Atlanta Braves Strengthen Already Great Bullpen, Call Up Arodys Vizcaino
August 11th, 2011
The Atlanta Braves already had the best bullpen in baseball with a 5.4 WAR on the season, so the last thing opposing teams needed to see was their bullpen getting some help.
Vizcaino had a shaky debut for the Braves
The Braves called up RHP Arodys Vizcaino on Wednesday and he will pitch out of the bullpen moving forward. The 20-year-old, who was acquired in the trade that sent Javier Vazquez back to the New York Yankees, was moved to the bullpen in Triple-A in order to prepare for this role.
The Braves didn’t waste any time unveiling their new toy as Vizcaino made his major league debut last night against the Florida Marlins. Arodys entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Braves up 6-2 and walked two and hit a batter in two-thirds of an inning. Not really the debut the Braves envisioned.
Vizcaino featured a fastball that was around 95 mph and an occasional curveball. Unfortunately, because Vizcaino was all over the place with his fastball, his curve had zero effect on hitters. Of the 16 pitches he threw, only six were for strikes.
With his delivery to the plate, Vizcaino reminds me of a young LaTroy Hawkins. Watch a video of Hawkins from 10 years ago and you will see what I am talking about. Don’t worry Brave fans, a much more talented version of Hawkins.
Once Vizcaino settles down, he should be lethal for the Braves out of the bullpen. With him, Jonny Venters, and Craig Kimbrel at the end of games for the Braves, that is a complete nightmare for opposing teams.
Here are some other things you should know about Arodys Vizcaino…
Age: 20
Throws: Right
College: None
Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic
Minor League Stats:
| Year | Lev | G | GS | IP | R | ER | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rk | 3.68 | 12 | 6 | 44.0 | 22 | 18 | 1.159 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 9.8 |
| 2009 | A- | 2.13 | 10 | 10 | 42.1 | 18 | 10 | 1.157 | 7.2 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 11.1 |
| 2010 | A-A+ | 2.74 | 17 | 17 | 85.1 | 34 | 26 | 1.066 | 8.3 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 8.3 |
| 2010 | A | 2.39 | 14 | 14 | 71.2 | 25 | 19 | 1.005 | 7.9 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 8.5 |
| 2010 | A+ | 4.61 | 3 | 3 | 13.2 | 9 | 7 | 1.390 | 10.5 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 7.2 |
| 2011 | AA-A+-AAA | 3.06 | 26 | 17 | 97.0 | 38 | 33 | 1.134 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 9.3 |
| 2011 | A+ | 2.45 | 9 | 9 | 40.1 | 14 | 11 | 1.017 | 6.9 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 8.3 |
| 2011 | AA | 3.81 | 11 | 8 | 49.2 | 21 | 21 | 1.248 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 10.0 |
| 2011 | AAA | 1.29 | 6 | 0 | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1.000 | 9.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 10.3 |
| 4 Seasons | 2.91 | 65 | 50 | 268.2 | 112 | 87 | 1.120 | 7.8 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 9.3 | |
| A+ (2 seasons) | A+ | 3.00 | 12 | 12 | 54.0 | 23 | 18 | 1.111 | 7.8 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 8.0 |
| A (1 season) | A | 2.39 | 14 | 14 | 71.2 | 25 | 19 | 1.005 | 7.9 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 8.5 |
| AA (1 season) | AA | 3.81 | 11 | 8 | 49.2 | 21 | 21 | 1.248 | 8.0 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 10.0 |
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 3.68 | 12 | 6 | 44.0 | 22 | 18 | 1.159 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 9.8 |
| A- (1 season) | A- | 2.13 | 10 | 10 | 42.1 | 18 | 10 | 1.157 | 7.2 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 11.1 |
| AAA (1 season) | AAA | 1.29 | 6 | 0 | 7.0 | 3 | 1 | 1.000 | 9.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 10.3 |
Keith Law Ranking and Analysis:
Ranking: No. 47 out of 100 best prospects in baseball for 2011
Analysis: “Vizcaino was on track to end 2010 in the top 20 before a partially torn elbow ligament knocked him out for two months, although he did return to throw two innings for low A Rome in the season’s final week.
When healthy — and it’s not clear whether we can say Vizcaino is right now — he will show plus velocity up to 96 mph and an above-average curveball, along with outstanding control. He didn’t walk a batter in his final 40 innings in low A. He does have great arm speed, but he doesn’t use his lower half much to generate it. Vizcaino comes from a slot under three-quarters and tends to get on the side of the ball as well as giving left-handed hitters a slightly better look at it out of his hand. He does have that pesky tear, and while it didn’t require surgery last year, further tearing probably will put him on the shelf for at least a half-season if not more.
He’s not a huge guy, and between the arm slot and elbow tear, there’s at least some reason to think he could head for the bullpen, at which point he’d probably sit mid-90s and profile as a top-tier setup man or closer. If he holds up, however, he has premium starter stuff and would slot in as a No. 1A behind Julio Teheran‘s No. 1 in a rotation of Atlanta’s starting pitching prospects.”
