Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Mariners look to the future
Pitchers Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker are waiting in the wings.
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald Seattle Mariners' Danny Hultzen (center) laughs as fellow prospect Vinnie Catricala (second from right) talks to reporters during FanFest. Photo taken 012812 Sports - MLB Baseball - Seattle Mariners
SEATTLE -- Danny Hultzen stood in the Mariners dugout Saturday, looking out at the pitcher's mound he hopes to call his work place sooner rather than later.
The No. 2 pick of the 2011 draft, Hultzen is less than a year removed from his college career at Virginia, but there is little doubt that even if he isn't on the major league roster to open the season, he won't be long for the minor leagues.
"As soon as possible," Hultzen said when asked when he'd like to be pitching for the Mariners. "It's hard to put a time table on it or anything, but I think that's everybody's goal is to get here as soon as possible, so that's the way I'm feeling."
A couple of hours earlier, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, two more of the Mariners top prospects, stood on the steps of that same dugout, staring wide-eyed while discussing the deep left-field wall that is hell on right-handed hitters but a godsend to pitchers.
The pitching trio of Hultzen, Walker and Paxton, who were at Safeco Field for this weekend's FanFest, may or may not contribute to the Mariners 2012 season, but few doubt that all three will have big roles in the franchise's future.
When the Mariners sent All-Star right-hander Michael Pineda to the Yankees for catcher Jesus Montero, they did it first and foremost because they are a team in desperate need of hitting. But the only reason general manager Jack Zduriencik was able to pull the trigger on such a bold trade is because of the impressive pitching depth the team has waiting in the wings.
"To young players like us, that (trade) shows us that they really value their young players and they have confidence in us to be able to step in and take the spot for those guys," Hultzen said. "... It's a good feeling that they have that confidence in us."
The Mariners have confidence in their young pitching for good reason. All three were ranked in the top 100 on MLB.com's top-100 prospect list, with Hultzen ranked 16th, Walker 18th and Paxton 77th. Baseball America put Walker on the cover of its latest issue, which focused on the top prospects in the AL West.
Hultzen, 22, is the most polished of the trio, Paxton, 23, has the highest-level of minor league experience, while the 19-year-old Walker has perhaps the most raw talent. So lively is Walker's arm that Hultzen was raving about the youngster not based off of watching him pitch, but rather from simply seeing Walker play catch.
"He's something special, it was crazy to watch him throw a baseball," Hultzen said. "... Just the way he throws the ball. I can't describe it, but I remember being out there, the smack of the glove, how effortless he throws it. It's crazy."
Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's worth remembering that projecting baseball prospects, pitchers in particular, is one of the most inexact sciences in sports. It's entirely possible that one or even all three of these pitchers don't become stars at the big-league level, but they all appear to be on the fast track to the major Leagues, which is why all three, despite limited professional experience, will be at spring training with a shot at making the team, or at the least a chance to show what they can do against major league hitters.
"We've got a lot of great pitching coming up, and a lot of great pitching already up there already in the big leagues," Walker said. "It's just going to be cool to meet all of them."
While all three will be in spring training, the Mariners aren't going to rush their top pitching prospects to the majors. Zduriencik was honest in assessing his young team last week, admitting that it will likely be a struggle in 2012. As eager as everyone might be to see what someone like Hultzen can do, it isn't worth sending him out every fifth day to have his confidence ruined if spring training shows that he isn't ready.
"I think that's somewhat fluid," Zduriencik said. "When we roll into spring training, we're going to be anxious to see them. Every player has his own timetable. Over the years, when someone says he's going to be in the big leagues by such and such date, that's dangerous, because every single player is a little different, whether emotionally, physically, experience wise. You don't know until they toe the rubber, step on the field and play."
And on this cool January afternoon, none of those pitchers stepped on the field or toed the rubber, but all three stood oh so close to that dream, both literally and figuratively. Hultzen, Paxton and Walker aren't sure when they'll be back at Safeco Field, but whenever that happens, the Mariners hope they'll soon show why the team was willing to make such a big offseason trade.
"I feel like they do have confidence in the guys that are coming up," Paxton said. "There's a whole bunch of us down there doing some good things."
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.
The No. 2 pick of the 2011 draft, Hultzen is less than a year removed from his college career at Virginia, but there is little doubt that even if he isn't on the major league roster to open the season, he won't be long for the minor leagues.
"As soon as possible," Hultzen said when asked when he'd like to be pitching for the Mariners. "It's hard to put a time table on it or anything, but I think that's everybody's goal is to get here as soon as possible, so that's the way I'm feeling."
A couple of hours earlier, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, two more of the Mariners top prospects, stood on the steps of that same dugout, staring wide-eyed while discussing the deep left-field wall that is hell on right-handed hitters but a godsend to pitchers.
The pitching trio of Hultzen, Walker and Paxton, who were at Safeco Field for this weekend's FanFest, may or may not contribute to the Mariners 2012 season, but few doubt that all three will have big roles in the franchise's future.
When the Mariners sent All-Star right-hander Michael Pineda to the Yankees for catcher Jesus Montero, they did it first and foremost because they are a team in desperate need of hitting. But the only reason general manager Jack Zduriencik was able to pull the trigger on such a bold trade is because of the impressive pitching depth the team has waiting in the wings.
"To young players like us, that (trade) shows us that they really value their young players and they have confidence in us to be able to step in and take the spot for those guys," Hultzen said. "... It's a good feeling that they have that confidence in us."
The Mariners have confidence in their young pitching for good reason. All three were ranked in the top 100 on MLB.com's top-100 prospect list, with Hultzen ranked 16th, Walker 18th and Paxton 77th. Baseball America put Walker on the cover of its latest issue, which focused on the top prospects in the AL West.
Hultzen, 22, is the most polished of the trio, Paxton, 23, has the highest-level of minor league experience, while the 19-year-old Walker has perhaps the most raw talent. So lively is Walker's arm that Hultzen was raving about the youngster not based off of watching him pitch, but rather from simply seeing Walker play catch.
"He's something special, it was crazy to watch him throw a baseball," Hultzen said. "... Just the way he throws the ball. I can't describe it, but I remember being out there, the smack of the glove, how effortless he throws it. It's crazy."
Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's worth remembering that projecting baseball prospects, pitchers in particular, is one of the most inexact sciences in sports. It's entirely possible that one or even all three of these pitchers don't become stars at the big-league level, but they all appear to be on the fast track to the major Leagues, which is why all three, despite limited professional experience, will be at spring training with a shot at making the team, or at the least a chance to show what they can do against major league hitters.
"We've got a lot of great pitching coming up, and a lot of great pitching already up there already in the big leagues," Walker said. "It's just going to be cool to meet all of them."
While all three will be in spring training, the Mariners aren't going to rush their top pitching prospects to the majors. Zduriencik was honest in assessing his young team last week, admitting that it will likely be a struggle in 2012. As eager as everyone might be to see what someone like Hultzen can do, it isn't worth sending him out every fifth day to have his confidence ruined if spring training shows that he isn't ready.
"I think that's somewhat fluid," Zduriencik said. "When we roll into spring training, we're going to be anxious to see them. Every player has his own timetable. Over the years, when someone says he's going to be in the big leagues by such and such date, that's dangerous, because every single player is a little different, whether emotionally, physically, experience wise. You don't know until they toe the rubber, step on the field and play."
And on this cool January afternoon, none of those pitchers stepped on the field or toed the rubber, but all three stood oh so close to that dream, both literally and figuratively. Hultzen, Paxton and Walker aren't sure when they'll be back at Safeco Field, but whenever that happens, the Mariners hope they'll soon show why the team was willing to make such a big offseason trade.
"I feel like they do have confidence in the guys that are coming up," Paxton said. "There's a whole bunch of us down there doing some good things."
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.
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