As an observer of pitchers, the Eyeball Scout comes highly recommended having been a left-handed pitching prospect himself. He did peak in Little League, but all careers have their arcs. Some notes from this past week…
Sean Manaea
Manaea has become an expert in changing the eye line with his fastball. Many of his strikeouts recently have come by going up the ladder after sitting lower in the zone. Some pitchers such as Gerrit Cole, can pound the top of the strike zone and be successful but what Manaea is doing is more artful. He is using his fastball slider and changeup “middle-down” and then elevating the fastball at or just above the top of the zone and getting a slew of swinging strikes.