For more on Patterson’s past, go here.
Can Scott Patterson make it to the big leagues? Sounds like a crazy question at first, doesn’t it? The majors, after all, are a long way from the Frontier League, where Patterson spent the first three seasons of his professional career. But once you look closely at Patterson’s numbers and the direction he’s trending, it suddenly doesn’t sound so crazy. The 6-7, 225-pound righthander has a chance.
Patterson’s career can be divided into two categories: his time as a starter and his time in the bullpen. We’ll focus on his statistics as a reliever because that’s the role he’ll fill as a New York Yankees farmhand this summer.
Since Patterson was shifted to the bullpen midway through the 2005 season, this is his line:
- 113 innings
- 80 hits
- 29 earned runs
- 2.31 ERA
- 0.93 WHIP
- 147 strikeouts
- 25 walks
Those stats include his stays in the Frontier League, Atlantic League and Eastern League. Patterson has been overpowering at every level and his production hasn’t slipped as the level of competition has escalated. He has posted a gaudy 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has fanned 11.7 batters per nine innings during this time. Patterson has every positive statistical indicator working in his favor except for his 13 home runs allowed.
This is a significant sample size, so it can’t be dismissed as a fluke. Plus, Patterson was an above average starter in the Frontier League with particuarly strong K-to-BB numbers. Command has never been an issue for him. The problem was his repertoire of pitches wasn’t deep enough to succeed in the Atlantic League or above. When facing veteran hitters, his fastball-curve combination couldn’t get him through the lineup multiple times. As a result, Patterson’s ERA as a starter with the Barnstormers was 4.76. A change was needed.
“When he was starting, he was trying to do things he wasn’t capable of doing,” Barnstormers catcher Lance Burkhart said in June. “He was trying to be a location pitcher. He’s more of a power pitcher.”
Once manager Tom Herr put Patterson in the pen, everything shifted. He got some extra juice on his fastball because he no longer had to pace himself through five or six innings. Instead of running it up there at 86 or 87, he was routinely hitting 90 or 91. That extra velocity made a big difference and made his curve even more effective because hitters had to respect his fastball. There are plenty of relievers who can excel with a 90 mph fastball if they have a good breaking pitch as a companion.
Herr said this about Patterson’s prospects:
“I feel that Scott’s stuff is major league caliber, but what makes him so much more effective is his 6-7, gangly delivery. This makes it very tough on the hitter trying to pick up the ball.”
Pitching coach Rick Wise was more cautious in his projection:
“Big leagues? I wouldn’t jump that far yet. He’s very inexperienced. But who knows any more? Pitching is always at a premium. He has a wonderful arm. … I want to see him at Triple-A for a year and see how he responds to that challenge and go from there. He has as good an arm as I’ve seen, especially around this (Atlantic) League. You don’t find that kind of arm very often.”
Patterson’s delivery is another important factor to consider. His tall frame and herky-jerky mechanics are unusual. That’s why so many hitters, even good fastball hitters, swing through his belt-high heat. They don’t see the ball until it’s too late. One concern for Patterson is his fastball doesn’t have a lot of movement, which is why he surrenders so many home runs.
Since he’s entering his age 28 season, and because his future is in the bullpen, no one would ever put Patterson on a prospects lists. But that doesn’t prohibit him from one day making a big-league roster. The easiest path from independent ball to the majors is through the bullpen. Brendan Donnelly, Ben Weber, Joe Borowski and Brandon Puffer are four Atlantic League examples. Josh Kinney, who pitched in the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals in October, went undrafted and started out in the Frontier League just like Patterson. Relievers are fungible commodities and teams are always searching for good ones.
So it can be done, even if a pitcher is undrafted and unwanted at the beginning of his career. Patterson ended his first season in Double-A with a flourish. In his last nine appearances with the Trenton Thunder (spanning 13 innings), he allowed three hits and one run, while striking out 18 and walking one. It was the latest positive step in Patterson’s improbable advancement. Barring injury, there’s no reason to believe he can’t continue this progress. If he does, there could be a place for him at baseball’s highest level.
What type of pitches, Scott Petterson throws.
What is his pitching repertoire.
Thankyou for any help.
rjmf
His pitching repertoire????? He throws strike outs, ground outs and fly outs. That’s all.