Scout ranks O's young pitchers: Britton, Arrieta, Tillman, Matusz

[Jordan Tuwiner]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orio ... 6133.story

This is the same article linked in this thread -- viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1770 -- but this is a separate discussion. The scout in the article ranked the O's young pitchers who have reached the majors:

If forced put them in order of whom he would want the most, his list is: Britton, Arrieta, Tillman and Matusz. Frankly, he said he’d be tempted to put Arrieta atop the list, simply based on potential talent, but isn’t sure he could do it.

Do you agree with the list?

I'd go:
1. Tillman
2. Arrieta
3. Britton
4. Matusz

[Matt P]

I think I went Arrieta, Britton, Tillman, Matusz when we had a thread about it.

[birdwatcher55]

Is this the same scout who picked Tampa for last place??? Arrieta shouldn't even be in the discussion here. No Bundy?? Comical really.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

Is this the same scout who picked Tampa for last place??? Arrieta shouldn't even be in the discussion here. No Bundy?? Comical really.

He obviously was not including Bundy on the list...

I still don't understand why you think Matusz and Arrieta are worthless.

And, I just spoke with another scout who ranked them: 1. Arrieta 2.Tillman 3.Matusz 4. Britton

So, yeah, just goes to show that they all have value.

[birdwatcher55]

I really find this amusing that this "scout" you have talked to rates Arrieta #1. Has he watched the Orioles much over the past two years???? BTW: to clear up some mis-information you have been dispensing about me: I think Matusz is a great short inning guy. I've said this many times in past. My issue with him is he is not focused enough or has enough stamina to be a starter. Perhaps time will prove me wrong but in the meantime, I stand by my assessment

[Jordan Tuwiner]

I really find this amusing that this "scout" you have talked to rates Arrieta #1. Has he watched the Orioles much over the past two years????

If you have watched the Orioles you have seen the potential he has.

[osforlife]

I think Arrieta is the only one with the potential to become an ace. It'd be safe to say Arrieta has the best stuff in the calvary. Whether he is going to put it together or not is anybody's guess. The others' ceilings are probably #2 pitchers. I think I put my ranking as 1. Tillman 2. Britton 3. Arrieta 4. Matusz

[Seafordeagles]

I think Arrieta is the only one with the potential to become an ace. It'd be safe to say Arrieta has the best stuff in the calvary. Whether he is going to put it together or not is anybody's guess. The others' ceilings are probably #2 pitchers. I think I put my ranking as 1. Tillman 2. Britton 3. Arrieta 4. Matusz

I think Arrieta has the potential to be a #4 pitcher. I never throw the word "ace" around like that. My definition of ace is Verlander, CC, Price, etc. Every team doesn't have a "ace". Most teams have 3's and 4's like the Orioles.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

I think Arrieta is the only one with the potential to become an ace. It'd be safe to say Arrieta has the best stuff in the calvary. Whether he is going to put it together or not is anybody's guess. The others' ceilings are probably #2 pitchers. I think I put my ranking as 1. Tillman 2. Britton 3. Arrieta 4. Matusz

I'd say #2 potential. The scout I spoke to simply said Arrieta has the best stuff of the bunch.

[LA Detective]

I think over the last 2 years that at one point each one of these guys would of been rated first...and last

It seems the consensus from the recent threads that alot of people at ON think right now Tilman is #1.

How would of this list looked after the spring and first month Arrieta had including his 5-0 domination of a healthy Yankee team on May 2nd... Probably Arrieta would be #1.

If you did this list last spring and the first part of the year last year or maybe even this past late August...Britton might of been #1..Remember the big debate over keeping him non eligible for FA another year.

And Matusz has had his moments in the past that he could be #1.. He certainly pitched that way out of the pen late in the year. Can he bring that focus and what he's learned for 7 innings?

Point is that each one of these guys have shown one way or another that they could make the jump to solid #2s or 3s .

Most importantly is how well Buck/DD predict their future.

Does anyone think Gonzo belongs on this list? I think he relates to the story. For me he is a hard call but he sure did step up and pretty muched pitched like a solid #2 or #3 during a stretch we really needed from someone.

[birdwatcher55]

I'll go out on the limb and predict even Britton has a chance to have a bigger impact than Arrieta. It's all about command and control when you pitch and Arrieta just doesn't have it for long stretches. Perhaps time will prove me wrong but that fact he is still on this roster tells me there are more than just a few teams out there who are onboard with my thinking

[OriolesRedskins28]

I think the point is they all still have plenty of potential but haven't reached that potential yet. I think it's pretty clear that Tillman is further along in his development than the other three and it's looking like Matusz fits best as a reliever.

Only thing that worries me with Arrieta is his age. His peripherals were outstanding last year as Jordan has pointed out in another thread but at this point how much better will he get in his age 27 season? Buck said it early in 2012, Jake's not a "young pitcher" anymore. It's time for him to reach his potential...

I do agree that Arrieta has the greatest upside though. His AAA dominance at the end of the year was encouraging.

[ofahn]

I think we all sometimes confuse TALENT (potential) with REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

If I had to rank these guys on talent they would be:

1. Arrieta
2. Tillman
3. Britton
4. Matusz

If I had to rank these guys on realistic expectations AT THIS POINT in their career they would be:

1. Tillman
2. Matusz
3. Britton
4. Arrieta

I can see where this might sound harsh to Arrieta, but IMO he has "head issues" that have impacted his performance.

I still think they all could be a #2 SP on a winning team.

[Matt P]

Yeah, he just has no confidence at all and once he gets into a jam he usually unravels. If he could get over that he could be a solid pitcher for us for the next 4 years.

[BaltimoreSportsNut]

If I were to rank these guys on their overall value RIGHT NOW I would go with 1. Matusz (as a reliever) 2. Tillman 3. Arrieta 4. Britton

Arrieta does have the best stuff, but having good stuff means squat if you do not know how to use it and use it consistently. I mean it's like having great 10 year old scotch, but mixing it with milk, it just becomes a waste.

This idea of Matusz as a starter has to be on its last leg. I am a big Matusz critic, something about him on the mound just always didn't look good to me......until Baltimore put him in the bullpen last season. I was impressed with him in that role. I believe it totally changed his mental approach, as he turned his focus on getting 1-6 guys out, rather than consistently trying to figure out how he was going to get 18-27 guys out. We saw his fastball velocity go up a little bit and he was a dual threat weapon. He could come in and get the lefty out, or come in for two innings and give the team a chance.