'Under the Radar' NL Minor League Pitching Performance of the Week (July 27 - August 2)

posted 8/4/11 2:02 PM PST
by Jim Brown 

*MLBDepthCharts.com considers any player not on a team's 40-man roster, in AAA, or ranked as a top 10 prospect by Baseball America or top 11 prospect by Baseball Prospectus before the 2010 season as an 'under the radar' player.

Under the Radar Minor League NL Pitching Performance of the Week 
RHP Tyler Gagnon, Short-Season Tri-City (COL) 

season stats: 2-1, 2.72 ERA, 46.1 IP, 33 H, 17 BB, 42 K in 9 starts
July 27-August 2: 2-0, 12 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 12 K in 2 starts

In the state of Washington, off the banks of the Columbia River and in the town of Pasco, there is a young pitcher that is raising a commotion in the Northwest League with the Tri-City Dust Devils. The only ones that have noticed thus far have been those in that corner of the Country, especially the hitters in that league. Well, let me brag for a moment as I’ve began to take notice two weeks into the start of the short-season. Tyler has made my daily spreadsheets just about every time he has taken the mound and he made it twice this week with two outstanding starts. In both starts, the former 15th round selection out of Diablo Valley College (Calif.) threw six scoreless innings, surrendered one walk in each game, and matched his career high of eight strikeouts on July 31st. It’s hard to believe that no-one is noticing, as he has only yielded 1 run or fewer in 8 of his last 9 starts. What is more remarkable is that Gagnon didn’t start pitching until his senior year of high school. The 21 year-old is known as a superstitious person and the baseball gods must have been on a hiatus with fellow UTR writer Marc Hefferan and myself on July 10th when the right-hander got rocked for 12 hits and 10 earned runs over 3.2 IP. Take away the stats from that start and Gagnon’s line is down right absurd.

Gagnon's pitch arsenal isn’t flashy. He throws the basic two and four seam fastball (88-90 mph), a plus change-up and curve. He works fast on the mound and has kept the ball in the park (2 HR’s which both came on that July 10th start). With the short-season coming to a close and Gagnon 30 innings away from his body of work from 2010, we should see some starts with the Lo-A Asheville Tourists. Some late season noise in the SALLY should give Gagnon recognition across the country. Just don’t confuse him with his brother Drew, who’s getting his pro start with the Helena Brewers (MIL). 

Relief Pitcher of the Week 
RHP Beck Wheeler, Rookie Level GCL (NYM):  3-0, 0.00 ERA, 16.2 IP, 5 H, 7 BB, 18 K in 11 appearances;   1-0, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, in 2 appearances over the past week

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UTR Minor League NL Hitting Performance of the Week 
UTR Minor League AL Performances of the Week 
Under the Radar 2011 Archive