Author Topic: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP  (Read 8271 times)

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Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #50: April 15, 2019, 11:34:55 AM »
Isn't he basically a Joe Blanton?

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #51: April 15, 2019, 11:57:40 AM »
Isn't he basically a Joe Blanton?

I thought of Roark when I first saw Crowe with Potomac.  Blanton's not an awful comp either, but I think he'll be better than that.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #52: April 15, 2019, 02:14:10 PM »
I thought of Roark when I first saw Crowe with Potomac.  Blanton's not an awful comp either, but I think he'll be better than that.
I thought his body was supposed to be Blantonesque. Also, I think of Roark as having a good sinker when he's on. Blanton was more 4 mediocre pitches with command

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #53: April 15, 2019, 02:47:40 PM »
Blanton is listed at 225 lbs at BR, Crowe at 240 :shock:



Blanton was a league-averageish pitcher for a while (career 4.47 ERA in 252 starts, with a lot of them in the early-2000s), I'd take that from Crowe.

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #54: April 15, 2019, 03:11:51 PM »
Blanton is listed at 225 lbs at BR, Crowe at 240 :shock:

(Image removed from quote.)

Blanton was a league-averageish pitcher for a while (career 4.47 ERA in 252 starts, with a lot of them in the early-2000s), I'd take that from Crowe.
Blanton was much heavier most of his career. He lost weight during his hiatus.




Offline UMDNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #55: April 15, 2019, 03:13:41 PM »
I was going to say, 225 for him seemed very light.


Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #57: April 15, 2019, 03:44:19 PM »
I thought his body was supposed to be Blantonesque. Also, I think of Roark as having a good sinker when he's on. Blanton was more 4 mediocre pitches with command

Body like a young Joe Blanton.  :?

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE LOOKS LIKE JOE BLANTON :) :)

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #58: April 15, 2019, 04:32:04 PM »
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE LOOKS LIKE JOE BLANTON :) :)
seriously, am I the only one to come up with this?  Also the 4 mediocre pitch stuff?

Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #59: April 15, 2019, 04:32:50 PM »
seriously, am I the only one to come up with this?

It's a fact in your mind.
 :rofl:

Online imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #60: April 23, 2019, 05:44:43 AM »
7 IP, 5 hits,  no runs last night.  Another dominating start.  1.17 era, .78 whip on the season

Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #61: April 23, 2019, 01:02:34 PM »
Does anyone have a scouting report on him yet? I can't find anything on twitter, which at least usually gives you FB velo and stuff like that.

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #62: April 23, 2019, 01:44:25 PM »
Does anyone have a scouting report on him yet? I can't find anything on twitter, which at least usually gives you FB velo and stuff like that.

I've seen him in person, but not since Potomac.  I wrote it up somewhere on here (not in this thread).  I'll see if I can find it, but the FB velo was low 90s.  The stadium gun was malfunctioning that day, but I'd have bet money he was sitting 92ish.

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #63: April 23, 2019, 01:45:55 PM »
http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2019?list=was

Quote
Crowe's elbow reconstruction has had little impact on his velocity, as he spent 2018 pitching at 91-95 mph with a four-seam fastball that stands out for its high spin rate. His above-average curveball also features an impressive spin rate, which in turn gives it power and depth. His changeup arguably is his best secondary pitch, earning above-average grades from evaluators, and he also has feel for mixing in a slider.

Crowe wore down during the second half of his first full season, which prompted the Nationals to shut him down until fall instructional league. Big and physical, he should be able to handle a greater workload once he builds up the necessary strength. Improving his pitch usage and command are the next steps for Crowe, who has the size, stuff and feel to develop into a No. 4 or 5 starter.


Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #64: April 23, 2019, 02:07:19 PM »
I remember the reports from last year's writeups, I just didn't know if his stuff had ticked up or not this season and maybe that was part of the reason for the good start. Just feeling hopeful.

As a side note, I find it so useless these days when people describe prospects as a #4/5 starter. What is that exactly, these days? There were only 96 pitchers in 2018 who threw 120 IP and were worth 1 WAR or more. That's about 3 per team. So in reality a #4/5 starter is basically worthless and/or part-time. I feel like people still use #4/5 starter to describe the innings eater SP, but those people don't really exist anymore.

Online Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #65: April 23, 2019, 07:26:57 PM »
I remember the reports from last year's writeups, I just didn't know if his stuff had ticked up or not this season and maybe that was part of the reason for the good start. Just feeling hopeful.

As a side note, I find it so useless these days when people describe prospects as a #4/5 starter. What is that exactly, these days? There were only 96 pitchers in 2018 who threw 120 IP and were worth 1 WAR or more. That's about 3 per team. So in reality a #4/5 starter is basically worthless and/or part-time. I feel like people still use #4/5 starter to describe the innings eater SP, but those people don't really exist anymore.
Jeremy Hellickson or Tanner Roark are the ideal 4/5 starters.

Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #66: April 24, 2019, 09:25:00 AM »
Jeremy Hellickson or Tanner Roark are the ideal 4/5 starters.

From 2014-2018 Tanner Roark had the 42nd most SP WAR in MLB and had 4 out of 5 seasons where he put up 2 WAR or better. He was an "ideal 4/5 starter" on a perennial playoff team that usually had one of the stronger rotations in the game. He also would have been an "ideal 1/2 starter" on 6-8 teams last season.

I don't really disagree about Hellickson, but when I say, "so in reality a #4/5 starter is basically worthless" what I mean is a guy like Hellickson gets a 1/$1.3 million contract, 1200 innings into his career. That's basically worthless in a league where you pay a minor league callup $600K.

Online Slateman

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #67: April 24, 2019, 10:14:30 AM »
From 2014-2018 Tanner Roark had the 42nd most SP WAR in MLB and had 4 out of 5 seasons where he put up 2 WAR or better. He was an "ideal 4/5 starter" on a perennial playoff team that usually had one of the stronger rotations in the game. He also would have been an "ideal 1/2 starter" on 6-8 teams last season.

I don't really disagree about Hellickson, but when I say, "so in reality a #4/5 starter is basically worthless" what I mean is a guy like Hellickson gets a 1/$1.3 million contract, 1200 innings into his career. That's basically worthless in a league where you pay a minor league callup $600K.
To me, 4/5 starter is someone you don't pitch in the playoffs, or convert to a long reliever in the playoffs.

I'd say Roark is an ideal 4/5 starter. Other 4/5 starters might be Junior Guerra, Tyson Ross, or Danny Duffy. Basically, you want them to make 25 or more starts, and get to about 150 innings with an ERA under 5.

I do agree that something like that isn't worth  spending money on. It's why Roark is gone.

But I have to wonder if Crowe is more valuable as a 4/5 starter, or if he would be a better reliever. Craig Stammen appeared in 73 games, pitched 79 innings, and was worth over 2 WAR last season. If you can get a Hellickson/Alex Cobb/Junior Guerra for ~ 2.5 million, maybe we should do that and look to convert guys like Crowe to multi-inning relievers?

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #68: April 25, 2019, 12:01:10 AM »
That's a good idea in theory but takes the kind of outside the box thinking this organization absolutely hates.

Joe Ross should be our multi-inning stud and Martinez is using him like a... Random arm and Crowe should be fast-tracked because we desperately need solutions. But alas


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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #69: April 29, 2019, 10:49:59 AM »
threw another 5 shutout innings yesterday, ERA down to 0.96

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #70: April 29, 2019, 01:11:18 PM »
Oh, heck, let's go all in on the youth movement if Hellickson has a couple more bad starts.  It's not like we are breaking up a juggernaut. 

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #71: April 29, 2019, 01:34:36 PM »
Oh, heck, let's go all in on the youth movement if Hellickson has a couple more bad starts.  It's not like we are breaking up a juggernaut.

I was thinking about this.  In a lot of ways, the youth movement is already at an extreme.  On one day last April, I saw both Nats A-ball teams.   Crowe started for Potomac.  Noll DHed, Kieboom played short (and hit a monster jack).  Then I saw Hagerstown, where Soto hit a walkoff double. 

I can count on one hand the number of other times I've seen guys in person go from A ball to the majors in a year, much less three on the same day.  And as far as I know, nobody else in either of those games has made it above AA - and only a handful are even there, Crowe included.

Online imref

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #72: May 31, 2019, 06:03:25 PM »
13 earned runs in his last 3 starts, 19.1 innings.  Ugh.

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #73: June 06, 2019, 10:34:02 AM »
Back to back good starts, ERA down to 3.22 on the season, 58 K in 64 IP, .239 BAA, just a 1.13 WHIP. He's looking like a guy for us, hopefully this year.

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Re: Follow the Prospects: Wil Crowe, RHP
« Reply #74: June 06, 2019, 10:50:32 AM »
Back to back good starts, ERA down to 3.22 on the season, 58 K in 64 IP, .239 BAA, just a 1.13 WHIP. He's looking like a guy for us, hopefully this year.
In what role? He started all season. Can't imagine using him out of the pen.

Outside of September callups, he's probably 8th on the depth chart.