Boston Bateman Continues Strong Stretch For Low-A Lake Elsinore
At 6-foot-7, 250 pounds, Padres 19-year-old lefty Boston Bateman cuts quite an imposing figure on the mound, and he’s pitched like someone Low-A hitters should fear for the better part of the last month. Bateman struck out nine batters over five innings Thursday night, allowing six hits, two runs and just one walk. Bateman induced 18 swings and misses, the most of any Low-A pitcher. He has leaned on his mid-90s fastball pretty frequently this year, but Bateman also has two distinct breaking balls to go along with a developing changeup. He has completed five or more innings in each of his last five starts, where he owns a 2.45 ERA and 30 strikeouts to seven walks over 25.2 innings. He’s also throwing more strikes (66%) over that stretch compared to his previous seven starts (63%).
