Baseball America | Blog | Baseball America Prospects Blog | Monday Dish: Hellickson Dominates Again

On the same weekend that the Rays traded away their ace of the past, Jeremy Hellickson showed once again why there is hope that he could be an ace of the future.

Hellickson reached double digits in strikeouts for a third consecutive start. This one was his best start as a pro, and one of the best any pitching prospect has put together all year: eigh innings, one hit, two walks and 12 strikeouts in a 4-0 win against Gwinnett. A Brian Barton sixth-inning single is the only blemish that kept Hellickson from taking a no-hitter into the ninth. No Gwinnett baserunner reached second base against him.

Hellickson, who has allowed just nine hits in his last 27 innings (with 32 strikeouts and eight walks), sat at 91-92 mph on the stadium radar gun all night, touching 94. His ability to command his fastball left the G-Braves hitters flailing all night, but he was able to complement it with a plus changeup and a curveball that he was able to throw for strikes.

"His feel for pitching has started to match the stuff he’s always had," one scout who’s watched Hellickson recently said.

Another scout complimented Hellickson’s above-average knack of staying a pitch ahead of hitters to keep them constantly off balance, which makes his above-average stuff even more potent.

SHUT DOWN: Any Phillies’ fans who were hoping Kyle Drabek could help bolster the Phillies’ lagging bullpen in September will be unpleasantly surprised. Drabek has been shut down for the rest of the season, not because of an injury, but because the team doesn’t want to push his arm too far.

Coming off of Tommy John surgery, Drabek has thrown 158 innings this year between high Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. That’s 104 innings more than he’d ever thrown before as a pro, so Philadelphia has decided to give him the rest of the season to rest.

"He wants to keep taking the ball," assistant general manager Chuck LaMar told the Wilmington News-Journal, "but when a kid throws 100 more [innings] at two levels he’s never been at before, it’s time to sit him down."

A recent Prospect Hot Sheet stated that “For as long as Hellickson’s been in the minor leagues, the question has always been: will his stuff get hitters out at higher levels?” and that his fastball sits 90-91, but he locates his stuff superiorly. Now the Dish says his feel for pitching is just starting to match the stuff he’s always had? Those are conflicting reports. When you add them up, plus his track record, though, I think he’s an elite prospect.

Posted by John M | August 31, 2009 at 3:07 pm | Shortcut

Hellickson is one of the Rays top 3 prospects easily.

Posted by Luke Gude | August 31, 2009 at 3:15 pm | Shortcut

David Price
Wade Davis
James Shields
Matt Garza
Jeremy Hellickson
Jeff Niemann

Thats one heckuva 6-man rotation. And all acquired via the draft or trades, how many teams can say that, and have a group this talented?

And we just traded Scott Kazmir (3-time All-Star) and Edwin Jackson (All-Star this season). Then we have guys like Matthew Moore, Nick Barnese, Jason McEachern, and Kyle Lobstein in the lower minors. Plus Jacob McGee finally seems to be coming around after his first few appearances off of TJ surgery. He could be a valuable bullpen arm next September. We sure do know how to scout pitchers in St. Petersburg.

Posted by Josh | August 31, 2009 at 4:50 pm | Shortcut

too bad david price isnt a number 1

Posted by matt | August 31, 2009 at 5:18 pm | Shortcut

Lest we forget about Matthew Moore and Nick Barnese! I think these two STUDS could surpass any of the above-mentioned six a couple years down the road…anyone have thoughts on that?
Not to mention Kyle Lobstein, too! WOWZER!

Posted by MJ | August 31, 2009 at 5:55 pm | Shortcut

Speaking of “shut down,” what has happened to Jason Heyward? He had one PH AB on Aug. 25th, and nothing since. Anyone know if he’s hurt? Hit a proverbial wall? His numbers are pretty below-average for August…anyone???

Posted by MJ | August 31, 2009 at 5:57 pm | Shortcut

One caveat in that piece: those radar-gun readings are the stadium gun at DBAP.

Posted by John Manuel | August 31, 2009 at 7:55 pm | Shortcut

Can’t believe we haven’t reported this yet, but he’s apparently got a bruised heel. http://www.timesfreepress.com/.....7-3/?print

Posted by John Manuel | August 31, 2009 at 7:57 pm | Shortcut

MJ, reread the post, I covered all three of those guys below the above mentioned six.

Never said Price was a #1, he only has two solid pitches, definitely needs to work on his change-up because its pretty bad right now. I think he’s had more success lately because he’s been throwing a sinking fastball at 89-92 to go along with the mid 90s heater. You can’t survive as a starter for long with two pitches and I think he figured that out in June.

Garza has the best stuff on anyone in that six, but he’s a head case sometimes. He gets very frustrated if something goes wrong in the field or the ump is squeezing him. When Garzas fastball is running down and in on righties, he can be unhittable. When it doesn’t have that movement teams will sit on it, but his slider and curve ball are definite plus pitches as well.

Have Rays season tickets, have seen each one of these guys pitch multiple times over the last two years, except Wade Davis, but I should get the chance later this month. Got to see Hellickson when he was at Vero Beach last year and he was so completely dominant there. Like he was toying with the other team.

Looking forward to seeing Moore and Barnese in person next year when they are in the FSL. Lobstein and McEachern, hopefully in 2011 if not sooner.

I take it the Durham gun is juiced up? You guys would probably know since its down the street.

Posted by Josh | August 31, 2009 at 9:33 pm | Shortcut

Thr Rays will still never win anything. Too much “the bottom line owners”.

Posted by Bill | September 1, 2009 at 8:59 am | Shortcut

Actually, to follow up on John’s post. Those readings for Hellickson have been confirmed with a scout.

Posted by J.J. Cooper | September 1, 2009 at 12:47 pm | Shortcut