Nick Adenhart’s breakin’ hearts

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When building a baseball team, the first request is an ace…a true number one, a stopper. However, only a few of these ultra rare commodities exist in today’s game. In fact, one counts fewer than two dozen, leaving every team scrambling. These are the players teams count on to stop a losing streak, the type with no hit stuff and the uncanny ability to step up in a big game. In fact, teams are willing to blow the bank on established premium talent, see Johan Santana’s seven year, $151 million contract, or the $7 million given to high school pitcher Rick Porcello.

Entering the 2004 season, Nick Adenhart was as revered as any pitching prospect since Josh Beckett. He had a projectable 6′3″ frame with incredible movement on his three plus to plus-plus pitches, he had the bulldog demeanor on the mound and a Macho Man Randy Savagey bravado that indicated sure stardom. Adenhart was a lock top 5 pick with millions in guaranteed money sure to be coming his way; he, Homer Bailey and Mark Rogers were the creme de la creme of the high school pitching class, which also included names like Phil Hughes, Yovani Gallardo, David Price and Wade Davis.

Unfortunately, Adenhart would blow out his elbow and require Tommy John surgery. While most teams assumed that Adenhart would honor his commitment to UNC, but Angels brass opted to take a gamble on being able to sign Adenhart away and have him rehab with the big league club; after all, MLB resources are significantly more advanced than that of their college counterparts. For a paltry $710,000, the Angels signed Adenhart after drafting him in the fourteenth round. His rehab went smoothly and Adenhart was elected to the 2006 Futures game, alongside fellow draftees Phil Hughes, Eric Hurley, Homer Bailey and Gio Gonzalez. Along with the Futures Game invite, Adenhart was a league All-Star in both 2006 and 2007.

Entering the 2008 season, Adenhart had a chance to win the 5th starters job directly out of spring training, and easily should have. His numbers were more than impressive, being skewed by a schalacking at the hands of the now first place Arizona Diamondbacks. Ultimately, the job went to Dustin Moseley who proceeded to get absolutely hammered. As this writer will more than willingly admit, my opinion on the matter was heavily biased. However, I spoke with Baseball America’s premier prospect expect Jim Callis and he more than agreed with me saying, “I think they’re just being cautious with a young pitcher, but I’m with you. I’d have Adenhart in there over Moseley and wouldn’t have to think much about making that move.”

Blessed with a mid 90’s fastball with incredible movement, a knee buckling power curveball and a changeup that dances and breaks, Adenhart was showing teams that he was back and better than ever. The stardom was hardly a surprise to Adenhart who according to him, was voted most likely to succeed in high school. Succeed he has, and then some. Nearly four years after being drafted, the Angels couldn’t hold Adenhart down any longer; after all, this was a kid with mediocre peripherals but sporting a .87 ERA on the best team in Triple A. On May 1st, Adenhart made his big league debut facing the Oakland Athletics at home. His two starts have not been exactly what the 21 year old envisioned, but there have been plenty of good and plenty of bad parts of his starts. On one hand, he showed the dominant ability he possesses, but on the other hand, he looked exactly like the youngest starting pitcher in the bigs, which he is. In his four years in the minors, Adenhart never once pitched on short rest, something he did in his first MLB start. Coupling the fatigue, nerves and starting at home, anything other than mediocrity is presumptuous. Unfortunately, we are jaded by Johnny Cueto’s historic debut in 2008, and expect all can’t miss prospects to come in and truly dominate. Another super prospect with some injury questions walked quite a few batters in his first MLB start; so far the Phillies have been more than happy with Cole Hamels’ progress and dominance.

It’s easy to see why scouts fell in love with the pitcher with the golden arm looking at some of his pitches. It might be time for Nick to dust off the yearbook and revisit that most likely to succeed caption and know that he’s more than on the path to success.

Below is every batter he has faced thus far in the majors, broken down by start, with the good and the bad.

5/1 – Oakland Athletics

Inning One:

An absolutely perfect series of pitches, with maintained velocity, movement and break. Adenhart went right after him and got a quick out.

Obviously control is an issue here as he tries to work away from Ellis’ power which is inside for him. Ellis swings at a borderline pitch and Adenhart gets lucky on this one. Again, solid velocity with late movement.

The curveball was an absolutely dominant pitch, breaking over a foot and set up the fastball perfectly do a dead pull hitter.

Inning Two:

Absolutely perfectly set up to tie up the future Hall of Famer

Average series of events. Curveball bounced, which meant Brown just had to look fastball and got it and hit it.

A terrible series to the Athletics’ best hitter. This is on the Angels’ as much as it is Adenhart; Cust is a straight fastball hitter and to throw four straight is just ridiculous.

This is where it starts to get pretty ugly. Adenhart’s command sort of just disappears and pitch 2 is clearly a strike. Unfortunately, it’d be a recurring theme to not get the calls. The movement on the pitches was solid, just location spotty.

Another poor series thrown by Adenhart, who has shown problems working from the stretch before.

Even though it led to a walk, I really like this series of pitches. It was done to try to get a double play, but his command was just off.

Another solid series of pitches done to set up the hitter, but the hitter won the battle.

Best series of the entire game. He mixed in three pitches and had great location.

A little bit too middle of the plate, but it got an out. Hard to completely hate it.

5/5 vs. Royals.

Inning One:

Hard to argue with the results, but a secondary pitch should have been thrown when he started fouling off.

Another solid series. Fastball had solid velocity with movement. Curveball is knee buckling caliber. It’d have been nice had they gone high with a pitch to change his eye level.

Pitch one is clearly a strike, and fortunately it didn’t affect him. Solid series of pitches.

Inning Two:

Great location to an aggressive young hitter and it pays off.

Solid working the edge with a nice fastball/changeup combo

Poor command leads to another walk. Average moment with solid velocity.

Average, he should have gone high. To a fastball hitter, to throw 3 straight is unacceptable.

Good pitch in a good location, it just got hit.

Solid series, he just missed his spots. Pitch three is a strike, and pitch 4 is borderline.

Perfect set up to take advantage of a very aggressive hitter.

Inning Three:

Good pitch, stupid swing.

Absolutely perfect and dominating.

Another solid series, the changeup was just hit. It might be different if he was getting the call. Pitch one is on the corner.

Perfect series, the fastball was just hit hard. The pitch could have had more movement, but it was just hit.

The feel for the cuveball really went away, but the changeup was incredibly solid, offering the perfect 10 mph discrepancy. Impatient swing by Teahan.

Inning Four:

Why on earth was every pitch on the outside? Very, very poor. Again, pitch one is a strike, but Adenhart does not get the call.

Solid, yet they should be down attempting to get the double play.

Another very poor showing in attempting to jam Callaspo. The hitter should just be looking inside and for a pitch to drive. Again, pitch one is a strike and he does not get the call.

Average, but horrible swings by Gathright.

Solid, but not mixing up his location. Fortunately the fastball was converted into an out.

Inning Five:

Solid again, but velocity is starting to tail down.

Absolutely terrible. Maintained velocity but command is really off to an extremely dangerous hitter.

Easily the worst of the game, which would prove to be his last.

Overall, the command was spotty, but the umps didn’t do him any favors. It’s easy to see why he will be absolutely dominating once he is comfortable.

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