FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As Steve Tolleson walked back toward his team's dugout with his head down, he mumbled something toward teammate Dwayne White, who was standing in the on deck circle. "Wow!" said the Twins Class A farmhand. "This kid can pitch."
Tolleson was referring to Phillies left-handed prospect Josh Outman, who currently plays for the team's Class A affiliate. Outman took the mound for the Clearwater Threshers on Monday against the Fort Myers Miracle and gave the just under 1,000 people in attendance something to chatter about.
As he sat down Tolleson and then also got White on strikes, Miracle No. 5 hitter Erik Lis stood at the top of the dugout steps eagerly inquiring about the hard-throwing lefty, so he didn't fall to the same fate as his teammates. The 6-1, 180-pound Outman is currently ranked as the sixth best prospect in the Phillies' organization by Baseball America. He is not even their best pitching prospect, but he sure pitched like it.
Outman's top pitch is his fastball. When warmups began, he was making the catcher's glove pop and it didn't stop until his night ended in the seventh inning. He has a decent curveball but an uncontrollable slider. If he ever develops either of those pitches, watch out. Every batter he faced the first time through the lineup basically lunged at the ball in hopes of making contact. The hitters eventually adjusted to the fastball, but that is when Outman broke out his off-speed pitches and kept the batters on their heels.
As good as Outman looked on the mound, I did see some reasons for concern. He has an unorthodox pitching motion. After he comes out of the windup, he pauses for a moment before firing away. The pause seems to take away from his progression toward the plate and he throws mostly with his arm. In today's age of Tommy John hysteria, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up on the cutting table.
With that said, I love this kid's resiliency. After getting touched up for six runs in his Class A debut on April 6, he has allowed just one run in each of his last three starts. This coming after he went 14-6 with a 2.95 ERA and 161 strikeouts in low Class A last year.
I dare say that he is the Phillies' second best left-hander behind Cole Hamels -- sorry Jamie Moyer. I can't wait to see Outman make his major league debut, unfortunately, it will probably have to wait until sometime in 2008. He is a guy that came out of college, but is not on a fast track to the majors. As of now, he is just another name for Fantasy owners to stash away for future reference.
Now, on to this week's questions ...
Do you think Derrek Lee's lack of power (zero homers) is related to his wrist injury last season? Should I be concerned yet? --Wade Johnson, USA
MH: Lee's so called "lack of power" has nothing to do with his past injury. Lee finally knocked out his first homer Wednesday and more should follow. He is hitting .393 with 15 RBI and 11 doubles. This coming after he hit .492 with two homers, 15 RBI and 12 doubles in 18 spring games. I will surely take Lee's production at the plate regardless if he has only put one in the seats. He is clearly swinging a good bat and the homers should come with time.
What do I do with Brett Myers? My Fantasy league has equal value for saves and holds, but will Myers actually be used as a set up guy or is he cooked? His value as a starter has dropped so much that I can't unload him. --Terry McLaughlin, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
MH: Myers still has Fantasy value so hold onto him. I speculated when the change happened that the move to the bullpen was temporary. I think the Phillies are putting Jon Lieber on display as trade bait, so then can get some solid relievers and put Myers back into the rotation. I don't see him as a career middle reliever or closer. He is a starter and will regain that job once again.
In a standard NL-only league with 10 owners, I have decided to give up on Clay Hensley and replace him with Shawn Hill. Did I give up on Hensley too early? --John Bachiochi, San Ramon, Calif.
MH: I feel your pain John. I just about took Hensley in all of my mixed and NL-only leagues, and he has pretty much killed my pitching rotation up until his last start against the Rockies. I think his early season troubles have to do with the blister on his pitching hand. He says it is not a bother, but his numbers say otherwise. I think it is still too early to give up on him in NL-only formats. As long as he gets healthy, I see him being productive. Especially since he plays for a team that can get him wins.
Is Alex Rodriguez going to start getting the Barry Bonds treatment (intentional walks)? If so, should I deal him now while he is still seeing strikes? --Nathan Schad, Crest Hill, Ill.
MH: Nathan poses a very good question, but unlike Bonds, A-Rod has way more protection in the lineup. It is the same reason pitchers have gone at Albert Pujols. If he isn't going to get you, then Scott Rolen or Jim Edmonds (in his prime) were going to make you pay. I wouldn't suggest unloading the best Fantasy player at this time. Also, look at his past numbers. He always produces for Fantasy owners.
At what point do I begin to worry about David Wright? This hitting streak business has been all but useless to Fantasy owners since he is not hitting homers or driving in runs. Is it too soon to really think about panicking? --Chad Holder, Louisville, Ky.
MH: I believe Wright is suffering from "Bobby Abreu syndrome." After Abreu put on a monster display at the home run derby in the summer 2005, he hit just six homers after the All-Star break. Wright hit just six homers in the second half of the 2006 season after his spectacular power display at last year's derby. I think something mechanically changed with both players to have caused them to lose their power swing. However, outside of my conspiracy theory, I think it is too early to panic. Wright is still a young hitter and hasn't reached the age of 27. He still has a lot of gas left in the tank. He will likely put on some sort of power display this summer that will make Fantasy owners forget about his early season struggles.
You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Dear Mr. Fantasy in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we do not guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.
