Kuzul

It’s true: Of all the important players on the San Francisco Giants—the superstars and celebrities—the X-factor this season will be a light-hitting 30-year-old center fielder who played with the New York Mets in 2011. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

This would seem to be a hyperbolic statement. After all, the Giants boast lights-out pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, a couple of dynamic sluggers in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval and a beard that is attached to some dominant closer named Brian Wilson. The thing is, the team and its fans pretty much know what to expect out of those All-Star-caliber players.

Posey, despite suffering a devastating season-ending ankle injury last season, can roll out of bed and hit .300 with his eyes closed. His defense is still yet to be determined, but there’s little doubt that he can’t return to the Giants lineup and contribute at a high level again.

Lincecum is coming off a substandard 2011 campaign, however nobody questions whether he’ll be one of the top five pitchers in the National League. Ditto goes for Wilson, who labored through various injuries last year.

As for Cain and Sandoval, though expectations are high, everybody is full aware of their potential and not terribly worried about their production levels.

Which brings us to Pagan, who was acquired by San Francisco last offseason in the trade that sent Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez to the Mets. True, this wasn’t exactly the same splash that the two clubs made during the 2011 season, when the Giants traded for slugger Carlos Beltran, who ironically departed last offseason as a free agent. Instead, San Francisco looked to bolster its outfield with Pagan, who is seen as a more consistent player than Torres.

Though Torres was instrumental in the Giants’ magical World Series championship run two seasons ago, his stock fell sharply last year when he batted just .212 in 112 games with a whopping 95 strikeouts in 398 at-bats. Absolutely not the type of numbers one would hope for a leadoff hitter. This made it clear to the team that his 2010 campaign was the aberration, and that he would no longer fit in to San Francisco’s future plans.

This is a bit weird, because Pagan also experienced a dropoff in 2011. A career .279 hitter, Pagan strikes out less frequently and gets on base a tad more often than Torres. But both of them have above-average speed, are switch-hitters and can knock in a few runs from the leadoff spot in the batting order.

Yes, they have quite similar numbers over their careers, but that is what makes Pagan such an integral part of the equation for the Giants. Why would San Francisco trade a player for someone who is of the exact same mold? Obviously the Giants see something in Pagan that can ignite the worst offense in the National League last season.

Pagan has a little bit more seasoning in his major-league career than Torres, and he’ll need it in order to embark as the Giants’ full-time leadoff hitter. The book on Pagan, however, is that he’s pretty solid in the middle of the order, too, which bodes well for the Giants if they decide to shake up the lineup some time throughout the season.

As for now, Pagan will be relied upon to jump-start the listless offense by getting on base and wreaking enough havoc on the basepaths. Hopefully, with Sandoval and a healthy Posey back in the heart of the order, Pagan will be able to score more than 90 runs for the season—which is good considering he’ll be playing in a heavily favored pitcher’s stadium for 81 games this season.

Which brings us to his defense. The main question surrounding Pagan’s impact with the team will be whether he is able to patrol the vast expanse that is the outfield of AT&T Park. If there was one thing that Torres did well throughout his tenure in San Francisco, it was play a mean center field.

He quickly learned how to navigate the obtuse geometric layout that includes the notorious Triples Alley in right center field. Will Pagan be able to corral the hard-hit gappers and prevent extra-base hits? After all, Pagan ranked second in the National League with 10 errors. He’s effectively not a Gold Glove-type defender, which is something that San Francisco needs to improve in its 10th-ranked defense from a season ago.

Should Pagan be able to play an adequate center field and hit at a level that is consistent with the expectations and factors that come with playing in windy, cold San Francisco, the Giants will improve. Offensively, there’s nowhere else to go but up. So, Pagan just needs to play his own game and not deviate from what he is capable of; not try to do too much.

Needless to say, despite being a new addition to a team that has some of the most recognizable players in the National League, Pagan is in fact the most critical player on the Giants this upcoming season. Yes, above Posey, Lincecum, the Panda, et al, the diminutive offseason acquisition is the driving force that will push the Giants back into the postseason.

If the baseball gods allow for it, Pagan will be the team’s most valuable player this spring training. Yes, the Angel Pagan.

Follow me on Twitter: @nathanieljue

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Let me backtrack for a second and tell you I must admit guilt when I said Joba Chamberlain has no role on the 2012 version of the New York Yankees. I also said that nobody should be that excited for his return.

For that, I might have been wrong.

Chamberlain is recovering from Tommy John surgery at the moment and although he is making progress during spring training, the Yanks’ young right-hander is still not slated to return until June at the earliest.

Certainly Joba will be back before the MLB trade deadline on July 31st, provided his recovery goes as planned.

All that being said, if Chamberlain can return to form and be effective out of the Bombers’ bullpen as he was in past years, New York would have an incredible trade asset on their hands.

And no, not in Joba.

I’m talking about the highest-paid seventh-inning pitcher in Major League Baseball history: Rafael Soriano.

Sori is only making $11 million this season and is set to rake in $14 million for 2013. To put that in perspective, the guy who out-pitched Soriano last season and took his job, David Robertson, is making roughly a tenth of that.

General manager Brian Cashman has made his fair share of mistakes during his tenure with the Yankees, but Hal Steinbrenner’s power grab to bring in Sori makes signing Jaret Wright look like a brilliant undertaking.

All that being said, Hal can show he’s a smarter man than that by finding a way to deal the extra closer he has sitting in the ‘pen. Don’t forget, Soriano saved 45 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 and is certainly capable of being a good closer for a team in need and making a playoff run.

That can be something that brings back value for New York and it would be a welcome relief for a team hell-bent on dumping payroll over the next couple of seasons.

In the end, Soriano could end up being more valuable to the Yanks in the form of a lower payroll and either promising young talent or a player ready-made to help a big-league club.

Of course, that all depends on Chamberlain.

The Yankees’ former setup man can ultimately regain that role and that starts by coming back healthy and showing he’s the caliber of reliever he was only a few seasons ago. 

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23-year-old Michael Pineda has been the target of the firestorm known as New York media since his arrival via trade in mid-January. The New York Post criticized him for showing up to camp pushing 280 pounds, nearly ten pounds heavier than at the end of the season.

The Yankees’ front office made it clear that he would earn his spot in the rotation, and nothing was guaranteed. Brian Cashman went on the record, calling Pineda’s changeup a “below average” pitch heading into Spring Training.

Following Monday’s Yankees’ debut, here are five things the reigning American League East champions know about him.

1)      He’s got work to do.

Pineda’s arsenal features a slider that can make the best hitters look foolish. His fastball can range anywhere from the mid to high nineties, topping out around 97 or 98 mph. These two pitches allowed him to dominate during the first half of 2011, going 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA, but as the season progressed, he faded—going 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA.

He broke out last year relying on those two pitches: his fastball and his slider. However, he’s not in Seattle anymore, and if he does not develop a reliable third pitch, such as a changeup, the sluggers of the A.L. East are going to make him pay. Sabathia has been working with him on the pitch, and the Yankees need him to continue to develop the pitch in order to be successful.

2)      “Potential” 

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this right-hander has potential. But the truth is you don’t win championships on potential. You win them on talent. After showing up to camp overweight, Pineda appeared to have a lack of commitment and a weak work ethic, neither of which will be tolerated in the Bronx.

On the other hand, Pineda had a strong Spring Training debut Monday, tossing two shutout innings. He constantly worked ahead in the count, throwing 19 of his 30 pitches for strikes, and allowed only one hit—a leadoff single to Jimmy Rollins. His fastball featured good life, and was blown by slugger Jim Thome to end the first.

Only time will tell which path Pineda will follow. But now that he’s in the Bronx, it’s “make or break” for this kid. Patience is not something held highly in New York. Good news is, after the A.J. Burnett debacle, there’s nowhere to go but up.

3)      Nervous? “Hell, no.”

When asked if he was nervous for his first start, Pineda replied with “Hell, no.” This type of demeanor is loved by New Yorkers, who are accustomed to the Yankees taking it to the rest of baseball. There is no room for timid, shy behavior, and thus far, he seems willing to accept this.

However, Pineda will have to learn that professionalism comes above all else. The Yankees pride themselves on being a class-act professional ball club, and there is no room for personal vendettas, temper tantrums, or anything of the sort. If this kid balances and thrives off his emotions, and channels them into his performances, watch out, New York. Pineda will take the city by storm, and with ace C.C. Sabathia, could lead them back to the Fall Classic.

This has been mentioned countless times this winter. His success comes down to how hard Pineda works, and how well he adjusts to the bright lights of New York. If he embraces the challenge and thrives under pressure, there is no limit to how good he can be. With a circle change to compliment his fastball and knee-buckling slider, he could be the Yankees’ No. 2 arm come 2013. Faltering under pressure will not be tolerated, and Yankees’ brass has said they will sign a replacement, if needed.

Sabathia, Kuroda, Pineda? Only time will tell if this is a rotation teams will see come October.  

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The Yankees were no match for the newly-extended Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates today in Bradenton. To celebrate his new six-year contract with Pittsburgh, McCutchen killed the Yankees for two hits and two RBI.

CC Sabathia was given the ball to start the game—his first live game action this spring. He pitched pretty well in two innings of work, allowing three hits and a run while recording one strikeout.

When asked about how he felt, Sabathia responded, “I’ve still got work to do, but my arm feels good and my body feels good.”

He threw 35 pitches over the course of two innings.

Phil Hughes saw his first action of the spring as well, throwing 1 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs (one earned), allowing four hits and striking out one.

Although he was slated to go the full two innings, some tough spots prevented Hughes from going any further in the contest.

After having problems with velocity last season, Hughes was consistently clocked at 93 MPH on the radar gun, a very good sign for the Yankees.

Prospect Brett Marshall came on in relief of Hughes and turned in the only scoreless outing of the day for Yankees pitchers. In 1 2/3 innings, Marshall issued one free pass and struck out one.

Graham Stoneburner and Chase Whitley pitched the final three frames of the contest. Combined, they allowed nine hits, four runs and struck out two.

Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira all made the trip to Bradenton for the game, going a combined 3-for-10 with an RBI (Cano). 

Second baseman David Adams provided the team with two RBI in his 1-for-2 effort, while Francisco Cervelli added an RBI of his own on his 26th birthday.

Melky Mesa, Ramiro Pena, Chris Dickerson and Justin Maxwell all recorded hits of their own.

Prospect Zoilo Almonte, after going 4-for-4 in the previous three spring games against the Phillies, made an out in his only at-bat after pinch running for Teixeira.

The Yankees are now on their first losing streak of the season, but they should be happy with what they saw today from Phil Hughes.

Hughes put it best today, saying that it would be a “dogfight” for the fifth starter’s job, and he did plenty to impress the club with his outing. Topping at 93 MPH for nearly any pitcher is impressive in the first start of Spring Training, but it is especially noteworthy when that pitcher is Hughes—who battled dead arm for most of last season.

It will be an interesting battle all spring for the job, but it’ll be hard to deny Hughes if his velocity keeps increasing.

The Yankees play again on Wednesday against the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

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You never want to say a guy has a lack of velocity after the first start of spring training, but Michael Pineda has been known to throw much harder than what we saw in his debut with the New York Yankees.

According to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, scouts were slightly concerned over Pineda’s declined velocity from his first start of the Spring.

Scouts yesterday had #Yankees‘ Pineda at 88-91 – “and there was some effort to get to 91,” one said. Pineda averaged 94.7 last year. …. Re: Previous tweet on Pineda. Yes it’s early. But scouts were taken aback, asking each other if readings were accurate.

Keith Law of ESPN Insider also noted that the same time last year, Pineda was averaging 93-96 and that the lower velocity was “pretty light even for a pitcher’s first outing.”

But Law also believes two to three more starts are needed before anyone can worry.

A lack of velocity leading to further problems isn’t something new to the Yankees. Phil Hughes started off the same way last season before having a terrible year filled with arm issues.

And like Pineda in 2012, Hughes came into spring training overweight in 2011, so there are parallels between the two.

It is extremely early to be concerned over something like this, but it’s something that should continue to be monitored. Pineda still looked strong yesterday and was quite effective against some of the Philadelphia Philles’ better hitters.

We’ll see if this continues and what (if any) effect it will have on Pineda’s season moving forward.

Until then, I’ll have my eye on that radar gun.

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To counterbalance our own Spring Training positional rankings for Catcher and First Base or Second Base and Shortstop, here are the current Average Draft Positional rankings at Mock Draft Central.

Catchers
Carlos Santana, Indians (35th overall)
Mike Napoli, Rangers (45th overall)
Brian McCann, Braves (50th overall)
Buster Posey, Giants (58th overall)
Joe Mauer, Twins (81st overall)
Matt Wieters, Orioles (95th overall)
Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks (102nd overall)
Alex Avila, Tigers (111th overall)
Yadier Molina, Cardinals (177th overall)
J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays (180th overall)
Wilson Ramos, Nationals (214th overall)
Geovany Soto, Cubs (245th overall)

First Base
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (2nd overall)
Albert Pujols, Angels (3rd overall)
Joey Votto, Reds (10th overall)
Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox (11th overall)
Prince Fielder, Tigers (16th overall)
Mark Teixeira, Yankees (27th overall)
Carlos Santana, Indians (35th overall)
Mike Napoli, Rangers (45th overall)
Paul Konerko, White Sox (49th overall)
Eric Hosmer, Royals (52nd overall)
Michael Morse, Nationals (82nd overall)
Freddie Freeman, Braves (118th overall)
Mark Trumbo, Angels (138th overall)
Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (140th overall)
Adam Lind, Blue Jays (143rd overall)
Justin Morneau, Twins (155th overall)
Ryan Howard, Phillies (159th overall)
Ike Davis, Mets (176th overall)
Gaby Sanchez, Marlins (196th overall)
Kendrys Morales, Angels (220th overall)
Carlos Pena, Rays (222nd overall)
Justin Smoak, Mariners (270th overall)

Second Base
Robinson Cano, Yankees (12th overall)
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (18th overall)
Ian Kinsler, Rangers (23rd overall)
Dan Uggla, Braves (54th overall)
Brandon Phillips, Reds (60th overall)
Chase Utley, Phillies (76th overall)
Ben Zobrist, Rays (77th overall)
Rickie Weeks, Brewers (78th overall)
Howard Kendrick, Angels (105th overall)
Dustin Ackley, Mariners (133rd overall)
Neil Walker, Pirates (137th overall)
Danny Espinosa, Nationals (145th overall)
Jemile Weeks, Athletics (149th overall)
Jason Kipnis, Indians (162nd overall)
Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks (236th overall)

Shortstop
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies (5th overall)
Hanley Ramirez, Marlins (20th overall)
Jose Reyes, Marlins (22nd overall)
Starlin Castro, Cubs (41st overall)
Elvis Andrus, Rangers (44th overall)
Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians (74th overall)
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies (89th overall)
Derek Jeter, Yankees (120th overall)
J.J. Hardy, Orioles (131st overall)
Dee Gordon, Dodgers (141st overall)
Erick Aybar, Angels (142nd overall)
Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks (148th overall)
Alexei Ramirez, White Sox (157th overall)
Emilio Bonifacio, Marlins (172nd overall)
Jhonny Peralta, Tigers (173rd overall)
Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays (211st overall)
Ian Desmond, Nationals (319th overall)
Marco Scutaro, Rockies (334th overall)

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Coming into the 2012 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to pitch their way back into relevance. Behind the dominance of Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, the consistency of Ted Lilly and the hopeful reemergence of Chad Billingsley, the Dodgers added two quality free agent starting pitchers this offseason.

GM Ned Colletti diverged from the expected route of re-signing fan favorite Hiroki Kuroda, while letting a young pitcher fill the role of fifth starter. Instead, Colletti signed Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano to two-year deals. Although both Harang and Capuano have had numerous successful seasons in the major leagues, Colletti essentially blocked the arrival of Nathan Eovaldi, one of the few bright spots from 2011.

Eovaldi was unknown to most Dodger fans coming into 2011, ranking behind highly touted pitchers such as John Ely, Chris Withrow and Allan Webster. However, Eovaldi came into 2011 Spring Training and impressed with his stuff and his grittiness, fighting his way through innings while showing great command. By the end of March, the right-handed power pitcher was one of the few prospects getting considerable looks in Major League games.

Nathan, a 22 year old from Texas, went to Double-A Chattanooga after 2011 Spring Training camp broke. Showing great consistency in the minors, Eovaldi earned a call up in August after fellow prospect Rubby De La Rosa went down with a year-ending elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

Colletti was cautious with Eovaldi, communicating with the Double-A pitching coach dozens of times to make sure Eovaldi’s emotional makeup was strong enough to deal with potential failure. Many others were worried because Eovaldi had failed to truly dominate any level of the minor leagues, finding some success but never blowing away hitters.

Eovaldi’s Dodger debut went smoothly, he won his first start and proceeded to have five solid starts in his first six chances.  Eovaldi did not dominate hitters, striking out just 23 batters in 34 innings. But he was able to limit the damage when faced with trouble, appearing unfazed in any situation.

As the 2011 season closed, most expected Nathan to have a spot in the 2012 rotation since he had done nothing but impress.

However, with the addition of Capuano and Harang, Eovaldi seems to be the odd man out. Although everyone from Don Mattingly to Ned Colletti continue to praise Eovaldi, even comparing him to the likes of Kershaw, they have not allotted him a slot in the opening day rotation.

With the Dodgers’ history of pitching injuries, Eovaldi’s depth is a necessity and he will likely get quality innings on the Major League roster this year. My question, however, is why did Colletti go out and sign Capuano and Harang, which will only limit Eovaldi’s 2012 impact?

Is it better for Eovaldi to be on the Major League roster, assuming the role of spot starter and bullpen swingman? Eovaldi’s durability is not in question because of his athleticism and age.  His velocity (92-95 mph) and repertoire of a power fastball, solid curveball and changeup also make him a candidate to be a valuable bullpen arm.

On the other hand, Eovaldi could continue to pitch every fifth day and provide leadership in Triple- A Albuquerque.  He could stay on track to replace any starter that goes down with an injury, or the Dodgers could even go to a six-man rotation during the dog days of the summer. The six-man rotation is a hopeless dream that I have had for years, but it could really provide a little extra relief for the fragile arms of Harang and Capuano.

The Dodgers might not be convinced just yet to hand Nathan a true impact role, as his numbers reflect a more mediocre starting pitcher. His 1.38 WHIP, 20 walks and high pitch counts are all reasons to suggest Eovaldi could benefit from more time in the minors or in the bullpen. His inability to go deep into games (six innings was his longest outing) could tax the bullpen and over time, the Dodgers might want to put a cap on his pitches in hopes of protecting his arm.

At the end of the day, Eovaldi’s versatility, youthfulness and willingness to accept any role are huge assets that will serve him well as the season moves forward. I believe he deserves a shot to win a spot in the starting rotation, as his talent and excellence have only begun to be tapped into.

If Nathan fails to make the starting rotation out of Spring Training, as expected, I personally think he should stay with the big league team due to the fact that he has nothing left to prove in the minors. Learning from the best while seeing time out of the bullpen has helped many young pitchers hone their skills.  No matter what transpires in Spring Training, Eovaldi will see quality Major League innings due to injury.

With the Dodgers being in the tenuous state they are in, Eovaldi could be another season rescuer along the lines fellow Texan Clayton Kershaw was in his breakout 2009 campaign. Dodger fans can only hope for a miracle season that would foster another trip to the NLCS, but with the solid foundation of the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, anything is possible if the team can find ways to score some runs.

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Do you think the Sizemore family doesn’t matter?

Just ask the Cleveland Indians and the Oakland Athletics, who already have lost one of their own in training camp and been left to scramble for replacements.

The early days of spring training have seen a number of assorted hurts and physical setbacks, some of which are sure to impact the regular season. In reverse order, here are the 20 most significant ones thus far:

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The Yankees dropped their first game of the spring today against the Phillies in Bright House Park.

Fans got their first chance to see the team’s biggest offseason acquisition, Michael Pineda, in his start today against Joe Blanton.

Pineda, who has already lost about seven or eight pounds, did not disappoint. In his two scoreless innings, Pineda struck out two while allowing just one hit.

His changeup has been a work in progress in the early goings of Spring Training, but he reportedly used it quite effectively today.

At one point in his two innings, Pineda recorded six consecutive swinging strikes to Jim Thome and Shane Victorino.

David Robertson got the call for the third inning, and allowed one run on one hit while walking one. It was his first action of the spring.

Rule-5 pickup Cesar Cabral pitched the fourth, allowing just one hit before working a scoreless frame. Dan Burawa followed Cabral with a scoreless inning of his own.

Adam Miller then came on to pitch the sixth, and that’s when the floodgates opened. In 1 1/3 innings, Miller allowed five runs on just two hits. He issued three free passes.

Juan Cedeno came on in relief of Miller, and allowed three runs on three hits in his inning of work. He struck out one and walked one. Michael Martinez touched him up for his first home run of the spring, as well.

To finish off the game, Ryan Pope pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out two in his impressive spring debut.

The offense totaled 10 hits during the game against the combination of Joe Blanton, Scott Elarton, Austin Hyatt, Brian Sanches and David Herndon.

Catcher Gustavo Molina went 2-for-2 in the game, and prospect Zoilo Almonte continued his perfect spring with a 1-for-1 effort. Almonte also drove in one of the team’s three runs.

Eduardo Nunez was 1-for-1 in the game, but left after being hit in the back of the right hand by an Austin Hyatt fastball. He received precautionary X-Rays, and Nunez does not believe that anything is broken.

The team is calling it a right hand contusion.

Despite the tough loss to the Phillies, the Yankees can take many positives away from this game. For starters, Zoilo Almonte is proving to the team that he can hit.

Almonte, a high ranking prospect in the Yankees system, will definitely be making a case to be placed AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the season.

Another positive was the strong showing of Michael Pineda. Even with all the hooplah surrounding his weight issues and the fact that he has yet to develop a serviceable changeup, Pineda pitched a very strong two innings today.

The team will be hoping that Nunez’s hand feels better within the next coming days, as he will be an important bench piece for them this season.

The Yankees’ next game will be on Tuesday in Bradenton where they will take on the Pirates. 

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The 2012 New York Mets still have a lot of question marks going into the upcoming season. While Jason Bay’s hitting, David Wright’s trade possibility and the health of Johan Santana are going to be three big topics of discussion throughout the entire season, no other Met is as big of an X-factor to the team’s potential success than Mike Pelfrey.

Pelfrey was the Mets’ Opening Day starter in 2011 but did not live up to his expectations at all. After going 15-9 with a 3.66 ERA during his career season in 2010, Pelfrey struggled the following year with a 7-13 record and a 4.74 ERA. His other numbers between 2010 and 2011 were not too different, though, with the only exception being the fact that he gave up nine more home runs in 2011.

The 2011 Mets’ offense not giving Pelfrey enough run support that year could have affected his record in a significant way, but it was clear that Pelfrey was lacking command more often last year than in 2010.

He has always been a sinkerballer, but in 2011, he began to incorporate more secondary pitches in an attempt to fool opposing hitters more, due to the fact that he is not a high-strikeout pitcher. In fact, Pelfrey at one point was throwing seven different pitches, which is probably too many pitches for a relatively young pitcher like him to be able to master thoroughly. Some pitchers may have been able to do this, but Pelfrey likely is not one of them.

As a result, Pelfrey should go back to his bread-and-butter pitches, which are his sinker and curveball, just so he can feel more confident. Pelfrey as a pitcher is all about his confidence. He may not be the most visibly emotional player on the field and has rarely lost his temper completely, but it has become pretty clear that if he gets in a bad situation and starts giving up a lot of runs and/or allowing many baserunners, he will almost always struggle to get out of trouble.

Also, when Pelfrey’s command is not there on a given day, he has often let his frustrations get to his head and cause him to try to do too much to battle out of a situation. The reason why this hasn’t worked is because he is not that kind of power pitcher that can use pitches with high velocity to get through difficult innings. He also is not exactly a control pitcher, so the fact that he doesn’t have the greatest weapons in the world to trust at any given moment could explain why Pelfrey has lacked confidence at times and has let the difficult innings get to his head.

Hopefully, Pelfrey’s biggest goal in 2012 will not be to try and win over 15 games or improve his single-season stats to another level. Instead, what he really needs to find is his own unique identity as a pitcher.

Again, Pelfrey has looked lost at times on the mound and is likely confused as to what kind of pitcher he is. He might even be trying to be both a power and a control pitcher all into one, but this simply will not work for him.

Pelfrey needs to just be who he is as a pitcher and not try to be a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson at every moment. He is Mike Pelfrey and he needs to discover who he really is as a pitcher. Just because one pitcher is successful in a certain way doesn’t mean that any pitcher can achieve similar amounts of success just by following what that one pitcher did. Each pitcher is unique and is gifted in different ways.

If Pelfrey could discover all this within himself, it could make a world of a difference for years to come. He needs to trust his own pitches that he has used for years instead of trying to learn so many new pitches on the go. If he just pitches like himself, the sky is the limit for his potential.

All in all, if Pelfrey really dedicates this season to figuring out his pitching identity, he might be able to get past his mental strength issues over the next few years. This is not an instant process and will take multiple seasons to accomplish.

With the Mets not being under any pressure to succeed whatsoever, this is the perfect time for Pelfrey to look in the mirror and discover who he is as a major league pitcher for a team in the world’s largest city. If he succeeds in doing so and pitches well this year, significant progress will be made, but he will have to pitch well in 2013 as well to see if he truly discovered his pitching identity.

Pitching well in opposite seasons will not be good enough in order to become a solid and reliable starting pitcher. So far, Pelfrey has had success in even-numbered seasons and has struggled in odd-numbered seasons. History thus states that Pelfrey will pitch well in 2012, but again, in order to see if Pelfrey has improved as a pitcher, the next two seasons both need to be successful before one could consider someone like Pelfrey to be an elite pitcher.

With the track record he has had, Pelfrey should have a solid season in 2012, but if that does not end up being the case, the Mets may need to trade or release him to benefit the team going forward. The Mets currently have three great pitching prospects developing in the minor leagues and these next two seasons could make or break Pelfrey’s chances of staying with the Mets in the future.

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