What is Brent Suter's ceiling?

[clancyphile]

Kodi Medeiros and Nathan Kirby, recent first-round picks, have gotten a lot of the attention.

 

But what about Brent Suter, who has posted a 2,02 ERA in Biloxi, has only allowed two home runs all year, and seems to be putting it all together. That 2.02 ERA, by the way, comes on a .310 BABIP.

 

Is he part of the Brewers' rotation in the future? If so, is he another potential ace, a #3 starter, or someone in the back end of the rotation? Failing that, where does he fit in the bullpen? A LOOGY? A closer?

 

How high does Brent Suter go?

[Outlander]

Well I don't think he is a loogy because his splits against lefties are not that great. Doesn't mean he couldn't be a big leaguer, but he will have to continue to get righties out at a consistent rate. A Neal Cotts type guy maybe.

[Mr Southpaw]

Ivy League graduate (making him very smart) and an assortment of pitches with an average to below average fastball. Chris Capiano (spelling) type starter, maybe better. I like him a lot. Not a thrower, but a pitcher. Greg Maddox lived at 90 miles an hour for the last half of his career. Not saying he is Maddox.

[clancyphile]

Ivy League graduate (making him very smart) and an assortment of pitches with an average to below average fastball. Chris Capiano (spelling) type starter, maybe better. I like him a lot. Not a thrower, but a pitcher. Greg Maddox lived at 90 miles an hour for the last half of his career. Not saying he is Maddox.

 

The Capuano comparison is interesting, particularly prior to `08. Jamie Moyer is another possibility, albeit Suter seems to avoid the gopher ball.

 

The question is... to maximize his chances of reaching his ceiling, do the Brewers put him in the 2016 rotation, do they risk him in Colorado Springs, or do they keep him at AA for another year?

[SRB]

He's old for his level and hasn't even been used exclusively as a SP. Given the way the Brewers organization has handled him, I'd say his ceiling is a lower-tier RP. Nothing wrong with that though.

[ebmackenzie]

He will get a shot to be a player. Ceiling? He will be measured against Hobbs, Strong, Seidenberger as lefties and other long relievers on the whole. He doesn't have enough to punch through like JLopez, Cravy, or Wagner (and those are low end rotation guys that will be drafted over and traded over given the chance).

[JohnBriggs12]

Well I don't think he is a loogy because his splits against lefties are not that great. Doesn't mean he couldn't be a big leaguer, but he will have to continue to get righties out at a consistent rate. A Neal Cotts type guy maybe.

 

 

I'd take his minor league splits with a big grain of salt. Usually the left-handed hitters in the lineup against a lefty starter are the top hitters period so they don't face many average left-handed hitters. If he were converted to relief, he'd probably lean more on breaking stuff to lefty hitters as that would be his primary job. That's not to say he can't have a career as a finesse lefty starter. But he's going to first have to get an opportunity and at 25 and still in AA, who knows if that will happen.

[TheCrew07]

I'd take his minor league splits with a big grain of salt. Usually the left-handed hitters in the lineup against a lefty starter are the top hitters period so they don't face many average left-handed hitters. If he were converted to relief, he'd probably lean more on breaking stuff to lefty hitters as that would be his primary job. That's not to say he can't have a career as a finesse lefty starter. But he's going to first have to get an opportunity and at 25 and still in AA, who knows if that will happen.

 

That's not true at all, there's no platooning in the low minors and rarely do you see it even at AAA.

[reillymcshane]

Older player with average to below average stuff. Nothing stands out. Walks a few too many guys. Has produce solid, if unremarkable, results in his career (this year has been his best season).

 

Guys like this often get lit up as they start facing upper level hitters. He's not had to face lots of players over and over in his career. He's used his smarts and experience to succeed thus far. As I said, many of these guys get hammered as they get to AAA and the majors.

 

His ceiling? Back of the rotation, long reliever guy? Maybe develop into a Loogy by altering his delivery a bit. But that's a high point. I'm skeptical of these soft tosser types. There are so many guys like this that fail. Some eventually succeed, so you're an idiot not to keep trying and developing him, but those are the exceptions to the rule. The good part is the guy isn't stupid. He probably knows he needs to do certain things to succeed.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd take his minor league splits with a big grain of salt. Usually the left-handed hitters in the lineup against a lefty starter are the top hitters period so they don't face many average left-handed hitters. If he were converted to relief, he'd probably lean more on breaking stuff to lefty hitters as that would be his primary job. That's not to say he can't have a career as a finesse lefty starter. But he's going to first have to get an opportunity and at 25 and still in AA, who knows if that will happen.

 

That's not true at all, there's no platooning in the low minors and rarely do you see it even at AAA.

 

 

I stand corrected though I do think it's fairly common at AAA for non-prospects who share positions.

[clancyphile]

So... if he is still with the Brewers in 2016 (assuming he's not a Rule 5 pick), do you give him a chance to win rotation spot? Do you send him to Colorado Springs? Or does he go back to AA?

[reillymcshane]

So... if he is still with the Brewers in 2016 (assuming he's not a Rule 5 pick), do you give him a chance to win rotation spot? Do you send him to Colorado Springs? Or does he go back to AA?

Send him to AAA. I realize Colo Springs is a crappy place to evaluate players, but that's where Suter will start facing veteran AAAA players - guys like Clark who have been around and give him a more realistic test of his abilities. If Brent can do decent against them, it's a good test to see if he has what it takes to move on.

[wildcat2237]

The Brewers drafted Suter in the 31st round back in 2012.

 

Since then he's done one thing, get people out.

 

He posted a 3.92 ERA in 43 innings at Helena in 2012. Then a 2.08 ERA in 12 innings in Wisconsin.

 

In 2013 he went back to Wisconsin and got more people out to the tune of a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings before being promoted to Brevard where he put up a 3.63 ERA in 124 innings.

 

In 2014 he went to AA and put up a 3.96 ERA in 152 innings.

 

This year he's put up a 2.22 ERA in 101 innings between Biloxi and Colorado Springs.

 

Any chance we might have another Mike Fiers, completely under the radar back end starter on our hands here? Anybody seen him live? What kind of stuff is he keeping hitters off balance with?

 

He's 25, so he's no spring chicken, but by the looks of it he does one thing, gets people out no matter where he goes....

[reillymcshane]

There was a thread on Suter a month or so back.

 

viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33058

 

Big difference between Fiers and Suter is the former's ability to strikeout batters. Fier's always excelled at striking out batters in the minors and majors - even with his limited stuff. Still, you can't ignore Suter's success.

[Mass Haas]

Prior two posts merged into the previous thread...

[clancyphile]

There was a thread on Suter a month or so back.

 

viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33058

 

Big difference between Fiers and Suter is the former's ability to strikeout batters. Fier's always excelled at striking out batters in the minors and majors - even with his limited stuff. Still, you can't ignore Suter's success.

 

In AAA, there's a 2.59 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in COLORADO SPRINGS. His ERA was below 2 in Biloxi. I'm ready to say he's the best LHP starter prospect the Brewers have. Yes, better than Kirby or Medeiros. He may make it into the top five on my ballot.

 

If he ends up picked by some other team in the Rule V draft, I'm gonna be fuming.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't see what the Brewers would have to lose with a September call up and giving him a few starts. Anyone remember the last lefty to start a game for the Brewers? If you guessed Tom Gorzelanny, you'd be correct, back on August 28, 2013. That's 317 straight games started by a RH pitcher. That has to be some sort of record. Would much rather see Suter on 40 man over the winter than Hellweg.

[Outlander]

Would prefer Suter in September over the younger guys where service time could become an issue. Suter is already 26 so probably not much of an issue with him.

[FVBrewerFan]

I'm sorry, I'm just not sold. Same reason I'm not sold on Ortega- they don't strike people out. If you can't over-power or fool hitters more often in the minors, that usually does not translate well to MLB. It's not impossible, and I hope I'm wrong. Because if he can stick in the rotation, it would be great to have a lefty. Not only that, you would now have two pitchers in the 2016 rotation that we never would have imagined earlier this year- with the higher ceiling guys (Lopez, Hader, etc.) coming up right behind.

[Jenkins5]

Lefty Ben Hendrickson?

[And That]

Last I knew, Suter has a fastball in the upper 80's, touching 90. Pretty good deception in his delivery, which works even more in his favor given his height. Decent change-up, and a curve I don't remember seeing anything about recently. I hope they call him up just to see his trademark quick work rate - he's the anti-Doug Davis.

[FVBrewerFan]

Well, that's part of what worries me. If a lot of his success depends on his ultra-quick work rate, deceptive delivery, he can get through MLB line-ups once or twice, but eventually they will settle in and get used to it. You're left with a lefty throwing an 88 mph FB with nothing real special to go along with it.

[reillymcshane]

Lefty Ben Hendrickson?

Been had a superior curveball - at least it was good when he could control it. Suter (and lots of other guys) don't sport any one great tool, which can hurt them in the long run.