2K13 - Wade Davis

[Moonlight J]

here's what I wrote up over at DRaysBay today

http://www.draysbay.com/2012/10/18/3519326/2012-season-review-wade-davis

[Erik]

I would not have bet that the first 2K13 thread would be about Wade Davis.

[Erik]

It makes sense that his velocity went up after he was moved to the pen. He could let it all out for an inning or two and not worry about conserving himself.

It also helped that moving to the pen enabled him to jettison the pitches that weren't working for him.

I suspect if he moves back into the rotation, he'll be mediocre again. I think his stuff is just better suited for the pen.

[joncarlos]

Davis is exactly the kind of guy who will thrive in the 'pen. Going by the numbers, he has 2 excellent pitches (cutter/curve). He has a couple of other OK pitches, so he wouldn't be a disaster in the rotation. He'd be around average, which means he's probably giving you 2 WAR whether he's starting or relieving. The question is, what else does he have? Can he locate his fastball well enough that it's a show-me pitch to set up the cutter/curveball? Or can he throw his changeup effectively enough that it doesn't get crushed if he mixes it in a few times a game?

He was OK as a starter in 2010-2011. The ballpark helped. Did he learn anything in the bullpen that he could translate back to the rotation? Jason's article highlights the cutter, but also highlights the fact that he probably shouldn't have been as successful as he was without it in 2010-2011.

Is he going to be with the Rays anyway? They're going to trade someone. Maybe it will be Davis.

[Erik]

I suspect if he moves back into the rotation, he'll be mediocre again. I think his stuff is just better suited for the pen.

He's proving me correct today. His fastballs have been meatballs.

[Stephen]

He's proving me correct today. His fastballs have been meatballs.

[Erik]

I'm just sayin'.