BPro on Will Inman

[Ennder]

BPro did their top 11 prospects for the padres.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7162

 

Inman came in at number 8 as a 3 star prospect. Garrison missed the top 11 and is listed as a 2 star prospect.

 

I hope that quote isn't too long to include but it was a long article so I think it is ok. I know a lot of people still think it was a huge mistake to trade him but it just seems like everything points at him being a Capuano/Bush type of guy and not some star.

 

 

EDIT: Removed privileged content - b19

[brewers19]

You can summarize it if you want, but please don't copy and paste from subscriber-only articles.

[PeaveyFury]

It really is astounding to see how far Inman's star has faded over just a matter of months.

[Fear The Chorizo]

that's what happens to a guy with marginal stuff and good command once he advances towards the higher minor league levels. It also goes to show just how skewed we all tend to be when evaluating a team that we root for's prospects. His minor league numbers were outstanding, but I think every single organization has a few pitching prospects who get lost in the shuffle once they start facing more complete hitters.

[Ennder]

Ok to paraphrase it. They think his upside is as a #4/#5 starter and his stuff isn't all that great but his command is. I got the idea that they think he is a major league pitcher, just not with much upside.

[logan82]

So Ben Hendrickson pretty much?

[bullox]

Hendrickson had a plus curveball that he couldn't locate. Think more along the lines of a homeless man's Greg Maddux.

[dadofandrew]

I don't think his stock has fallen at all, I just feel many had unrealistic expectations based on his stats in leagues where only a couple players ever see the major leagues. Add that to his size and lack of velocity, he is what he is...a nice prospect, but several steps below Yo, and probably a couple behind Carlos V.

 

He's a lot better than I am, but I sure don't see stardom.

[erbacaine04]

Hendrickson had a plus curveball that he couldn't locate. Think more along the lines of a homeless man's Greg Maddux.

 

Think more along the lines of Carlos Villy...who has to have perfect command and control to do well..... once he starts pitching more in the rotation you will see why CV was not a highly touted prospect at all.......

 

He has the ceiling of a 4/5 pitcher as well... and I see CV being the righty version of Cappy..

 

Will Inman will be decent if he can get out of the minors and actually get to pitch in that grand canyon called PETCO... but he is starting at Double A again this year because he did terrible there for the Brewers and the Pads last season.....

and Double A is where you really start to see if your pitching prospects can actually be succesfull

[endaround]

Except of course he only did terrible if you judge ERA. He had 82 Ks in 80 innings of work in AA compared to 35 BBs as a 20 year old. Pitchers have to have a good deal of talent to K hitters that much. Yes he has some control issues but only those focused on ERA think he did terriblely.

[hauser42]

Inman's test is in the next two years to see if he can get AA and AAA batters. Yes he has more Ks than innings pitched last year while with two teams. What I look at him I see that batters are catching up to him. He allowd 106 baserunners in 80 innings last year. Walks are respectable but players are starting to hit his stuff and is only going to get tougher to get out up the ladder.

[jazzytrav]

It also goes to show just how skewed we all tend to be when evaluating a team that we root for's prospects.

I don't disagree that this happens, but I disagree that it was the case with Inman. Baseball America had him in their Top 100 prospects in '07.

[GAME05]

but at his age, couldn't you figure that he'll be able to gain some muscle and add 2-3 mph on his pitches to make him harder to hit? at what age do pitchers tend to stop adding speed to their throws?

[Thurston Fluff]

Except of course he only did terrible if you judge ERA. He had 82 Ks in 80 innings of work in AA compared to 35 BBs as a 20 year old. Pitchers have to have a good deal of talent to K hitters that much. Yes he has some control issues but only those focused on ERA think he did terriblely.

This is more a general question than one specific to Inman but are all k's equal in the minors? I'd have to think pitching to guys who will chase the 3-2, 88mph fastball, 3" off the plate looks good on paper but in reality it's more telling how poor the hitter's stike zone judgement is than how good the pitcher is. He's a control pitcher with marginal stuff so I'd expect him to be able to strike out a lot of undisiplined, marginaly talented minor league hitters but struggle with the truely talented ones. I think looking at any one stat ging to give a pretty incomplete picture with that type of pitcher.

[Tbadder]

I've often thought the same thing. I don't want to know any player's overall stats. I wanna know what he hits like against other three star or higher prospects or how he pitches against three star or higher prospects. The minors are littered with ineffectual players filling up rosters etc. Why would anyone take stats against these players for anything more than they are worth? Why would we weight them evenly?

[Ennder]

K's drop at every level in the minors but keeping it at over 1 K per IP is still a good sign in AA.

[TooLiveBrew]

AA is really where you start to see that sort of 'filler'/marginal talent really drop out imo, buc & Tbadder. 82 Ks in 80 IP at AA is nothing to sneeze at. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[endaround]

Does this mean Inman is ready? not close. But a 20 year old doing that at AA doesn't mean the guy had some sort of huge regression. And that he is repeating AA at 21 hardly means he is falling behind.

[hauser42]

It also goes to show just how skewed we all tend to be when evaluating a team that we root for's prospects.

I don't disagree that this happens, but I disagree that it was the case with Inman. Baseball America had him in their Top 100 prospects in '07.

 

It sure happened on this site last year when Inman was included in the deal last year. You would have thought the Brewers gave up a pitcher that would be an ace for 15 years with the team.

[molitor fan]

It sure happened on this site last year when Inman was included in the deal last year. You would have thought the Brewers gave up a pitcher that would be an ace for 15 years with the team

 

Actually, how I remember it is that there were a great number of disrespectful comments made towards those that follow the minor leagues by several individuals that could not name a Brewers minor league franchise.

[jazzytrav]

It sure happened on this site last year when Inman was included in the deal last year. You would have thought the Brewers gave up a pitcher that would be an ace for 15 years with the team

 

Actually, how I remember it is that there were a great number of disrespectful comments made towards those that follow the minor leagues by several individuals that could not name a Brewers minor league franchise.

That's pretty much how I remember it, too. I'm sure if you pulled out the thread again, it would show that the majority of posters saw Inman as a #4 or #5 starter, the same that he's being projected right now. I think most people were just upset because we gave up 3 prospects for a relief pitcher rental, not as much that we lost our ace for the next 15 years.

[trwi7]

Here's the thread. I only read the first page.

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?t=409

[TheCrew07]

Jazzy nailed it....

 

Giving up 3 prospects for 20 innings, regardless of the prospects, didn't sit well with many of us. I never viewed Linebrink as a savior and never thought he'd be the difference in the season down the stretch. It was a question of value for many of us, and personally speaking with all of the troubles the Brewers have had developing pitching I have a very hard time with any deal that includes pitching, especially a deal for 3 pitchers that nets us a backend bullpen guy for 20 innings or so. It's just how I felt about it. Following the minors Inman was someone you could root for, if for no other reason than his quotes always made me a chuckle a bit.

 

I still hope he succeeds, though I quit following his career after he was traded, I was more interested in what Thatcher was doing... though I did read Mass's updates as the season wound up.