The Sports Idiot » Kris Medlen

Tommy Hanson Gets the Call

thesportsidiot — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:54:49 +0000

Tommy Hanson is being penciled in as the starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves on Saturday against the BrewCrew. Hanson is a must add in all formats, but he is probably not available anymore.

Hanson, the Braves #1 prospect according to Baseball America (and the #10 overall prospect heading into the season), first made news here on The Sports Idiot when he threw a no-no last season. I proved my intelligence by calling him a “decent prospect” at the time. Since then, dude’s stock has skyrocketed and you can rest assured that he will have a Cole Hamels like impact on the Braves rotation.

The 6′6″ Hanson utilizes four pitches to send batters back to the bench with their heads hanging low. His mid-90’s fastball eats up righties, which he complements with an upper 80’s slider, confusing curve, and steadily improving changeup.

To make room in the rotation, Kris Medlen has been sent to the bully.

Medlen’s First Start One to Forget

thesportsidiot — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:07:46 +0000

Kris Medlen made his Major League debut on Thursday night, and it was not one for the scrapbook. Rather, it was one for the scrapheap, if you will. Dude’s wheels came off in the fourth inning, as he lost command of his pitches. Final line was three innings pitched, one loss, five earned runs, five walks handed out, and three strikeouts.

Do not panic, it was Medlen’s debut and he was obviously nervous. He will get another chance to prove he is ready in five days when the Braves are in San Francisco, and then his third will come at Arizona. Those should be favorable matchups for Medlen, so it will be interesting to see how he responds. Of course, the Rockies should have been favorable as well.

If Medlen does not perform well in his next two starts, he will certainly be sent back down to the Minors. The question will be in who replaces him. Will it be Tom Glavine, Charlie Morton, or some dude named Tommy Hanson?

Hudson Feeling the Heat

thesportsidiot — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:09:10 +0000

Tim Hudson is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. While he is rehabbing, he is not oblivious to the pitching that the Atlanta Braves have amassed. Hudson is on track for an August arrival, and adding a number one starter to the mix could give the Braves a huge boon in the pennant race. The problem might be finding a spot for Hudson in the rotation.

With Kris Medlen making his MLB debut tonight, and Tommy Hanson waiting in the wings, the Braves have two rookie starters who could make an impact this season. Throw in Tom Glavine, and you suddenly have a logjam in the rotation, without even considering Charlie Morton. This is not lost on Hudson, who says that while he wants to start, he wants to help the team however he can. Even if it means starting out in the bully. Braves fans can only hope that this “problem” has to be faced in August, and one has to wonder if a move for a bat will come about near the deadline.

Medlen Makes MLB Debut Tonight

thesportsidiot — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:55:47 +0000

Kris Medlen was supposed to make his Major League debut on Tuesday, but a Sunday rainout pushed him all the way back to tonight’s game against the Rockies. While Medlen is most likely hanging out until Glavine’s status is certain, if you have a roster spot to spare you may want to take a flier on Medlen. With his stuff, he could be the sleeper pitching prospect of the year. Or he could be another Kyle Davies.

Kris Medlen Gets the Call

thesportsidiot — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:41:56 +0000

There is never enough time for me to point the spotlight at players having great years. Just when it was time for me to bring you up to speed on Kris Medlen, a right-handed pitcher in the Braves system, he gets called up to the Bigs on Friday. Jo-Jo Reyes is being sent to the bully, and replacing him in the rotation will be Medlen.

In his six starts for AAA Gwinnett this year, dude has gone 37.1 innings while only giving up four total runs (all of them earned). That puts his ERA at 0.96. He’s won five of those starts, and built up a nice 44:10 K:BB ratio in the process of giving up 19 hits.

At 5′10″ 190lbs, Medlen is not going to intimidate anyone with his size. Baseball America pegged him as the ninth best prospect in their talent heavy system. While he will not intimidate anyone with his size (5′10″, 190#, although there are reports he is shorter and lighter) he will intimidate with his stuff, according to Bobby Cox. Dude has a low to mid 90’s fastball, an upper 80’s curve, and a terrific changeup. Just to keep things fun, Kris also likes to mix in a slider every once in a while as well.

I think Medlen is worth a look, as he could be a surprise sleeper if he continues to pitch in the Majors like he was in the Minors. That is a big if, and he does not pitch until Tuesday, so do not do anything drastic just yet. If you do have room for him, you may want to stash him until after his first start or two.