While he dominated primarily with a mid-90s fastball that touched 97-98 on plenty of occasions, he...

While he dominated primarily with a mid-90s fastball that touched 97-98 on plenty of occasions, he also flashed a plus power curveball that could turn him into a monster if he can be more consistent with it. One scout put it best by saying, "The thing I like best about him is his birthday," as the ultra-athletic righty doesn't turn 19 until August. He arguably has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Midwest League, but the amazing thing is there are plenty of nights that he's one of the best pitchers on the circuit right now.

Kevin Goldstein on Taijuan Walker

11 months ago JonBBT 32 comments 0 recs |

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Well, I know who Goldstein is going to rank as a 5 star prospect THIS year.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Jun 20, 2011 1:52 PM PDT reply actions

Only question is where he shows up on the 'Top 100 in baseball' lists....

Walker’s season’s been off the charts amazing.

by marc w on Jun 20, 2011 3:02 PM PDT reply actions

I know I wasn't expecting him to be this good this soon. I'm sure most top 100 rankers are like "Oh god, what do we do with this kid now?"

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Jun 20, 2011 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions

"Oh, he plays in the Mariners farm system? Just throw him somewhere in the 70's."

by wyte_lightning on Jun 20, 2011 6:45 PM PDT up reply actions

Naw, that kind of disrepsectful consternation is reserved for Dustin Ackley only.

Or Carlos Triunfel. Most people didn’t have a problem putting Pineda or Franklin in he top 50, but Ackley? He was always “overrated”.

Triunfel, on the other hand, was polarizing. He was either top 50 or not even at all in the top 200.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Jun 20, 2011 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions

How's Triunfel doing?

Haven’t heard much about him, lately.

by vj on Jun 21, 2011 4:33 AM PDT up reply actions

He's basically doing like Lopez did, but a level lower and a year older.

Lopez was a pretty exciting prospect though.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 21, 2011 7:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Lopez never lost a year to a broken leg

by seattlebruin on Jun 21, 2011 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions

This is true

In that case the Lopez comparison is perhaps even better. Though, I didn’t pay very much attention to the minors when Lopez was coming up.

JY, marc, someone… Triunfel/Lopez – extremely similar or just very similar?

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 21, 2011 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Eerily similar.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett Mariners Minors

by JY on Jun 21, 2011 1:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I think Triunfel has more power, actually.

Or certainly has the body frame to add more. I don’t see him popping balls up for 300 to 350 feet. I could see him making more solid line drive contact.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Jun 21, 2011 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

After being declared pretty much not a prospect, he's gotten some of his shine back by finally hitting the ball a bit.

by joof on Jun 21, 2011 8:59 AM PDT up reply actions

We should have signed Alberto Triunfel.

Then we can have the double play twins back, and they’ll actually be related.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 22, 2011 4:07 AM PDT up reply actions

That might be over-hyping it a bit

He’s got some great numbers, but I wouldn’t call them “off the charts amazing”. Excellent strikeout rate, but not jaw-dropping. His walk rate has been fine, but no more than about average. There are good reasons to be excited by what he’s done so far, but it’s not in the realm of amazing at this point.

by nathaniel dawson on Jun 20, 2011 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

If Goldstein is correct and he's touching high 90's with a plus curve at his age. that is somewhere off of the charts of the normal realm of what 19 year olds are supposed to do.

And his numbers mostly back that up.

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Jun 20, 2011 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Are you nuts? He's got a 3.5 K/BB as an extreme groundballer in a league where the average pitcher is THREE years older than he is.

As he advances through the levels he may lose some of his Ks facing better hitters but the grounders will keep him a premier prospect.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 21, 2011 7:15 AM PDT up reply actions

And being a premier prospect is "off the charts"?

There are plenty of premier prospects in baseball every year. I’m just saying, this is not other-worldly or even extremely spectacular. You can find guys that have pitched at his level at his age that have been extremely spectacular or other-worldly. What he’s done is damn impressive, but not “OMG that’s amazing”.

It’s all about perspective. In a very short time, he’s made himself into one of the better pitching prospects in the Mariners minors, if not the minors as a whole. But what we’ve seen so far doesn’t portend a once-in-a-lifetime talent, or even a sure fire top of the rotation Major League starter. That’s what I think of when I hear “off the charts amazing”.

by nathaniel dawson on Jun 21, 2011 7:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Semantics

Given the expectations Walker had coming into the year (“raw”, “inexperienced”, “two sport athlete still learning baseball” “recently moved from SS to pitcher full time” etc) what he’s done has been pretty damn amazing. I never expected him to perform half as well as he has, and I don’t think just about anyone else has either. If there’s a 2010 redraft tomorrow he’s probably a top 10 pick and maybe top 5. For a guy most thought was a reach at 44 just 12 months ago, that’s pretty amazing.

No one’s claiming he’s a once-in-a-generation talent, or a surefire TOR starter. Just that his year has been amazing. And if you would stop ignoring his groundball rates and consider them along with his K:BB numbers (not to mention his top shelf stuff), I think you’d find that to be a pretty fair descriptor.

by dnc on Jun 21, 2011 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

For that matter, is there any pitcher in the minors who is definitely considered a surefire top of the rotation starter?

Aaron Curry was a bust the moment he took the field.

by Fearless Frog on Jun 22, 2011 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions

exactly

by dnc on Jun 22, 2011 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Semantics, yes

While I think what he’s done so far has been damn impressive, and definitely something to get excited about, I think coloring it as “off the charts amazing” is over-hyping it. That’s all I’m saying. Just trying to keep it in perspective.

by nathaniel dawson on Jun 22, 2011 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Boy do we love arguing.

by abender20 on Jun 24, 2011 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions

And by we, I mean you.

by abender20 on Jun 24, 2011 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions 9 recs

I've only heard this in passing, so not sure of it's accuracy

But I’ve heard Walker’s fastball also has downward movement that has allowed him to maintain the groundball rate he’s been running this year.

It’ll be interesting as more prospect guys chime in on him. Heard a lot about him when he was drafted, but it was all potential at that point. Interested to see where his stuff is at after a year of work.

by AndrewMcQ on Jun 20, 2011 3:45 PM PDT reply actions