Gerrit Cole player comparison and ETA

by BadAndy on Oct 27, 2011 9:38 AM EDT

So in his first 3 AFL starts he seems to get better with each one. Yesterday was a prime example on he can become against lessor talent. He pitched 3.2 hitless innings with 4 K's and an unearned run. His stuff is consistently in the upper 90s with solid secondary stuff to boot. When I looked up his stats I spent last night trying to find a pitcher to compare him to. I find it. His name is Tim Lincecum. If you can look past his lanky frame and his crazy pitching motion his stats are certainly comparable.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/linceti01.shtml

The only thing to be concerned about would be when he will make his Pirates debut. I think the conservative route would be ASB 2013 (as to prevent the Pirates from paying him insane Super 2 Arb salary of $10+ million). But what if somehow the Pirates get off to that same good start as last year. Do you bring up when all the other pitchers eventually wear down again.

Do you agree or disagree with the Tim Lincecum comparison with a ASB 2013 arrival?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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I hope Cole is ever as good as Lincecum but.....

Lincecum is usually compared to guys with a really unconventional motion or stuff. Like Cole’s former teammate Trevor Bauer. Cole seems like a really conventional pitcher. I think, if you’re going to shoot for the moon, Verlander is a better comp.

by my dixie wrecked on Oct 27, 2011 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

verlander is the better comp because both he and Cole can sustain upper 90mph deep into ballgames

not many flamethrowers can do this

by white angus on Oct 27, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

i will

take the verlander comp

by Dalas Mallon-loeb on Oct 27, 2011 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

hmm, let me think

Verlander or Lincecum? Lincecum or Verlander?
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Turns out I don’t care which of the two it is :-o

by BurgherKing on Oct 27, 2011 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Unless I am a landlord, then Verlander is the clear winner.

I could feel his muscle tissues collapse under my force. It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm. ~~ Mike Tyson

by Cheap Beer on Oct 27, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

niiiiiiiiiiice

rectafied!

by white angus on Oct 27, 2011 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions

Does anybody REALLY think that the Pirates front office is going to race Cole through the minor league system?

by Thunder on Oct 27, 2011 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

I don't think they will "race" him

but he should be on the fast track IMO. No doubt he should be at AA at some point this season, whether its to start the year or by mid season (if all goes well if he were to start at A+). That sets him up for a potential debut mid 2013. Not sure if that is racing him if he is putting up the numbers to warrant such a call up

Thats what she said! - Michael Gary Scott

by C Shint on Oct 27, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know...

This FO really takes into consideration effectively a calculation:

(difficulty of level of play) x (IP) where the difficulty is a multiplier that increases at each level.

PDW some scouts, I actually believe this to be legit with respect to the load on a MiLB pitcher.

That said, if Cole were to start in AA…I guess it is all going to come down to how they calculate his UCLA innings into a workload…and how that compares to the AA workload, and go from there (working to create some sort of uniform workload increase, building him up the ML level). They may even start him in A+ just for a few starts to keep his overall workload down a little…more IP, less workload per the calculation.

by insane_sanity on Oct 27, 2011 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I assume...

you are figuring Cole to Altoona this season because his UCLA teammate, Bauer, ended his 2010 season there.

by Thunder on Oct 27, 2011 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions

by ended…you mean “left his tits there”, right?

because he got them RIPPED in that last outing…

by insane_sanity on Oct 27, 2011 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions

ripped the f off...

thats why hes not pitching in the AFL. titty re-attachment surgery

by white angus on Oct 27, 2011 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

If there’s any Pirates’ prospect that could be, it’s Cole.

by thegreatchris on Oct 27, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

this!!!!

by white angus on Oct 27, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, he will garner attendance numbers like Strasburg's

and folks will be buying his jersey as soon as he gets his MLB number. Why do folks always ignore the entertainment perspective?

by Central*Scrutinizer on Oct 27, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t see the Strasburg-like attendance numbers coming unless he’s lights out in the minors. And I’m not going to assume it’s going to happen just because of 3 starts in the AFL.

by Thunder on Oct 27, 2011 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

he still wouldnt draw fans with lights out numbers

strasburg was practically a legend coming out of san diego. the hype was there when he was a sophomore.

Cole? not so much.

by white angus on Oct 27, 2011 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions

look where all that hype got him

TJ surgery

by BadAndy on Oct 28, 2011 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Still, Strasburg was an all-star caliber pitcher when on the mound, and it's hard to deny that

I would’ve put him in the all-star game in his rookie year, despite him having I think only single digit starts, he pitched similar innings I think to some of the relievers who got in the game, and his appearance in the game would probably have only been 1 inning tops anyways. He deserved the hype in my eyes.

by Justin Mos on Oct 28, 2011 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree Justin. I thought he was one of the best dozen pitchers in the NL heading into that game. Some argued that he should wait his turn, because there will be many ASGs in his future. Well, sometimes there is no future because injuries get in the way. It looks like he has rebounded from his first TJ surgery, but there’s no guarantee he’ll hold up through May. He might never be as dominant as he was that first game against the Pirates.

by bolton on Oct 28, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Delwyn Young’s 30 seconds of fame

by Mr. E on Oct 28, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Useful Trivia

I will be of good use at trivia nights no matter how intoxicated if this comes up

The glare of the spotlight is harsh, and the pressure that success breeds immense. We revere our heroes, but expect much. And criticism can come as easily as praise.
Perspectives become reality.
Twitter: @shanecglass

by glass0941 on Nov 1, 2011 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Not right away, but a couple 12-K games in the majors will change things. The Pirates got big walk-up crowds when Oliver Perez was pitching well.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 28, 2011 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

TV Game

Remember, the rising star game for the Arizona Fall League will be on the MLB Network on Nov 5th, AND Gerritt Cole will be the starter, going against Danny Hultzen

by Skipperron on Oct 29, 2011 2:55 PM EDT reply actions

A.J.

Burnett seems like a great current comp to me. Insane stuff but he loses it on occasion (similar to Cole’s changeup) and has command issues.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 2, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t you put that evil on me Rick Bobby!

by glass0941 on Nov 2, 2011 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions

If

Cole’s floor is Burnett though, that’s sweet.

I mean, that’s a consistent 2.9 WAR pitcher (Burnett has crossed that threshold 6 times, including only missing that once in his first 7 seasons in which he pitched at least 120 IP – he’s sucked the last two year).

Good Burnett has put up 5+ WAR twice as well, and Cole’s ceiling is probably higher than that.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 3, 2011 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions