Mariners Pick Best Player of Supplemental Third Round, RHP Carter Capps
In a way, I’m torn. On one hand, there’s a part of my mind that always insists that there’s an art to pitching and that hurlers who didn’t grow up honing that craft are not to be trusted. On the other hand, attempts to convert a position player to the mound is always a practice that seems fascinating to me, like it’s completely new each time it happens even though I’ve watched this system so long that Rich Dorman, who was one of the first players I remember transitioning, is now a pitching coach.
Capps was a catcher in high school, just as Dorman was, just as J.J Putz was. He redshirted as a freshman and has since moved to the mound where he throws a live fastball that tops out in the mid-90s and seems to have an awful lot of sink to it. He’s been a starter throughout, but we’re probably looking at him as a reliever, similar to what we thought Pryor was going to be last year. Of course, Capps has better control than a guy who’s been catching should have, with a 129/18 K/BB and very few hits allowed. He needs to work on the secondary offerings though, and the slider is probably the best bet in that department.
Mount Olive College Stats
Interview with Capps and Dan Hayduk, some game footage
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5 Responses to “Mariners Pick Best Player of Supplemental Third Round, RHP Carter Capps”
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I hope they don’t force him in as a reliever and let it either happen or not naturally. He was the best pitcher in D-II and I’ve read that his slider actually has some nice tilt and run to it. If his fastball runs to 97 like many say it does, then you’ve got a Morrow-type profile and we all know how that went with the switches from starting to relieving and back etc. Let the kid pitch and then figure it out – don’t pigeon-hole him yet, Mariners!
Man, I love draft day. A new post every hour!
It’s funny because he was the only player taken.
Agree with Jay. M’s definitely made the best pick in the supplemental third round…
Overall it’s been a disappointing draft so far. Pound-for-pound (round for round???) some of these recent picks are more head-scratching than Hultzen.
Teach him a cutter. Not only would it give him a better shot at starting (or less of a platoon split in relief), I’d love to see how many announcers could handle “Carter Capps’ cutter” in the heat of the moment.