Baseball Crank: BASEBALL: The Big Y

March 4, 2005

BASEBALL: The Big Y

One of the great tantalizing hopes of the Mets farm system is 20-year-old Yusmeiro Petit, who needs a nickname - for now, "the Big Y" will do - until I can remember how to spell his name. Jason Mastaitis has links to this Newsday report:

Drafted as a 16-year-old, the beefy Venezuelan has rocketed to the top of the prospect list by jumping two levels last season. He was first among all minor-leaguers in strikeouts per nine innings (12.92) and ended his climb at Double-A Binghamton, where he is expected to start this year.

Petit's minor league numbers are out of this world: in 214 career innings in the minors (all as a starter), he has posted a 2.23 ERA and averaged 5.73 Hits/9IP, 0.42 HR/9, 2.15 BB/9 and 12.00 K/9. Now, Petit has thus far thrown only 12 innings above A ball, so it's premature to pencil him in for greatness. But everything I've seen about him suggests an obvious parallel: Sid Fernandez (Paul White makes the comparison here). Like Sid, Petit is a big guy - listed at 230 pounds in some recent sources - but lacks the high-grade heat usually associated with big strikeout pitchers, and thus his spectacular minor-league successes (like Sid's) are sometimes written off as not able to be duplicated at the big league level. But, like Sid, he has a not-really-secret weapon that doesn't show up on the radar gun:

A high-tech lab in Birmingham, Alabama, revealed why batters have so many problems hitting Yusmeiro Petit, even though he doesn't reach 90 mph.
The slow-motion cameras, which take pictures more than 16 times faster than a standard video recorder, showed that Petit manages to keep the ball hidden longer than other pitchers.

Jason quotes a Baseball America blurb that confirms this impression:

"I just can't hit him. You just can't pick the ball up off him." - Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss

Sounds like a guy who's built for Shea.

Posted by Baseball Crank at 12:05 PM | Baseball 2005 | Comments (5) | TrackBack (1)

Comments

You say gun ownership is necessary to a free society. Then why is America no longer a free society?

The 2nd Amendment is now moot. It was given to us by our forefathers so we could defend against a military takeover. That military takeover is on the verge of happening, and you aren't even alarmed about it. In fact, you welcome it.

Why? Because it's been a far right takeover, and you're far right. You would only break out the rifles and resist by force if it was a left wing takeover. Which will never happen now because the far right beat them to the punch.

You're like the average German was 70 years ago. You're so cowardly and acquiescent that you rubber-stamp everything the far right has done the last thirty years.

America will continue to exist after martial law has been declared. America will still exist after an armed insurrection has been fought and won. But it won't be the same America. It will be more like the Second American Republic. And it's hard to say how many American republics there will be after that. Look at France.

In Jesus' Glorious and Holy name,
Dean Berry -- REAL American

Posted by: Dean Berry -- REAL American at March 4, 2005 12:51 PM

That's about the most pitch-perfect troll post I've ever seen: the overwrought rhetoric, the inevitable Nazi analogy, the complete ignorance of my views on the subject discussed, and best yet, the fact that it has absolutely nothing to do with a post about baseball.

Posted by: The Crank at March 4, 2005 1:36 PM

I really thought I clicked on the wrong comments section from that first post. Tis' a great troll. Anyhoo...

I love the Petit graphic!

People still doubt him (and BA had him ranked "only" 46th on their list despite 200+ strikeouts last year) but he's the real deal - the Peterson data really confirms it.

It's the second coming of El Sid, ETA 2006. I can't wait!

Posted by: Jay at March 4, 2005 3:16 PM

Don't mind the troll.

He's still seething over the Kazmir trade.

I am looking forward to following Petit this year. Just like I'm going to enjoy watching Wright at 3rd.

Posted by: Will at March 4, 2005 8:28 PM

I stumbled upon this doing some market research. Petit has great numbers. He also has had a steep learning curve both culturally and in terms of his maturity. I was hopeful when the Marlins got him that LoDuca would get to work with him, as he is very good with pitchers like Petit. He should still do well, and probably has more opportunity with the Fleeing Fish.

Posted by: mlnsports at May 6, 2006 8:51 PM