It's not official yet, but most signs seem to point to Eddie Bonine getting the call up from Toledo to take Dontrelle Willis' turn in the rotation on Saturday against the L.A. Dodgers. (And this time, I will give one of our regulars, Zappatista, some dap for calling this one right.) In anticipation of the call-up and the curiosity that will surely ensue, Take 75 North has posted a primer on Bonine that also explains why he's not quite considered a star prospect.
He’s walked less than 5% of the batters he’s faced and posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio better than 3:1. The low walk and strikeout totals leave a lot to the defense, and he helps them out by keeping better than 50% of the balls in play on the ground. That limits the number of home runs he allows, but there also may be some luck in his low home run totals. Only 5% of fly balls became home runs last year and this year it’s more like 6%. I believe the major league average is closer to twice that. If you make that adjustment to his minor league numbers (i.e. double his home runs) with the Tiger organization, he’s suddenly a pitcher they’re no longer considering for a spot in the rotation.
Matt also goes on to speculate what sort of success Bonine might have against major league hitters. I'll nudge you to click over and see what he expects. It's definitely worth checking out and something to keep in mind if/when Bonine pitches for the Tigers.