Written by Greg Fertel
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24 April 2007
Who's Hot:
Scott Patterson - Patterson pitched 6.2 innings this week without allowing a run. He struck out 8 and still has not allowed his first walk of the season. He made the spot start for Trenton last night, in place of the promoted Chase Wright. That shows you how highly the Yankees value his contributions. If Jeff Kennard's career is any record, the Yankees will keep him in Trenton all season. At 27 years old, Patterson doesn't have a long window of opportunity.
Alan Horne - Horne only made on start this week, but continued on his hot streak. In his last 13.2 innings, Horne has struck out 15 and walked none, while allowing 4 earned runs. Horne's problems last year were almost entirely control-related, so this is a very positive sign. I've compared Horne's fastball/curveball combination to A.J. Burnett, but I cited terrible control last year when I rated him #30 in the Yankee system.
Dave Robertson: The six-figure, 17th round pick in last year's draft is really starting to look like a potential steal. He made three scoreless appearances this week, pitching two innings each time. He struck out 7, walked one, and allowed just two hits. He's far advanced of South Atlantic League hitters.
The Trenton Thunder: Despite being laid off nearly a week due to rain, Trenton went 4-1 this week. They improve to 12-2 on the season, which is a big departure from last season's 0-10 start. Credit Kevin Whelan, Scott Patterson, Brett Smith, Jason Jones, and the rest of the Trenton pitching staff.
Phil Hughes - You know the deal.
Who's Cold:
Wilmer Pino - He hit just three singles in 24 at bats without taking a walk this week. Pino is an incredibly undisciplined hitter and will be very streaky throughout his minor league career. He swings at everything. I was surprised by his hot streak earlier in the season, and he's fallen back in to expectations lately.
Brett Gardner - Gardner went 3 for 21 this week with three walks. All three of Gardner's hits were doubles. He's making a strong effort to drive the ball, but it's at the expense of his ability to hit singles and get on base. Gardner is never going to be a power hitter. He needs to drive some balls, but his main goal should be to get on base
My Spotlight:
I'm really intrigued to see what
Ian Kennedy does this coming week. He has a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings this season, striking out 19 while walking 8. Those walks seem like a lot, but 4 of them came in a strange relief appearance that Kennedy made while Jeff Karstens was rehabbing. He's been very sharp this season, and should be first in line for a promotion to Trenton once a rotation spot opens. Kennedy was considered one of the most polished, major league ready options in the draft last year, so this is to be expected.
Oh, and I can't wait to see Phil Hughes pitch. But that's a given.
