July 9, 2003  

A number of talented starters and relievers hope to make this the third year in a row that a hurler wins the Pat Listach Rookie of the Year Award, and the fourth time in the award's six-year existence. (In our last installment, we looked at the batters up for the award.)

Curiously, although Columbia's Mark Buehrle won the Ben McDonald Award as the league's best pitcher last year, he finished second in the Listach balloting -- behind another pitcher, Hoboken's Joel Pineiro! Although Buehrle received three first-place ROY votes to Pineiro's one, Buehrle was left completely off one writer's ballot, giving the Hoboken hurler a one-vote margin of victory. Pineiro finished third in the McDonald Award voting, behind Arkansas's Pedro Martinez.

Contenders

These guys have already established themselves among the league's top hurlers and look to figure into the balloting for the Listach.

The Endzone Animals have two of the most highly touted starters in this year's freshman class: Johan Santana, the third overall pick in this year's draft, and Mark Prior, whose arrival was so heralded that Philly selected him with a seventh-round pick in the 2002 draft. Prior, despite a 6-7 record, has to be considered one of the front-runners for the Listach: he has a 3.76 ERA, a 10.8 R/9 and an incredible 150 K in 117.1 IP. Santana, the first rookie pitcher selected this year, hasn't been quite as dominant, but the lefty's numbers are also better than his 4-8 record: 4.14 ERA, 12.6 R/9 and 141 K in 117.1 IP. Prior leads all rookies in Ks (third overall), runners per nine (tied for sixth overall) and batting average against (.225, also third overall), and he leads the league in K/9 (11.5); Santana is second among rookies in Ks (fifth overall) and K/9 (10.8, third overall).

Phoenix's fourth-round pick, 23-year-old John Lackey, is the Dragons' best shot for the second Listach in team history. The righty is 12-3 with a 3.01 ERA, 11.8 R/9 and 14 quality starts in 20 games (.700 QS%). Though he doesn't have overpowering stuff (59 K in 140.1 IP), Lackey is a tough, smart pitcher with a bright future in the DMBL. He leads all rookies in wins (and is tied for second among all DMBL starters), earned run average (also tied for second), winning percentage (.800, third overall) and quality start percentage (tied for third), and also leads rookies in innings (140.1), slugging percentage allowed (.363) and lowest HR/9 (0.6).

A number of relievers are hoping to become the first fireman to win the ROY since John Rocker in 1999. The top candidates are Carolina's Brendan Donnelly, Honolulu's John Riedling and Stanhope's Brandon Villafuerte.

Donnelly, a 30-year-old third-rounder, is 3-3 with 3 saves and 3 holds (1 blown save), a 2.85 ERA, 11.8 R/9 and 45 K in 47.1 IP, and has allowed just 4 of 17 inherited runners to score (.235 IR%).

Riedling, the only rookie hurler who has stuck with the Sharks all season, is 3-2 with 6 saves and a hold (2 blown saves), with a 3.30 ERA, 12.9 R/9 and 55 K in 76.1 IP. He's also stranded all but 12 of 42 inherited runners (.286 IR%).

Hawaiian-born Brandon Villafuerte, a fourth-round pick, is 7-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 12.0 R/9 and 27 Ks in 43.1 IP. It's important to note that, even while racking up seven wins out of the 'pen, Villafuerte has yet to blow a save. In fact, he has 11 holds and has stranded all but 8 out of 24 inherited runners (.333 IR%).

Pretenders

These guys are still in the running, but they're going to have to kick it up a notch to factor into the ROY race.

Arkansas's third-round draft pick, 27-year-old middle reliever Damaso Marte, is 1-2 with three holds and a team-best 2.16 ERA. The lefty also has an outstanding 46:10 K:BB ratio while allowing just 33 hits in 41.2 IP (9.3 R/9). But he's also blown three saves and has allowed 8 out of 17 inherited runners to score (.471 IR%).

The Columbia pitching staff has a pair of candidates hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year's McDonald Award winner, Mark Buehrle. Mike Koplove, 25, and Casey Fossum, 24, have pitched brilliantly out of the 'pen so far this season. Koplove (2.28 ERA, 12.4 R/9) is 3-4 with a save and nine holds, striking out 45 in 55 IP -- though he's also walked 30 batters. Fossum, a southpaw who was taken in the 15th Round of the 2002 draft, is paying good dividends on Columbia's investment: He's 2-1 with 3 holds, 1 save, 3.10 ERA, 11.7 R/9 and 69 Ks in 78.1 IP. He's also stranded all but 8 of 33 inherited runners (.242 IR%). But Fossum's future might be in the starting rotation: In his one start this season, June 9 against Stanhope, he scattered four hits (all singles) and one run while striking out six in 6 IP en route to a 2-1 victory.

Hoboken's second pick (#24 overall), RP Jayson Durocher, is off to a solid start with a 3.35 ERA, 11.2 R/9 and 41 K in 45.2. The 27-year-old righthander is 4-4 with 1 save and 7 holds, but he's also blown 5 saves.

Newark's Runelvys Hernandez was drafted in the ninth round (#126 overall) and figured to spend the year at Triple-A, but the 24-year-old Dominican has held his own (4.00 ERA, 11.8 R/9). His 4-7 record could be largely blamed on drawing the worst run support of any starter on the high-scoring Sugar Bears: His 4.8 runs per game is 1.4 rpg worse than the team average, but 0.2 rpg better than the league average!

Phoenix used their second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks to take rookie pitchers, but it's the fourth-rounder -- John Lackey -- who should get the most consideration at this point. Tim Spooneybarger -- the 19th pick overall -- is 5-4 with 1 save, 13 holds and a 2.43 ERA, all very nice. But he also has walked 40 men while striking out just 39 in 70.1 IP, and has blown five out of seven save chances -- a putrid .143 save percentage! Third-rounder Oliver Perez, a 20-year-old starter, is being broken in gently in middle relief. The early results are encouraging: 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB and 2 K in 4.1 IP.

The jury is still out on southpaw starter Damian Moss, who was taken by Stanhope with the fourth pick in this year's draft. The 25-year-old Australian is 9-8 with a 4.25 ERA, but he's going to need to refine his control -- 66 walks in 120.2 IP against just 67 Ks -- for a 14.2 R/9. Third-rounder Joe Borowski, a Bayonne native, also is surviving his first year in the bigs (2-0, 1 SV, 4.19 ERA, 12.6 R/9 in 58.0 IP).

Joe Roa, a 30-year-old rookie, put up some good numbers in the Banditos' rotation (3-2, 3.44 ERA, 12.7 R/9), but pitching coach Dennis Martinez saw some numbers he didn't like: Roa also gave up 10 HR in 49.2 IP (1.8 HR/9) and had just three quality starts in eight tries. He was sent down to Triple-A Lexington for more seasoning, but he still has an outside chance at figuring into the Listach voting if he gets back to the bigs.

Disappointments

Before the start of the season, prognosticators were arguing over which of these phenoms would be taking home the Listach. Now they're trying to just survive their first season in The Show.

The most highly touted prospect to come down the pike in several years, Josh Beckett -- the 20th pick of the 2002 draft -- is not having a dream debut season. Beckett made the starting rotation out of spring training, but was sent down to the minors after getting bitchslapped in his first four DMBL games (0-3, 9.00 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 6 HR in 17.0 IP). Called back up after the All-Star Break, Beckett was given four more starts and the results were even worse (0-2, 10.93 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 8 HR in 14.0 IP). But the Banditos, with by far the worst record in baseball, have apparently decided to let the rookie take his lumps in the hopes it will make him a better pitcher next season.

Carolina's second-round draft pick (No. 20 overall), starter Carlos Zambrano, has been riding the shuttle between Bullhead Memorial Park and Triple-A Raleigh over most of the first half. Based on his performance in the bigs (1-4, 5.58 ERA, 14.5 R/9), the 21-year-old starter may be better off finishing the season with the Crawdads.

Hillsborough's first-round pick (and 11th overall) was a 23-year-old hard-throwing right-hander, Jorge Julio, who joined a fearsome 'pen that already featured co-closers Kaz Sasaki and LaTroy Hawkins. But instead of throwing smoke, Julio has been throwing gasoline on opponents' rallies, already having blown seven saves (and picked up seven losses) while allowing a 5.24 ERA and 17.3 R/9. He's struck out 27 -- and walked 27 -- in 34.1 IP. Meanwhile, their third-round pick, RHP Mike Crudale, has been even worse, going 1-4 with a 8.28 ERA and 15.1 R/9, though there is a glimmer of hope: He's struck out 22 and walked 11 in 25 IP, and he's stranded all but 2 of 15 inherited runners for a very impressive .133 IR%.

The Sharks' top two rookie pitching prospects are now pitching in Triple-A Kauai. First-round pick Jason Simontacchi (No. 8 overall) got his first big league cup of coffee (0-1, 6 ER, 12 H, 3 BB, 4 K in 12.1 IP) in May after Mark Mulder missed two starts with an injury, while 25-year-old Josh Fogg, their sixth-round pick, has yet to make his DMBL debut.

Vancouver's first-round pick (and No. 12 overall) was Rodrigo Lopez, a 26-year-old junkballer signed out of the Mexican Pacific League. After his first start (5 ER, 8 H, 3 2B, 1 HR in 2 IP), it was readily apparent that the DMBL ain't the Mexican Pacific League. He adjusted quickly, though: Look past his embarrassing 3-10 record and Lopez's numbers aren't awful, just mediocre (4.84 ERA, 11.3 R/9). But with the Iron Fist eyeing their worst finish in 11 years, mediocre wasn't going to get it done, so Lopez was sent back to Tacoma to see if he can develop a better out pitch.

Others

Arkansas RP Cliff Politte was demoted to Triple-A Bridgewater after posting a 6.06 ERA and allowing an astonishing 28 baserunners (and 3 HR) in 16.1 IP... Jaime Cerda, 23, the only rookie pitcher on Brooklyn's roster, has posted a 6.75 ERA and 16.7 R/9, but he has struck out 23 batters in 25.1 IP... The bloom faded fast on 26-year-old Ryan Jensen, a surprise addition to Columbia's starting rotation after joining the team as an 11th Round pick. But after three brutal outings in the bigs (0-2, 8.50 ERA, 15.0 R/9), Jensen was banished to Triple-A, then released. Tony Fiore (a fourth-round pick) and Pete Walker are still in Charleston... The Harrison Rats are the only team without a rookie pitcher on their roster so far this season... The Destroyers' Blaine Neal, a 24-year-old reliever, has yet to make his DMBL debut... Hoboken RP Grant Roberts has shown outstanding control (9 BB in 56.1 IP), but he's also given up 69 hits (13 doubles, 7 homers) for a 5.11 ERA, 13.1 R/9 and .588 IR%. Teammate Dennis Stark, 27, was banished to Triple-A after giving up 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 home runs in his first two appearances, but Weehawken pitching coach Bob Apodaca fixed a flaw in the seventh-round pick's delivery and his second tour of the bigs has been much more pleasant (3.47 ERA, 12.0 R/9 in 23.1 IP)... Philly SP Tim Redding is still waiting for his first call-up, pitching with the Triple-A Trenton Sack Attack... Tijuana's Triple-A rotation includes Jason Jennings, a former Stanhope prospect still awaiting his DMBL debut, and Jake Peavy, back in the minors after two disastrous DMBL starts (0-1, 12 R, 14 H, 4 BB, 2 HR in 5.2 IP). And the Banditos' Oscar Henriquez, signed after a walk-on tryout in April, has fine numbers (1-0, 2 holds, 20 H, 9 BB, 21 K, .211 IR% in 22.0 IP) if one overlooks his 5.73 ERA and 7 HR (2.9 HR/9)... Reliever Carlos Silva, 23, is back in the Venezuela League after getting slapped around in his first DMBL action with the Banditos (1-1, 1 BSV, 9 R, 14 H, 4 BB, .444 IR% in 11.0 IP).

With guys like John Franco and Jesse Orosco pitching well into their 40s, it's a baseball maxim that a southpaw can always find a job if he's got a pulse. Putting that theory to the test is lefty Chad Zerbe, a 30-year-old rookie with his third DMBL organization this season. Taken by the Destroyers at the end of this year's draft, Zerbe was released before Opening Day but quickly caught on with the Banditos, but was released after three awful appearances (0-1, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB in 4.0 IP). Life's not much better with his third team this year, the Cutters (0-1, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 BB in 5.2 IP). But take heart, Chad -- there's 11 more teams out there!

Phil Plantier, one of the top prospects of the last decade, was picked by baseball guru Bill James in 1991 as the player most likely to lead the majors in HRs during the 1990s. In 1994, at age 24, he hit 47 round-trippers with 118 RBIs for the Charleston Chiefs, his first and last DMBL season. He's currently an analyst for Fox Sports Net. Click Here for past articles.