Zimmer, Ventura and Nina: Down on the Farm

• Jason Parks and Mike Ferrin during their most recent Fringe Average Podcast talked about the differences in Kyle Zimmer and Yordano Ventura and their pitches (From around 11:30 to 14:30 and NSFW - f'bombs). Here are some quotes about a key pitch for each pitcher.

Parks on Zimmer:

He is a power pitcher ... For a power pitchers, hitters seem to be able to get their bat on his fastball better than most power pitchers.

"[Fastball] is a true pitch.... great velocity ... lacks deception ... hitters can time to it."

"His command has to be a little bit finer."

I went an looked at a fastball from AA. It is pretty bland (pitch #1).

It will interesting to see how MLB hitters square up against him.

Parks on Ventura:

"We haven't been able to see where the changeup is able to go."

"The changeup is going to be the type of pitch which is a big difference maker for him."

Here is a look at the first change Ventura threw in the majors

Pitchf/x has documenting him throwing 18 changes and it has been fairly successful.

• Nathaniel Stoltz at FanGraphs gives a Rany like mini-book on where minor league relief pitchers come from focusing on Royals farmhand Aroni Nina.

He's 6'4″, lanky, and projectable, he throws mostly 92-95 with some life from a fairly easy, low-effort motion, and he has a curveball and changeup with impressive life. There's some wildness there ....

A fastball at 92-97 mph with some life, a curveball with both power (79-81 mph) and absolutely massive tilt, and a solid changeup with good fade and speed separation. Forget intrigued; I was in awe, more than enough to forgive the fact that Nina doesn't seem particularly interested in repeating his delivery in that video.

Video in question:

Some Nuke Laloosh there ... heat and wildness. Great, just what the Royals needed, another bullpen arm.