blackflash234 wrote:JaysProspects Blue Jays Prospects
Kyle Drabek 6IP 9H 4R 4ER 3BB 9K 97 Pitches (57-40) Score is tied at 4 and Travis Snider is 2-3 2RBI 2SB @lasVegas51s
One of the better outings for Drabek I suppose. Slowly tryna build game by game.
From Davidi on sportsnet.ca
Drabek started the season with the Blue Jays and held his own early on, but by the time of his mid-June demotion, he was barely treading water in the deep end. In 14 big-league starts, he was 4-5 with a 5.70 ERA and at the time led the majors with both 52 walks and 10 wild pitches. His WHIP was an abysmal 1.79.
So down he went, ordered to pitch without his cutter to help him improve his fastball command, and also further develop his curveball and changeup.
All the factors combined have pulled Drabek from his comfort zone and forced him to make adjustments. That's why the Blue Jays can look at his last start against Oklahoma City, when he allowed five runs, three earned, on 10 hits and two walks in six innings, and see progress.
"He gave up some early runs, but found a way to stay composed, stay in control relatively and get through six innings," said Farrell. "Even though it was an ugly line, he came away feeling like, 'OK, I got something accomplished within this game.'"
Still, learning to carry an unsightly ERA must be a shock to the system for Drabek, who has experienced very little prior failure in his young career. That is why, much in the same way they did with Brett Cecil, Travis Snider and Brett Lawrie, the Blue Jays are preaching process over end results.
"The conversations between starts really have to be objective between (Vegas manager) Marty Brown and (pitching coach) Tom Signore and Kyle," says Farrell. "If Kyle attaches himself to an ERA, he's going to ride the elevator up and down and his self-worth is going to be attached to what the number of the ERA is. So this has an opportunity to be a tremendous learning experience for Kyle in that regardless of what the numbers state, here is where you are as a pitcher.
"That's where the teaching has to go beyond what the paper says."
I think that last part is important. Too many people in today's day and age are just way too attached to numbers. Don't get me wrong, I don't dismiss numbers outright, I think there a fairly important gauge as to where a player is at, but there are still numerous things outside of numbers that are crucial to the development of a player.
In Drabek's case, it's played out similarly to how I thought it might at the start of the season. I thought Drabek would make the team moreso out of being the showpiece in the Halladay deal as oppose to on Merit. I didn't think he was ready for the bigs yet... Initially he held his own, but in time, well, we all saw what happened. Let's just hope he can re-invent himself down there and come back strong.