Christian Friedrich Falls into Rockies Lap

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 2:37 PM MDT in Draft Comment 22 comments

Eastern Kentucky left-handed pitcher Christian Friedrich, who some had speculated could go as high as #10 to the Astros fell all the way to the Rockies at #25 and they selected the big hurler with four average to plus pitches.

From Brewerfan.net (link's bad, as soon as it's up I'll fix it):

Friedrich has been carving up batters since he stepped on Eastern Kentucky’s campus, posting a 10-2 record and a 1.98 ERA during his freshman year. Overall, including his summer performances, he has gone 21-7 with a 2.05 ERA, striking out 307 batters and allowing only 153 hits in over 232 innings of work. He could stand to lower his walk totals (89), but given his dominance that seems like a minor detail. While his curveball is his best pitch, a true downer that disappears from the batter’s eye, he success is predicated from how well he spots his 88-92 fastball that has touched 94 in the past. He also throws a changeup, and has a very smooth delivery and arm action that makes it look as though he’s playing catch. He’s a candidate to soar through the minor leagues upon beginning his professional career.

MILB.com scouting report with video.

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I don't think

I’ve ever been more satisfied with a Rockies draft pick than this one.

"Nuts!" - Gen. Anthony McAuliffe

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by Russ Oates on Jun 5, 2008 2:46 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

That was last year's profile, btw, but not much has changed

Some suggest he might not be so quick through the minors after all after this season. Friedrich was BA’s #4 prospect of the Cape Cod League last summer, and the #14 overall prospect heading into the draft.

BA’s most recent scouting report did bring up that he’s had blister trouble of late:

Blisters have periodically bothered Friedrich this spring, so he has been using his slider more than he has in the past, and it has become a weapon at 80-82 mph. He also has a decent changeup that he’ll need to incorporate more often in pro ball.

And says that he’s had an issue with leaving mistakes high in the zone at times.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 2:47 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

As far as signability

is concerned, have we left a more talented player on the table because of signability? I was wondering about Cole after reading the scouting report. Would that have been a better arm in the system, but because if his representation we did not pick him?

by smokinRox on Jun 5, 2008 3:06 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Cole had two strikes that made him an unlikely sign for the Rockies

Money was one, and the make-up issues brought up by Franchise 26 were the other. I don’t think he’s as safe a bet to reach his ceiling as Friedrich, and might flame out in the minors.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 3:08 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm on board with this one

and I’m definitely hoping Keith Law is as right about Freidrich as he’s been about Reynolds so far…

by Teekalong on Jun 5, 2008 3:08 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm hoping Keith Law's right on Friedrich,

but proves wrong on Reynolds.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 3:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Keith was right on Morales earlier, too ,though

So he has the track record lately, but I still hope that he’s wrong on Reynolds.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 3:11 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Reynolds

I know its a “sunk cost” argument and really meaningless at this point, but the draft position is a killer. If we picked up Reynolds at #25 I doubt anyone would be criticizing him at all, we’d be thrilled with his progress. But at #2…man. I just took a look at that draft order that year and nearly passed out. Kersahaw? Longoria? Miller? Lincecum? Unreal. Oh well, no use crying now…

by Teekalong on Jun 5, 2008 3:23 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Remember my mini-tangent about drafting for need?

I recall reading stories about the Rockies not selecting Longoria because they are already clogged at SS at 3B (his two best positions).... Well done, O’Dud. Well freaking done.

by rosenthal on Jun 5, 2008 3:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Insane

It seems utterly bizarre that any MLB team would draft due to perceived need. It rarely makes sense in the NBA or NFL, where guys are expected to contribute immediately…and it seems to make no sense at all in MLB with the lead time before showing up in the Show. All things being equal, sure, take a need guy. But things are almost never equal. And further, that doesn’t explain passing on Miller, Lincecum, Kershaw, Sherzer, etc. I know $$$ probably had a lot to do with that, which is just as frustrating. Oh well.

by Teekalong on Jun 5, 2008 3:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Money and positions

Rule small-market teams’ philosophies. I don’t mind passing on Scherzer and Kershaw and Lincecum. Those guys are likely to have injury problems due to their delivery (Scherzer and Lincecum) or the fact that they came from HS (Kershaw). Miller was a fairly polished pitcher and Longoria was a terrific hitter.

Oh well…. Can’t complain too terribly much. We did make the World Series, which was pretty fucking awesome.

by rosenthal on Jun 5, 2008 3:38 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

For sure.

That memory makes the rest of the problems sort of float away…

by Teekalong on Jun 5, 2008 3:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to my brief research

(told you I haven’t paid nearly as much to the MLB draft as to the NFL one) Friedrich is a great pickup for us, and will be good to have in the pipeline. Looks like he was the second-best college lefty available behind Matusz.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 3:55 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

nearly as much attention, that is

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 3:56 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then again

The organization will also have to prove they have the first idea about how to properly develop young pitching talent. Which I take leave to doubt.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 3:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

The first idea is fine:

See Jhoulys Chacin
Second idea, probably, see Aneury Rodriguez.
Third idea and after? I think that’s where are real difficulties lie.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 4:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

our real difficulties

That’s the second time I’ve made that error this week. I’m pretty ashamed of myself right now.

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 4:03 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

But we’ve had several minor league studs. It’s when they get up to the big club that they start going backwards.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 4:03 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

...

Some probably would have gone backward anyway (every team has prospects that make it to the majors and then flame out or at least struggle or regress). The question is how many of our team’s examples of this would have struggled either way and how many could have been developed better.

by holly96 on Jun 5, 2008 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was particularly thinking about

how the team really hasn’t done much at all to ease Reynolds’ transition to the big leagues—they just have him watch film and that’s it, as if he’s expected to know what adjustments to make and how. He’s a 21-year-old kid! That’s why we employ a quote-unquote professional coaching staff! It’s taken Cook six years to learn how to pitch, and it seemed as if his transformation from intriguing but frustrating pitcher to rotation anchor/ace happened this season with relatively little input from Apodaca & Co. Plus they tinkered with Morales’ mechanics in an attempt to improve control, and now he’s a complete mess (still a chance he can get fixed, but not what you want to see from a pitching prospect of that caliber). Corpas is completely ruined right now, Francis has gone backwards, Jimenez is trying to get away with throwing 1000mph, but still has sketchy control, and I generally haven’t seen a whole lot of maturity from our young stable that would lead me to expect that they’ll necessarily push the right buttons with Friedrich. I am, however, willing to give all of the said pitchers more time, but still. The organization has a spotty track record with pitchers, and we can’t even blame “Coors Canaveral” as much anymore.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 4:11 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And for that matter

It’s really hard to properly judge our AAA pitchers if they’re throwing in the un-humidored confines of Security Service Field. I don’t know if it’s under the Rockies’ jurisdiction or not, but they really should see if they can do something about that.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 5, 2008 4:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably the second best LHP, period

And I would say in the top half dozen pitchers overall. I’d have Matusz and Crow ahead of him, but he’d be in that second tier with Melville, Martin and Odorizzi

by Rox Girl on Jun 5, 2008 4:00 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs