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I actually received a request for this player, so as long as that happens I'll keep writing. Feel free to send in your suggestions to jackcobra@blogsbyfans.com. Let's take a look at Chicago Cubs Prospect Mark Holliman.
Who He Be: Mark Holliman, Right Handed pitcher, Chicago Cubs. Currently in Double A Tennessee Smokies pitching rotation.
Why You Should Care: Just threw a seven inning (in double headers in the minors they play 7 innings) no-hitter last week and has been one of the top pitchers for Tennessee this season. He was the 3rd Round draft pick by the Cubs in 2005 out of Ole Miss. He's also thrown a two hitter this season.
Why This Dude is Good: He has four pitches (fastball, curve, slider and change-up) and when he is on, he's very good. He has a beautiful 12-6 curveball that makes hitters look bad. He's only given up three homers this season and has a 1.26 WHIP to go with his 7-5 record and 2.49 ERA. He's only allowed 78 hits this season and 'pitches to contact'.
Something to Worry About: In 86 2/3 innings this season, Holliman has only struck out 55 hitters. That shows that he's not dominating hitters at the AA level. There have been outings where he throws his fastball in the mid 80's and has only touched the high 80's a few times this season. He also had lost four in a row before the no-hitter.
Best Case Scenario: Jason Marquis-lite. Uses his offspeed pitches to get hitters to ground out but he doesn't have the fastball that Marquis has.
Worst Case Scenario: This is the last that you hear of him.
Final Analysis: I just don't see Holliman making it to Chicago in the future. While he has done well so far, a promotion to Triple A would bring a group of hitters that have the ability to sit back and hit offspeed pitches with authority. Even though he doesn't give up a lot of home runs, he will probably be hit hard as he continues to move through the Cubs System. He does have a good repetoire of pitches but doesn't throw hard enough to be consistent at a higher level.
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2008 Cubs Preview
Thanks for the great info. I think you're right, its going to be hard for a right hander with a maddux velocity fastball to crack the big leagues.
Why do prospects normally get called up to the Majors from AA and not AAA? I've never understood it. Any thoughts?
A lot of organizations bring their hot prospects up from AA and skip AAA because they feel if they can hit/pitch at AA they can play at the ML level. If you've ever watched a lot of AAA ball you will notice that there are a lot of veteran ballplayers there and not as many up and coming prospects. These days it seems that a lot of AAA rosters are filled with fringe players who might fill a need on the major league roster if someone gets hurt. The game seems to be played differently in AAA than AA as well because of the experience of the players. You'll find a lot more pitchers throwing junk and that can frustrate a young hitter.
Ok, I know Mark from a long time ago in High School and I also went to Ole Miss.
He only just started throwing in the mid 80s last year. From around the horn type of talk, people said it was because the Organization actually requested it of him and thought it would help him progress.
In high school and college, he was anywhere from 88-94. I have personally seen him touch 97. I just think he was working on mechanics and offspeed stuff last year and this year his velocity will be back up as he tries to make the club.
I say he makes it in some way. As a reliever, he could easily come into a game and throw 90-92.