Jon Lester

[jsinger121]

I was just reading a Gammons article, ie the state of the red sox on espn, and his speculation on why Hansen is being stretched out is because the sox dont thinkLester is ready this yr. That's all. Our best pitching prospect isnt ready this yr either....

 

Sometimes I don't believe what Gammons writes about the Sox because Hansen is no way as close to starting as Lester is.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I refuse to read too much into certain stats in minor league baseball. Keep this in mind....

 

Last year Jonathan Papelbon got rocked several times in spring training, he did very well in Portland then pitched decent in Pawtucket. I recall Papelbon having around a 3.5 ERA in Pawtucket. He made that one start for the Red Sox and pitched well for 6 innings?? Since then the rest is history. Papelbon is pitching a better stats line this year than any other year. So my question would be why? How can he pitch better in a Red Sox uniform than in a minor league uniform?

 

I believe when a player has talent they are in the minors to work on what they need to produce at the top level and results (especially as a pitcher) are not that important in the minors. Sure you need to be effective but chances are the Red Sox are forcing Hansen and Lester to pitch a certain way. Once those secondary pitches are effective and there stamina is at a max....they are ready to contibute. We will deffinitly see the two of them this year and the results they get from that will determine how far along they are.

[ksushi]

I refuse to read too much into certain stats in minor league baseball. Keep this in mind....

 

Last year Jonathan Papelbon got rocked several times in spring training, he did very well in Portland then pitched decent in Pawtucket. I recall Papelbon having around a 3.5 ERA in Pawtucket. He made that one start for the Red Sox and pitched well for 6 innings?? Since then the rest is history. Papelbon is pitching a better stats line this year than any other year. So my question would be why? How can he pitch better in a Red Sox uniform than in a minor league uniform?

 

 

 

I believe when a player has talent they are in the minors to work on what they need to produce at the top level and results (especially as a pitcher) are not that important in the minors. Sure you need to be effective but chances are the Red Sox are forcing Hansen and Lester to pitch a certain way. Once those secondary pitches are effective and there stamina is at a max....they are ready to contibute. We will deffinitly see the two of them this year and the results they get from that will determine how far along they are.

 

 

Papelbon made 3 starts, all of them good. Shut out the angels for 6 I believe. The other two were quality 5 inning stints.

 

[/nitpick.]

[jsinger121]

Jon Lester is on the hill for the Paw Sox tomorrow for a noon matinee at McCoy Stadium

[ksushi]

He had a great start the other night, I was looking at it on the pawsox site. 5 IP 0 ER 4K or something like that. I'll find it when I get home. I

[jsinger121]

Lester's line today:

 

5.0 ip, 6H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 6K

Only one hit went for extra bases (2b).

 

The outs: 1 groundout, 4 fly out, 2 pop-out, 2 line out, 6k.

[jsinger121]

Lesters Fastball was living at 92-94 today touching 95 96 occasionally and had one fastball which hit 98.

[ksushi]

Lets trade him.

[jsinger121]

It was only a matter of time before he would take off and start pitching well. He will start pitching 6-7 innings once the weather gets better here in the Northeast.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Thats a real decent game. Thats now two good games in a row for him.....I just hope he keeps it up and doesnt have any set backs. 98 mph is unusual for him....its still early in the year and if his fastball is going to increase its velocity...wow. I'm excited.

[a700hitter]

Lets trade him.

Let's get Willis!

[ksushi]

Have you seen what Willis has done? He has sucked.

[jsinger121]

And if he has sucked against weak NL hitters it doesn't get any easier coming to the AL. Willis is overrated as a pitcher.

[a700hitter]

And if he has sucked against weak NL hitters it doesn't get any easier coming to the AL. Willis is overrated as a pitcher.

Maybe his results have not been good because the Marlins blow. They are very young and not very solid defensively.

[jsinger121]

They might not be good defensively but his stats basically show that he is pitching horrible and its not his defense.

 

1-4 6.22 ERA 30K's 16BB 1.58 WHIP.......His defense really can help change that. He is not pitching well in a league that is not that good.

[Beckett95]

They were showing on SportsCenter the other day, that Willis is afraid to pitch inside and was leaving almost every pitch on the outside corner. The hitters realized it and just were roping him to the opposite field.

[jsinger121]

Jon Lester pitches in Buffalo tonight

[MANNYHOF24]

I think if Wells doesnt make it back, its time for Lester to take Dinardos spot, Lester has been pitching great in AAA in his last 3 or 4 starts

[jsinger121]

No reason to rush Lester yet as the Sox are playing well. Let him get more comfortable in his starts in Pawtucket and then the Sox will likely bring him up later in the year.

[Cocos Disciples]

yeah i agree, Lester isn't ready yet, MAYBE later this season...maybe

[MANNYHOF24]

No reason to rush Lester yet as the Sox are playing well. Let him get more comfortable in his starts in Pawtucket and then the Sox will likely bring him up later in the year.

 

True, but I would rather watch Lester work than Dinardo

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Its interesting but I did some playing with numbers to see how Jon Lester compared to Jonathan Papelbon through there first 7 games with Pawtucket (almost the same amount of innings)

 

Lester (26.2 IP, 26 H, 12 ER, 11 BB, 29 SO, 4.05 ERA)

Papelbon (27.2 IP, 21 H, 9 ER, 3 BB, 27 SO, 2.93 ERA)

 

Keep in mind too that Jon Lester is 22 years old compared to Papelbon who was 24 last year in Pawtucket. I hope those who want to trade him would look at these numbers and realize....he's going to be a good one. It will be interesting to see how Craig Hansen compares when he gets up to 27 innings.

 

Another thing to keep in mind....Jonathan Papelbon was part way through the season when called to Pawtucket and already warmed up.

[ksushi]

Not to mention Papelbon wasn't restricted to 90% secondary pitches like lester has been. He hasn't been pitching, he has been refining pitches. The up in his numbers shows he has made leaps in the development and control of those pitches.

 

Lester is going to be good. He needs time. He might be a september call up, but god, you don't give up on a prospect after a bad month.

 

He might be a september call up. I'd like that.

[jsinger121]

Lester also might be called on before september for some spot starts because of DH's.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Not to mention Papelbon wasn't restricted to 90% secondary pitches like lester has been. He hasn't been pitching, he has been refining pitches. The up in his numbers shows he has made leaps in the development and control of those pitches.

 

Thats true...I recall last season Papelbon really had one priority in AAA = get ready to be in the bullpen. They moved him from starter to reliever...I don't remember much about Papelbon working on secondary pitches. Only time I heard about that was last years spring training when Schilling worked with him on a splitter.

 

Thats was probably a big reason for the 3 walks compared to Lester's 11. Control issues are there but hopefully not for long.

[jsinger121]

Lester: 5ip, 4H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 4K

81 pitches, 45 strikes.

[jsinger121]

The ropes are slowly coming off as Lester is back out for the 6th inning.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

The ropes are slowly coming off as Lester is back out for the 6th inning.

 

Do you know his numbers through the 6th?

[jsinger121]

5.2inn 4H 2R 0ER 2BB 5K's

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

So if I have the correct games in order....Jon Lester's pitching line for the last three starts:

 

15.2 IP, 14 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 15 K

 

.....umm ok then