Ben Lively hit a home run last night

[mackenzie45220]

Kyle Waldrop also hit two and Yorman hit one. I've got to say, that seems to be a bit of a bonus that our bigger starting pitching prospects seem to provide. I don't know if Lively also spent time as a position player in college, but he's rocking a .294/.333/.529 slash line right now, obviously too small a sample size to get much information, but it seems unlikely that the Reds worked on his hitting much in the offseason seeing as he wasn't expected to be playing in a league without a DH. In a larger sample, Michael Lorenzen (former centerfielder) is hitting .214/.313/.429 with only 8 SOs in 38 plate appearances. He also has a home run to his credit, and 3 doubles. Not a big deal, but it's a bonus.

[redsfanman]

You know, homeruns hit by pitchers are one of the last statistics I care about in their performance.  Eventually opposing pitchers will learn Ben Lively and Mike Lorenzen's weaknesses as hitters, as they did Mike Leake's.  If Lively and Lorenzen become progressively worse hitters while becoming better pitchers, like Leake has done, I'll be happy enough.  Even if all three (Lively, Lorenzen, Leake) become 'good hitting pitchers' they should still regularly be pinch hit for.  Hopefully Lively and Lorenzen's early bat control translates into bunting ability.

Mike Leake, each year with sample sizes around 60 plate appearances:
2010:  .333 average, .407 OBP, 0 HR
2011:  .200 average, .214 OBP, 0 HR
2012:  .295 average, .306 OBP, 2 HR
2013:  .190 average, .215 OBP, 0 HR
2014:  .164 average, .179 OBP, 2 HR
Career:  .234 average, .263 OBP, 4 HR in 282 ABs, with most success coming in 2010 and 2012.

Of course my favorite homerun hitting pitcher is Bronson Arroyo, who hit 2 in his first season with the Reds, 2006.  He hit 4 more in his following 7 years with the Reds, for a total of 6 in 521 ABs.


Kyle Waldrop, at age 22, is having a fairly impressive season, by far the best of his career.  Right when it was looking like time to cross him off the prospect lists, it looks like he belongs back on them.  His numbers show a big improvement from last year, which he spent entirely in Bakersfield.  Since being promoted to Pensacola he hasn't been great, but he hasn't hit a wall either.  He might deserve to start next year in Louisville, while Pensacola teammates like Winker, Seth Mejias-Brean, and Ryan Wright seem sure to return to AA.  I made a list of Reds prospects (totaling 47) recently, and I just moved Waldrop up to #17.  Hey, it's something.

I wonder what happens to Yorman Rodriguez, Mr Raw Talent.  He could conceivably get a September callup, get sent to the AFL, and/or start next season back in Pensacola.  Who knows?

[floydgator]

Yorman is too young to give up on as a prospect, but I'll admit it, I've given up on him.