Jon Lester

[CrespoBlows]

If you had to compare this guy to someone in the majors who would it be, for anyone who has seen or heard things??? Buehrle, Bedard, Zito, Santana??? or not close to the potential of those guys???

 

Mark Mulder

[ksushi]

Why? Mulders out pitch is a splitter, and hes less of a hard thrower. To me lester seems like more of a left handed Ben Sheets

[AnibalJonJon]

Geesh, Ben Sheets?

 

Lester = young Leiter? cutter etc ....

[ORS]

I haven't seen him, but I have heard several comparisons, both in mechanics and stuff, to Andy Pettitte. Same big frame. Similar fluid deliveries. Both throw in the low-to-mid's with a cutter to compliment.

[ORS]

Jon pitched well last night in a 4-1 over Akron.

 

6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K

 

Season:

 

148.1 IP, 2.61 ERA, 9.89 K/9, 2.86 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP

[ORS]

Jon was the Game-1 starter for Portland in the first round of the Eastern League Playoffs. He got a no decision in Portland's 5-3 win over Trenton.

 

7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

[Ray10]

He's got some good stuff could we possibly see him in AAA next year or maybe even on the big squad outta the pen or something??.

[ORS]

I'd be very surprised if he isn't starting the year in Pawtuckett. If he starts off well there, we might see him mid-summerish for a spot start or just some big league experience.

[AnibalJonJon]

I heard he has a very good FB and a very good cutter but that he needs to work on his curve. Anybody actually seen him pitch & is his curve really that bad?

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I only got to see the game they had on NESN where he didn't last too long so I'm not sure. I would expect him to be on Pawtucket next season and be there ace at some point. I think he is only 21 years old so there is some time to work with him...not to mention we have a full rotation for next season. In the end down the road I could see Lester and Papelbon leading our rotation once Schilling and Wells move on to retirement. I think those two guys will be solid then with Sanchez, Buccholz, Pauley and Bowden someone is bound to work out for another rotation spot down the road. Its almost like playing the odds.....1/5 is bound to come through....especially with good scouting

[Chitalian Stallion]

Is he projected to be a frontline starter? thatd be great to have our whole rotation to be from the farm Papy, Lester, Sanchez seem to be the most promising.

[riverside sluggers]

its looking like another one of our minor league pitchers showing great stuff will be on the list for callups to go with Lester

 

Edgar Martinez pitched two perfect innings yesterday and has allowed one hit in four scoreless innings in the VWL. Martinez was added to Boston's 40-man roster last month after amassing a 1.89 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings between Single-A Wilmington and Double-A Porland last season. He might spend time in the team's pen during the second half of next season.

[ksushi]

Wow, yeah isn't he the converted catcher who can throw through a brick wall?

[riverside sluggers]

that would be correct, last summer he became a relief pitcher--his fastball tops out at like 97/98

He also, like Craig Hansen, is said to have a deadly slider

[Cityofchampions33]

Delcarmen, Martinez and Hansen would make a nasty bullpen combo, if they all reach their potential we could have one of the strongest pens in the league. Delcarmen and Martinez setting up, Hansen shutting the door. Only thing that worries me is they all have similar pitching styles, all throw hard, and have one great breaking ball. You'd have to be pretty creative to not show any patterns and make it easier for hitters.

[ksushi]

Well, Hansen also has a dominating sinking fastball. That was his best pitch in college, not his slider. His slider has become very nasty recently. I think Hansen is a can't miss prospect. I think he will be up early in this season and he will impress. I think that Delcarmen is one piece away from being the same thing, and that piece is first pitch strikes. If he can come up to the big leagues and get ahead of hitters, he is said to have the best curveball in the sox organization, thats a vicious combination with his fastball when ahead in the count. If he developed a good third pitch, he could be successful now, because you can't fight back against hitters once you fall behind with only two pitches.

 

I don't know enough about martinez but I did hear that they thought very highly of him and those numbers are amazing. Thats impressive.

[Cityofchampions33]

Does Hansen have a change-up? If not he would be a dominant closer with one, thrwoing his heat, a change-up and finishing up with his sinker/curve.

[ksushi]

Hes developing one, but typically you don't need a change up to close. Thats more of a pitch you set guys up for as a starter. His change up really sucks though, there was talk of the sox converting him to starter just because of the kind of workhorse he is, but his change up quickly squashed any talk of that. But who knows, maybe that was his dead arm. His slider wasn't very good when he was up either, so maybe. My prediction is he will be a dominant two inning closer, thats peter gammons prediction too.

 

I think Delcarmen will be a good setup man and maybe a bullpen ace if he really gets good.

I don't know a lot about martinez but man he sounds promising.

[guapo34]

I think that Delcarmen is one piece away from being the same thing, and that piece is first pitch strikes. If he can come up to the big leagues and get ahead of hitters, he is said to have the best curveball in the sox organization, thats a vicious combination with his fastball when ahead in the count. If he developed a good third pitch, he could be successful now, because you can't fight back against hitters once you fall behind with only two pitches.

 

 

Definately agree that Delcarmen isn't far away from being a very good reliever. One thing I'd add that he needs to improve on is locating that curve ball. Its got great break on it but it seems like he couldn't even get it close to the plate last year.

[ksushi]

I saw him get it over, he wasn't too wild with it. That might come back to first pitch strikes though, if you can throw a strike and put a guy behind they might have to swing at a pitch like that. And then once you get a reputation for throwing strikes with the fastball, guys will jump on it to avoid getting to the breaker, and thats when pitching gets easy. Locate that fastball where ever you want in their weak spots, theyll swing

[stocker323]

Alright updating the Lester thread.

 

Jon Lester is in camp with the Red Sox right now. He's right now throwing in a group with Schilling, Beckett and Papelbon. He's ranked by soxprospects.com as the number 2 prospect in the Red Sox system going into 2006. He's supposed to start the season in Triple A Pawtucket and will probably be in Boston by the end of the season.

[jsinger121]

with marte out of the system in the crisp trade he moves up to #1 for baseball america's top red sox propsects.

[jsinger121]

BA top 100 list came out recently and here is the blurb on jon lester

 

22. JON LESTER, lhp, Red Sox

"The first time I saw him pitch, I called [GM] Theo Esptein and said, 'Whatever you do, don't trade Jon Lester.' "

--Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod

ETA: 2007

[Cityofchampions33]

Lester is really building up to be something special. I saw maybe one of his better performances on NESN last year against Trenton. Not that he can do it at the ML level but he was throwing his fastball by hitters with ease, he trhew one 88, but the location on it was perfect, if he can keep that up he should be a nasty compliment to Beckett, with Papy right behind him, a nasy R-L-R sandwich.

[jsinger121]

Lester is really building up to be something special. I saw maybe one of his better performances on NESN last year against Trenton. Not that he can do it at the ML level but he was throwing his fastball by hitters with ease, he trhew one 88, but the location on it was perfect, if he can keep that up he should be a nasty compliment to Beckett, with Papy right behind him, a nasy R-L-R sandwich.

 

outside of francisco liriano there is no other lefthanded prospect i would want over jon lester. just think only a few years ago that jon lester was going to be part of the arod deal. but everyone forgets that had that deal gone down and when nomar would have been sent to the white sox that magglio ordonez along with brandon mccarty was coming to the red sox.

[Cityofchampions33]

Wow, how different things wouldv'e turned out. Thank God that didn't happen

[stocker323]

Lester threw 2 scoreless innings this afternoon in an exhibition game against the Australian team of the WBC. Sox won the game 3-0.

[Cityofchampions33]

Any specifics on how he did? Like K's, BBs, etc? Also, is he scheduled to pitch a ST game?

[stocker323]

Any specifics on how he did? Like K's, BBs, etc? Also, is he scheduled to pitch a ST game?

 

3 hits and 1 K for Lester. I'm assuming that he'll pitch at least 2 more times before being sent down.

[jsinger121]

This is from TempleUSox who is a member on soxprospects.com who was at the game tonight and saw Lester pitch.

 

Lester's pitches just have a different bite than everyone elses. All his fastballs have nice late break and they are all low in the zone. His change and cut were much better developed than his curve. Of his 3 hits allowed, 2 were legit. His K came on a high fastball to the 8 hitter. His control was very good.