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Well, it's been a year. Lets see how way off we are so far...


Just to refresh everyone's memory, a year ago I proposed The Young Pitcher Contest: pick one starting pitcher from each division that you think will have the most wins in five years. The criteria, just so everyone didn't choose Clayton Kershaw or Stephen Strasburg, was that each pitcher had to be entering their age 25 season or younger (according to Baseball Reference) and that each of them had to have 10 wins or less at the big league level. Each win is a single point, while a pitcher also gets a +5 bonus for each all-star team selection.

So, now that we're one season into the five, lets take a look at the standings:

(Please note, pitchers like Drew Smyly and Brandon Maurer, while now currently playing in different divisions, still count for the division they were originally selected in)

whiterasta80: 93 (Pineda, Smyly, Erasmo Ramirez, Wheeler, Cole, Delgado)
christaylor: 83 (Pineda, Duffy, Maurer, Wheeler, Cole, Erlin)
Jdog: 79 (Stroman, Ventura, Sonny Gray, Alex Wood, Cole, Bradley)
Thomas: 76 (Gausman, Salazar, Sonny Gray, Wheeler, Cole, Bradley)
Eephus: 70 (Hutchison, Salazar, Sonny Gray, Wheeler, Cingrani, Bradley)
gabrielthursday: 42 (Gausman, Salazar, T. Walker, Syndergaard, Cole, Bradley)
Mike Green: 38 (Bundy, Salazar, Paxton, Syndergaard, Cole, Jonathan Gray)
VBF: 10 (Montgomery, Bauer, T. Walker, Biddle, Taillon, Bradley)

A lot of Archie Bradley fans...

Anyhow, I've decided for 2015 to re-open the contest for anybody who would like to join in. Same rules apply (one pitcher from each division, 25 or under, 10 or less ML wins) except your total will be over a four year period instead of five. Everyone from 2014 has a head start, but four years is plenty of time to catch up. Anything can happen so hey, give it a shot! The grand prize includes your choice of: a pageant winning cuttlefish (or "cuddlefish") if you prefer), a tour of the Shelbyville Box Factory, or BRAGGING RIGHTS!!!!!!!!11(TM).


The original contest thread can be found here: http://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20140129004028187


Updating the Young Pitcher Contest | 8 comments | Create New Account
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whiterasta80 - Sunday, March 08 2015 @ 11:13 PM EDT (#298110) #
Wow looking at that list I'll be shocked if I hold on to my lead.

That being said- it's a nice start and I really want that tour of the box factory.
Jdog - Sunday, March 08 2015 @ 11:46 PM EDT (#298112) #
Feeling confident.
youngid - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 09:39 AM EDT (#298115) #
I'll join:

AL East: Dan Norris
AL Central: Danny Salazar
AL West: Tyler Skaggs

NL East: Lucas Giolito
NL Central: Michael Wacha
NL West: Matt Wisler
Lugnut Fan - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 11:29 AM EDT (#298119) #
For the NL West, I'm going Julio Urias.  18 years old and could be in the MLB by September.  Seems a safe bet as long as he doesn't get hurt.
Mike Green - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 11:47 AM EDT (#298121) #
Seems a safe bet as long as he doesn't get hurt

The last time that I felt truly comfortable that a young starting pitcher would likely be able to stay healthy was when I saw Mark Buehrle upon arrival.  A smallish 18 year old who is not presently filled out and is about to enter double A would be somewhere on the opposite side of the spectrum.  One of the things about the contest is that the time frame isn't that long, so if a pitcher in the minor leagues is derailed by injury, it might be that they will hardly help you. 

Incidentally, Urias did have control issues as he moved up to high A ball. 
whiterasta80 - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 12:31 PM EDT (#298123) #
JDog I have a 14 win lead on you and I still think you should feel confident- that's definitely the best collection of elite talent of the bunch.
Lugnut Fan - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 02:12 PM EDT (#298126) #
He did Mike, and he had control issues in the spring training game I watched him throw last week.  Kershaw had control issues as a youngster as well and he has done okay so far (Not that I'm comparing Urias to Kershaw).  He also had some nasty stuff that has gotten better from the time I saw him as a 16 y/o in the Midwest League.  The thing that I'm afraid of is that I think they baby him a touch much.  He does have some room to grow into this frame, but it's projectable.  I really, really like the kid.
Mike Green - Monday, March 09 2015 @ 02:42 PM EDT (#298127) #
I know, LF.  Urias will be 22 by the time the contest is over.  By that age, Kershaw was 26-23 with an ERA of 3.17.  Very good but just a taste of what he was to become.    I guess that you'd be hoping for a Gooden-like development.  I had forgotten that Gooden made the leap directly from A ball to the majors at age 19, despite walking 112 batters in 191 innings in A ball at age 18.  It can be done, but it doesn't happen very often.
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