Written by Greg Fertel
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15 January 2008
Early this afternoon, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com kicked off an interesting debate on the prospects of who is the better player:
Joba or Clay. There were a myriad of opinions, thoughts, beliefs, but in the end, the majority of the fans voted for Joba, which should be no surprise. In comparing Joba and Clay, there really is no competition. Yes, Clay pitched a no-hitter, and yes he is a solid young stud, but he doesnt touch Joba when it comes to pure stuff, makeup, size, build, and command. As Crasnick pointed out, Joba's fastball and slider receive 80s on the 20-80 scale, while Clay's best pitches, his curveball and changeup, recieve 70s on the same scale. In addition although it doesn't get the recognition it deserves, Joba's 12-6 curveball is an absolutely exceptional pitch. BA ranked Joba's curveball as the best in the organization, and with the pitching prospects the Yankees have, that ranking definite has some substance. Just as Dustin Pedrioa how nasty the pitch is.
I would even go one step further and say that Phil Hughes is a better prospect than Clay. Clay might have the slight edge in stuff, but Hughes has the better control and command, In addition, Phil is younger in age, as Clay is two years older than Phil. Lastly, players who throw no-hitters tend to have slightly above average careers at
best.
Discuss.
