Tuesday, December 27, 2016

DrB's 2017 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #18 Sam Coonrod

Sam Coonrod, RHP.  DOB:  9/22/1992.  6'2", 190 lbs.

2015 A:  7-5. 3.14, 111.2 IP, 2.24 BB/9, 9.19 K/9.
2016 A+:  5-3, 1.98, 63.2 IP, 3.11 BB/9, 5.94 K/9.
2016 AA:  4-3, 3.03, 77.1 IP, 4.42 BB/9, 6.05 K/9.

Sam Coonrod continued to have success in the minor leagues despite seeing his K rates crater and his walk rates increase.  The Giants seem to be emphasizing pitching to contact in their pitching prospects, so I'm not all that worried about his K rates dropping.  The disturbing part is the rise in walks.  From all reports I have read, he is still throwing hard sitting 93-95 MPH and touching 97 MPH.  He is basically a two pitch pitcher with a slider as his secondary offering and he remains a high effort guy with questionable command.

I've always thought he will likely end up as a reliever in the majors, but that is also likely his floor as I think the velocity gives the Giants coaches enough to work with to at least get a reliver out of him.

I would think he will be back in Richmond to start the 2017 season.

3 comments:

  1. I think Coonrod went to the throwing more low-90s sinkers at the start of this year to get quick outs kind of like the Tyler Beede treatment of last year but his slider didn't look like it can get a good amount of swings and misses to compliment his fastball.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Wrenzie.

      Is that what you're hearing as well Doc? My question was going to be - How good is the secondary stuff. If it's mediocre, that changes things, but also makes me wonder how Coonrod has had so much success with just one good pitch...

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  2. Yeah, I remember the panic when that happened to Beede. There was a lot of 'OMG!' around the drop in K-rates.

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