Recent Pitching Call Ups

Collin Balester, WAS. In his three starts since being called up by the Nationals, Balester went from pretty good, to not so good, to even worse. His minor league numbers were nothing to get excited about, I mean his win/loss total was respectable, but his ERA was kind of robust. In his first big league start he gave up just one hit over five innings against Florida, so he has the skills to be effective, but by his last start he allowed 11 hits and didn't get through the fifth inning. Given the fact that he is also on a last place team, and in a division where you have to face the Phillies, Mets, Marlins, and Braves, I would try to find a better option out there than Balester.

Radhames Liz, BAL. Liz is definitely one of the better prospects in the Orioles system, but throughout his minor league career he has reminded me of another Orioles pitcher, Daniel Cabrera. Liz has electric stuff, but lacks the control and focus to really have his potential become fully realized. And it has shown since he came to the majors. Liz has a winning record at 3-2, but his ERA is hideous at 7.57. He has been a total rollercoaster ride. In his eight starts he has allowed two or three runs four times, and four runs or more (including eight in his most recent start) the other four. He hasn't been able to pitch deep into games, as he hasn't gotten through the fourth inning on three different occasions. All in all, Liz is a guy that I would definitely steer clear of right now.

Charlie Morton, ATL. Morton has had six starts with Atlanta, and outside of two clunkers, he has been a pretty effective (yet boring) pitcher. His AAA numbers from this year jump out of the page at you. Morton was 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 72 Ks in 79 innings. Yet he hasn't been able to transfer that dominance to the next level. He has allowed three runs or less in four of his six starts, but has only struck out 18 in over 30 innings to go with 12 walks. Morton has the ability to be a very effective pitcher in this league, but as of right now he has been a little too inconsistent to get excited about. Only grab him if you are having a rash of injuries or if you are in a keeper league.

Sean Gallagher, OAK. Gallagher is an interesting case because not only did he just change teams, but changed leagues as well. One of the major pieces of the trade that sent Rich Harden to Chicago, Gallagher was having a pretty decent season for the Cubs. He was 3-4 with an ERA around 4.40, but was on a pretty good streak when traded. In his first start in Oakland, Gallagher looked great, lasting seven innings, allowing just two runs and striking out seven. He is a decent, but not great prospect, gets better than average strikeouts (56 Ks in 65 IP), but his value has got to be knocked down some with a move to an offensively challenged team, and to the American League. One last thing to think about though, A's GM Billy Beane has pulled off some great trades in the past, and is a pretty good talent evaluator. Perhaps he sees something that we do not?

Chris Volstad, FLA. The most exciting guy on this list, Volstad was called up on July 6th to initially pitch out of the bullpen. It didn't take long for the Marlins to realize that was a mistake, and Volstad was starting a game just five days later. He is easily the best pitcher in the Marlins farm system, even though his minor league numbers weren't exactly gaudy. In 15 starts he was 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 56 Ks in 91 innings for Florida's AA affiliate. I was hesitant to jump to hard on the Volstad bandwagon when he was recalled as many players trying to jump from Double-A to the majors have a hard time with that adjustment. If his first two appearances are any indication, Volstad should be just fine. After throwing two shutout innings out of the pen for his first time out, Volstad pitched into the 9th inning in his first start before being unable to finish. All told in his first start he went 8.2 innings, allowed just one run and struck out six. Of all the recent young pitchers who have come to the majors, Volstad would be the first one that I would look at if you are looking to add some new blood to your team.

Eric Hurley, TEX. Hurley has made four starts with the Rangers, and as of right now is on the DL with a strained left hamstring. Hurley has made some improvements after a rough first outing, when he gave up four runs over six innings of work. Like most young pitchers, he hasn't been going deep into games, but in his last three starts he had given up two runs or less. His strikeouts aren't exactly Peavy-like (12 in 22.2 innings), but if he continues to win games, you can look past the low strikeout totals. It is nice that he is on an offensive powerhouse team like Texas, but around now down south the ball really starts to jump out of the yard, and the Ballpark at Arlington isn't exactly known as a pitchers' park. When Hurley comes off the DL, see what his next start or two are like and judge whether you have a spot for him on your team.

Chris Perez, STL. Perhaps the next young guy in the majors to be made into a closer, Perez joined the Cardinals on May 16th and has had some good times, and some bad times. He is a tremendously hard thrower and can hit 100 mph on the radar gun. He has struck out 22 batters in 23.2 innings, but has struggled with control, walking 15 over those innings. I don't think that Tony LaRussa will give him a chance to save games this year, but given the recent struggles of Ryan Franklin and Jason Isringhausen, anything can happen. Perez has a 2-1 record with a 4.18 ERA, which for a relief pitcher isn't good at all.