Season Preview: Extended Spring Training Pt. 2

This is Part 2 of the Extended Spring Training preview, focusing on the pitchers. Part 1, the position players, can be found here.

Extended Spring Training Preview Part 2: Pitchers

Starters:

RHP Brenny Paulino

-Paulino, as we know, is a highly thought-of, projectable right hander that missed the 2012 season due to a shoulder injury. I would expect him to be at West Michigan eventually, but I expect he'll start the season in EST to continue working his way back to full strength.

RHP Yorfrank Lopez

-Lopez is a big right hander who threw pretty well in the GCL in 2012. He sits in the 91-93 range with his fastball, and is able to elicit a solid amount of groundballs. He was old for the league last season, and while his numbers are good, they should be taken with a large grain of salt.

RHP Nick Carmichael

-Carmichael was selected in the later rounds of the 2012 draft. He's a big guy that posted good numbers in the GCL, but being nearly 23 already, it was almost expected that he dominate the younger guys. He looks like a solid org pitcher, long term.

LHP Jack Duffey

-Duffey was taken in the draft a few years back out of HS, and has posted good numbers so far in the lower minors. Doesn't strike out very many, and isn't really a groundball pitcher, but the numbers have been solid regardless. Looks more like an org guy at this point, but has versatility.

RHP Brennan Smith

-Smith spent 2012 with West Michigan, but with their pitching staff stacked, he looks to be an odd man out who will head to EST and wait for assignment from there. He's a flyball guy without many strikeouts, but he also doesn't walk very many. Again, he looks like an org guy at this point.

RHP Josh Carr

-Carr, similar to Carmichael, was a late round 2012 pick who went to the GCL and did well. I will list him as a starter here, but he filled roles as both a starter and reliever in 2012. More of an org guy at this point, but looks like he will be a solid one.

RHP David Paulino

-Brother of Brenny, David looks to spend his first full season stateside in 2013. Like his brother, he's a big, projectable righty that looks to have plus velocity in time. But we'll see how that turns out.

LHP Preston Jamison

-Big lefty drafted in 2012, he debuted with the GCL Tigers as both a starter and reliever. He's one of the few I would still give the "prospect" tag to, although I'm somewhat hesitant to do so. Could be primed for a vault up prospect charts in 2013.

Relievers:

RHP Andrew Harrison

-A two-way prospect in college, Harrison was drafted as a pitcher thanks to his projectable frame and good arm strength. The hope is that with added instruction, he will develop into a plus velocity reliever. He had a nice debut in 2012, and 2013 should answer some questions about his long term profile.

LHP Ryan Longstreth

-Longstreth was drafted out of Central Michigan in 2012. He had Tommy John surgery in 2012, and all reports (including from Ryan himself) have him on the right path to recovery. Pre-surgery, he sat in the 88-90 range with nice movement, touching 91-92 in short bursts, and is able to get groundballs/swing and misses when he commands the ball down in the zone.

RHP Gregorio Solano

-Solano made his stateside debut in 2012 with decent success out of the GCL teams' bullpen. Doesn't strike out a ton, but limits his walks and is able to get hitters out in a variety of ways.

LHP Alex Phillips

-Phillips was excellent for Connecticut in 2012, making me think he might just end up in West Michigan after EST. Tall lefty with solid stuff, he hardly walks anyone while striking out nearly a batter per inning, as well as limiting opponents to a .235 BAA.

RHP Hunter Scantling

-Massive right hander, standing 6'8" and weighing in at 265-270lbs. He doesn't have the fastball you'd expect, sitting mostly with a fringy 89-91 FB, with below average off speed stuff. Probably an org guy, but the possibility always exists that with his size and frame, he could add some velo with pro instruction.

RHP Ramon Lebron

-Lebron was signed way back before the 2007 season out of the DR, he gets strikeouts but also issues a ton of walks and gets more flyballs than groundballs, leading to high ERA's and really high WHIP's. He's not a prospect, but an org guy nonetheless.

There's probably a few guys I've missed here, but to be brutally honest the guys I may have missed are not prospects of any caliber worth noting. As I said with the positional guys, I don't know a ton about most of these guys, but I'll undoubtedly find out more this season.

Reminders: You can follow us on twitter @TigersProspects, and follow me personally @B_Sakowski.