1. Joe Guillen - He can get groundballs when he needs them in a jam. He's a good late inning man, which is when being a pitcher really counts. His fastball gets into the high 80s, but it's the sink that makes the pitch effective. Guillen also has a decent changeup. Guillen does an average job of holding runners. Guillen is nothing special in the field. Guillen also throws a screwball. He attacks lefties and righties with similar success. Guillen is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Guillen has some pop in his swing.
2. Mike Birch - Birch can get into trouble with walks, and there's concern about him being able to maintain his stuff over the whole season. His slow delivery makes him fairly easy to steal upon, but Birch helps himself by holding runners with throws to first, and with slide steps and varied deliveries to home. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! He hurts himself by falling awkwardly off the mound in his follow-through, which allows too many balls to go through the middle for base hits. Never a hard thrower, Birch now has games when he can't hit 85 MPH with his fastball. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Birch is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Birch has some pop in his swing.
3. Art Tessdale - Tessdale's move to first base is average. He tends to fall off slightly to the first-base side of the mound, making him vulnerable to bunts toward third base. He makes up for that minor flaw by being aggressive in fielding his position. Sometimes I wish he'd just give up on throwing the changeup, it's like a BP ball! He walks too many hitters and throws too many pitches. He frequently leaves fastballs up in the strike zone, where they get pounded. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Tessdale is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Tessdale has some pop in his swing.
4. Peter Horn - He's got a really stong arm, so he can blow it by you on occasion. He's a good athlete and moves around well, fielding his position with Gold Glove potential. He struggles with his command at times and is still learning to mix his pitches and set up hitters. He has a fair pickoff move and isn't a particularly easy target for basestealers. He frequently leaves fastballs up in the strike zone, where they get pounded. He attacks lefties and righties with similar success. Horn is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Horn has some pop in his swing. Interesting sidenote, The Free Agents have been known to use Horn as a pinch-runner on occasion.
5. Frank Murray - When sportscasters talk about Murray's rubber arm, they're not kidding. Sometimes I think he can start both games of a double header! Murray expects to be an active participant in the infield defense and does a good job of getting to grounders back up the middle. He has an above-average changeup and the ability to throw from a variety of arm angles. Murray does an average job of holding runners. Because he can't overpower hitters, Murray has to fool them instead. His pitches lose some movement when he pitches from the stretch position. His stuff becomes less sharp as he gets into the late innings. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Murray is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Murray has some pop in his swing.
6. Joakim Switala - He gobbles up comebackers, sometimes roaming far from the mound to get a glove on a ball. Switala has to keep the ball down, especially against lefties, or he gets hit hard and often. His fastball gets into the high 80s, but it's the sink that makes the pitch effective. He's reasonably quick to the plate but needs to vary his pickoff moves. Good baserunners appeared to time him last year. He comes right after righthanded hitters, who are lucky even to reach base against him, but he works more carefully to lefties. Switala is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Switala has some pop in his swing.
7. Rob Grayson - Grayson doesn't have great speed, though he reads righthanders' moves well enough to steal a few bases each season without getting caught very often. When you play Grayson you're not putting him in for his glove. His arm is accurate enough. Grayson always has been a line-drive hitter who uses the entire field. He hits righthanders and lefthanders with equal consistency.
8. Wally Brown - Brown is a control pitcher; when he's on he has pinpoint control. He can get groundballs when he needs them in a jam. The bottom also falls out of his very good changeup. His pickoff move is only fair. He isn't especially quick off the mound but generally fields his position adequately. He can hit 90 MPH but is too smart to try to get his fastball past most hitters. He traditionally fares better against lefties. Brown is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Brown has some pop in his swing.
9. Darren Hooke - He has a very good move to first base and is solid at controlling the running game. He tends to fall off slightly to the first-base side of the mound, making him vulnerable to bunts toward third base. He makes up for that minor flaw by being aggressive in fielding his position. He walks too many hitters and throws too many pitches. He can hit 90 MPH but is too smart to try to get his fastball past most hitters. But Hooke, do us a favor. Stop throwing that changeup. It looks like a beachball. He's almost as effective against lefthanders as he is versus righthanders. Hooke is a surpisingly good hitting pitcher. And I'm not sure you can say this about a pitcher, but Hooke has some pop in his swing.
10. Turner Lazzeri - One of Lazzeri's strongest assets is his performance with men in scoring position. Turner Lazzeriis Mr. Clutch. He's an adequate shortstops who is helped by his experience. His arm is accurate enough. Lazzeri doesn't have great speed, though he reads righthanders' moves well enough to steal a couple bases each season without getting caught very often. Lazzeri never has been a patient hitter. He hits righthanders and lefthanders with equal consistency.