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2007 second-round pick Brant Rustich will be tried as a starter this season.
Rustich was largely unsuccessful as a closer at UCLA, but he excelled out of the pen after being drafted last season. He still projects as a reliever for the long-term, but there's no harm in looking at him in the rotation first.
Here is a scouting report on Rustich for those wondering:
Strengths: Healthy in pro ball, Rustich showed a premium fastball, sitting from 93-97 mph with late life. He pitches inside to righthanders and uses his size well, throwing downhill with his fastball and an 84-87 mph power slider with tilt. His changeup shows flashes of being an average pitch.
Weaknesses: Control was a huge problem before and after his finger injury, but Rustich threw strikes as a pro as he used his fastball more. His delivery can get out of whack easily. His splitter was a plus pitch before he got hurt, but he hasn’t thrown it much since the injury. His slider can be inconsistent.
~I'm trying to find the best way to explain this.. Right now with his Fastball/Slider/Changeup combo, Brant Rustich is going to get exposed as a starter. His fastball isn't going to be touching 97 MPH, he's going to be sitting in the low-mid 90's, and his other pitches aren't good enough for him to get by (as a starter). UNLESS the Mets are telling Rustich to throw his splitter again, I don't see him being a successful starter.
I think of Brant Rustich as being the Mets best relief prospect. Better then Kunz, and better then Smith. But if the Mets feel this guy has a chance of being a starter, I guess you have to at least try this route, because of how much more valuable starters are.
As a starter Rustich will be able to refine his pitches, so even if he doesn't pan out as a starter, he'll be a relief pitcher with more then one out pitch. I'm not sure where the Mets are going to start him, I would think Savannah (A), but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mets start him in St. Lucie (A+).
As a relief pitcher Rustich would have been on the fast track.. He probably would of started in AA with Kunz, with a chance of a call-up to the majors in the second half of the 2008 season.
2007 second-round pick Brant Rustich will be tried as a starter this season.
Rustich was largely unsuccessful as a closer at UCLA, but he excelled out of the pen after being drafted last season. He still projects as a reliever for the long-term, but there's no harm in looking at him in the rotation first.
Here is a scouting report on Rustich for those wondering:
Strengths: Healthy in pro ball, Rustich showed a premium fastball, sitting from 93-97 mph with late life. He pitches inside to righthanders and uses his size well, throwing downhill with his fastball and an 84-87 mph power slider with tilt. His changeup shows flashes of being an average pitch.
Weaknesses: Control was a huge problem before and after his finger injury, but Rustich threw strikes as a pro as he used his fastball more. His delivery can get out of whack easily. His splitter was a plus pitch before he got hurt, but he hasn’t thrown it much since the injury. His slider can be inconsistent.
~I'm trying to find the best way to explain this.. Right now with his Fastball/Slider/Changeup combo, Brant Rustich is going to get exposed as a starter. His fastball isn't going to be touching 97 MPH, he's going to be sitting in the low-mid 90's, and his other pitches aren't good enough for him to get by (as a starter). UNLESS the Mets are telling Rustich to throw his splitter again, I don't see him being a successful starter.
I think of Brant Rustich as being the Mets best relief prospect. Better then Kunz, and better then Smith. But if the Mets feel this guy has a chance of being a starter, I guess you have to at least try this route, because of how much more valuable starters are.
As a starter Rustich will be able to refine his pitches, so even if he doesn't pan out as a starter, he'll be a relief pitcher with more then one out pitch. I'm not sure where the Mets are going to start him, I would think Savannah (A), but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mets start him in St. Lucie (A+).
As a relief pitcher Rustich would have been on the fast track.. He probably would of started in AA with Kunz, with a chance of a call-up to the majors in the second half of the 2008 season.
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