Matt Krook, LHP. DOB: 10/21/1994. 6'4", 210 lbs. Drafted in 2016 Round 4 out of Univ. of Oregon.
2014 College: 2-1, 1.79, 45.1 IP, 19 BB, 60 K.
2015 Cape Cod League: 0-1, 6.35, 11.1 IP, 8 BB, 15 K.
2016 College: 4-3, 5.03, 53.2 IP, 49 BB, 68 K.
2016 R: 0-1, 1.59, 5.2 IP, 3.18 BB/9, 3.18 K/9.
2016 SS: 1-3, 6.17, 35 IP, 8.49 BB/9, 10.03 K/9.
The Giants love to draft prospects who at some point were highly ranked but dropped for some reason. Matt Krook was a first round draft pick(Supplemental First Round, #35 overall) by Miami out of HS in 2013. Miami lowballed their offer after "discovering" a shoulder problem during his physical. Krook opted to go to college at Oregon and had a terrific freshman season. He missed the 2015 college season with TJ surgery. Since then, he has had severe inconsistency and high walk rates to the point where he lost his starting role with Oregon prior to the draft. The Giants grabbed him in round 4. Those problems continued into his first pro season.
Krook is a big lefty with premium stuff: A FB that goes mid-high 90's when he's on, a power curveball that is rated plus-plus at times. He also can throw a slider and changeup. His windup and delivery are upright and over-the-top. Physically and mechanically, he looks a lot like Josh Osich. I might also invoke Cole Hamels as a physical comp.
Krook is becoming one of the more polarizing prospects in the Giants system. Most analysts have him ranked much higher. Eric Longenhagen has him at #10 while John Sickels gave him a grade C, outside his top 20. Krook has the potential to be the best prospect in the entire Giants organization, and I mean the best. Nobody else in the system has his combination of size and swing and miss stuff including Tyler Beede. On the other hand, if he doesn't get those bad boys under control, he's at extreme risk of being a complete bust. 2016 was his first post-TJ season and we often see control/command issues in the first year after TJ, so there is definitely hope. His assignment for 2017 will probably depend on whether how that control/command looks in spring training. If he's gotten that corrected, he could have a huge breakout and move quickly.
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Hey, Koufax was still wild when He was 22.
ReplyDeleteIf the SF whisperers can tame that wild horse, maybe Krook can be Koufax-LITE!
Doc, what leads to TJ surgery? Are there certain pitches or deliveries that make it more likely? Is the damage to the ligament happening before the pitcher get to professional coaching?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the alternative procedure that Seth Maness had which has a relatively quick recovery?
A lot of people who have spent a lot more time than I studying UCL tears still don't know for sure why they happen or can reliably predict their occurrence. If I remember correctly, Dr Andrews, who has probably done more TJ's than any other surgeon and who has published scholarly articles on the subject believes that young pitchers should not be allowed to throw breaking pitches. There also seems to be a strong correlation with velocity. I know I have characterized HS pitchers who already throw in the high 90's to be TJ's waiting to happen. It seems that some teams believe there are anatomical variations between pitchers that make some more susceptible.
DeleteThat's about all I know about the subject.
Jeff Passan has a fantastic book on the subject named "the arm". I know a young man who came up with my son through our local youth league. Was touching 90's as a freshman in high school. He just had TJ before his sophomore season. Lots of factors play in, but there's definitely too much wear and tear on young arms.
DeleteDr.B ,like to ask you a question? Besides Tyler Beede is there any pitcher (not Ty Blach)who you might project to be a better than a # 4 or 5 pitcher in 2018 on the giants rooster? I won't hold you to it, just your opinion.
ReplyDelete#3 or better SP in the Giants 2018 rotation is a tall order, even for Beede. I do think Andrew Suarez can be ready to contribute by 2018 and has a likely ceiling of a #3/4. Beede might be ready to contribute by midseason 2017 and has a likely ceiling of #2/3.
DeleteIs there anyone who has frontline potential? I know Krook has the "stuff" like Osich did at one time, but is there anyone who could break the right way and be a #1?
ReplyDeleteSure. Beede could be a #1 if everything breaks right. Krook has that kind of stuff. Adon has the FB but would need to improve is secondary stuff. That's probably about it if you are looking for potential aces. The Giants farm system is definitely a lot deeper in hitters right now which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
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