Mahle is pronounced mahl-EE. So, if the headline seemed a little off, there you go. Now go back and read it again. I thought it was maul myself, so thank goodness I caught it before I wrote the title. Anyways, this is such a great time of the season for fantasy. The hormones are still pulsating, the optimism is still flowing, and the scrutiny from every action on the diamond is simply amazing. It’s as if everyone is on Ritalin. As a result, the emotions are high and perceptions are warped. Overreaction Theater is sold out. For better or for worse, enjoy this blessed time before the grind and dog days take over. In this weekly piece, I’ll take a look at one player that has performed above or below expectations and provide a verdict for his future prospects. This week will be none other than Tyler Mahle.
In his first start of the 2018 campaign, Mahle went 6 innings, allowed 1 hit, walked 2, and struck out 7 against the Cubs….in Great American Ball Park, a park that is above average for home runs to both righties and lefties, and a park that was 10th in home runs hit in all of baseball last season.
I’ll be honest. I briefly perused his numbers two nights ago when I was doing a little research, but quickly went on to the next player when I saw the K/9 at 6.30 and BB/9 of 4.95 in 20 big league innings last year. After seeing him mow down the Cubs to start the game yesterday, I decided to do a deeper dive.
Mahle is 23 years old, 6′ 3″ and 210 pounds, and throws from the right side. He is indeed from Cali….Newport Beach to be exact. Attended Westminster HS and was drafted by the Reds in the 7th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Two years of rookie ball, 1 1/2 years of Single-A, one year of Double-A, 1/2 a year of Triple-A, and the aforementioned 20 innings in The Show and the ugly 6.30 K/9 and 4.95 BB/9.
Here’s the thing, though. In those 20 innings, Mahle made four starts. 5, 4, 6, and 5 innings in each start. 0, 3, 0, and 3 earned runs respectively. He did not allow a home run and struck out 14 batters total. He did issue 11 walks, though.
Here’s the thing Part Deux, though. In 556.6 minor league innings, Mahle walked a grand total of 115 batters. The BB/9 never got above 2.52 and was often under 2.00. Me likey that. Very very much. I’ll attribute the high BB/9 in The Show to a 22 year old kid making his first appearance pitching in the major leagues. I often read about minor leaguers getting frazzled by the simple fact that MLB stadiums have upper decks. Imagine trying to pitch!
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Mahle has a four-pitch arsenal. Fastball (4-seam and 2-team), slider, curveball, and changeup. The fastball sits in the 92-95 area, with occassional visits to the 99 stratosphere. The slider is the main secondary pitch. The change is the third pitch, with the curveball being on display once in a while. If you don’t believe me, then check out what Ralph wrote about him in his Top 150 prospects piece.
Mahle has a minor league no-hitter to his name, but he has also has a perfect game under his belt. Struck out eight and only needed 88 pitches to complete the endeavor. A favorite among the Chinese now.
I like guys that can throw hard, but I don’t want any Ricky Vaughns. I like guys that know how to sequence and actually throw the pitch where they want it to go. I like guys that have been thrown into the fire and escaped with their balls intact. Mahle has all of the above. In addition, he’s pitched close to 150 innings in each of the past three seasons, so there shouldn’t be any kind of innings limit. With that said, he does pitch in a shitty ballpark and there will be an adjustment period, but he’s free and there’s upside here.
VERDICT:
Pardon my Photoshop skills. They are about as good as my French and writing.
