Down on the Farm
MLB
  Scores
  Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries: AL | NL
  Players
  Weekly Lineup
  Message Board
  Minor Leagues
  MLB Stat Search

 Clubhouses

Sport Sections
TODAY: Monday, May 15
Mark Mulder, Kip Wells
By John Sickels
Special to ESPN.com

REPORT FILED: APRIL 21

When teams draft a college pitcher in the first round, they are usually seeking a quick dividend for their investment. Two college hurlers drafted in 1998, Mark Mulder of Oakland and Kip Wells of the White Sox, are hoping to provide their clubs just that.

Mark Mulder
Oakland Athletics
Position: LHP Height: 6-6 Weight: 200 Born: 8/5/77

Year Team Level G GS IP H R ER BB K W-L ERA SV
1999 Vancouver AAA 22 22 128.2 152 69 58 31 81 6-7 4.06 0
2000 Oakland AL 1 1 6.0 5 4 4 3 6 1-0 6.00 0

Mark Mulder made his major league debut against the Cleveland Indians earlier this week, and held his own against the powerful Tribe. Barring a complete collapse, expect him to remain in the rotation for the Athletics the rest of the season.

Mulder was the second-overall selection in 1998, out of Michigan State. A tall southpaw with good stuff and fine command, Mulder began his pro career in Triple-A, in the Pacific Coast League. Not surprisingly, his numbers aren't hot on the surface: a 4.06 ERA and 152 hits allowed in 128.2 innings. Keep in mind that the PCL is rough on pitchers: a 4.06 mark is just fine there, but the poor H/IP mark and his mediocre strikeout total were disturbing signs.

The scouting report on Mulder was that he threw hard, but the hits and strikeouts don't show that. There was a reason for his relative hittability last year: a "dead-arm" period in mid-summer that robbed him of velocity and hurt the crispness of his breaking stuff.

That cleared up by the end of the season, and Mulder looks fine this year. He throws in the low 90s, throws strikes with his breaking pitches, and knows what he is doing on the mound. Adjustment troubles are always a possibility, and we shouldn't expect Mulder to blitz through the American League without trouble this summer.

In the long run, he will develop into a solid major league starter, perhaps comparable to Andy Pettitte or Eric Milton. I do worry about his durability, and hopefully the Athletics are intelligent enough not to expect an ace-like workload just yet.

Kip Wells
Chicago White Sox
Position: RHP Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 Born: 4/21/77

Year Team Level G GS IP H R ER BB K W-L ERA SV
1999 Winston-Salem A 14 14 85.2 78 39 34 34 95 5-6 3.57 0
1999 Birmingham AA 11 11 70.1 49 24 23 31 44 8-2 2.94 0
1999 Chicago AL 7 7 35.2 33 17 16 15 29 4-1 4.04 0
2000 Chicago AL 3 3 15.1 15 13 12 16 14 0-2 7.04 0

Drafted in the first round out of Baylor in 1998, Wells held out that summer and fall, but did very well in 1999 and earned his way into the rotation this year. His first three starts have been a trial; his control is giving him trouble, and looking at his record, this isn't unexpected.

Wells pitched well in the Carolina League to begin last year, with an especially impressive 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings. Promoted to Double-A, Wells ran off an 8-2 mark and 2.94 ERA in 11 starts, earning a seven-start audition with the White Sox in September. He went 4-1 with the Pale Hose, earning his way into the rotation this year.

Although his 12-3 record in the second half last year was obviously impressive, note the deterioration in his K/BB mark after moving up to Birmingham. His strikeout rate dropped, while his walks rose. His ratios were actually better in the majors, but still not terrific. Wells shouldn't have been expected to do well right away given his K/BB ratios in the second half. In a way, going 8-2, 2.94 for Birmingham was bad for him. It created an unrealistic expectation that he was further along the development path than he really was.

It sounds like I'm trying to rag on him, but I'm not. I love his long-term potential, and he has the intelligence and aptitude to turn it around at any time. Wells has excellent stuff, including a hot fastball and a nasty slider. I think he is going to develop into a workhorse starter, and he is one of the most valuable young pitchers around.

My concern is that, with just 11 games of Double-A under his belt, Wells is being rushed, and may pay for it with control problems, and mediocre numbers, this year.

John Sickels is the author of the STATS 2000 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com.

 


ALSO SEE
Down on the Farm archive