R split in AAA with a BAA of .235 vs lefty hitters and .296 against RH hitters.  That will need to improve to be even a lefty specialist in the majors.

He features a FB that average 92.2 MPH in September which he throws about 46% of the time.  He attacks RH batters with an 88 MPH cutter on the hands which he tends to get burned on if it catches too much of the plate.  His slider is slower at 81 MPH and he rarely throws his changeup.  He will probably need to dust off the changeup if he wants to consistently get RH batters out at the MLB level.

2 comments:

  1. Very inconsistent. There were games where he was absolutely on and practically untouchable. Then there were some others where he was very hittable - HRs given up to the Padres at AT&T. I looked it up, Brown was catching, not Posey, maybe the Yoots had some bad pitch location strategy, I remember one being particularly served up.

    (Its the smallest samples ever, but funny: Posey has 6IP with Okert, 6Ks, 3Hs, no runs. Brown has 8IP, 11H, 7R/5ER, 2 HR, 4BB, 8K)

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  2. The Giants bullpen looks like a big question mark from the left side after Will Smith. It wasn't surprising that they were connected to JP Howell earlier.

    LG

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