Holy smokes!
Madison Bumgarner, the Giants’ best pitching prospect, is being called up to the majors today.
If it was a surprise catcher Buster Posey got a September promotion, this is even more of a stunner considering Bumgarner is two years out of high school. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft.
The Giants might want to see how Bumgarner handles himself this month because he might be a candidate for a rotation spot next year.
Leave it to Bumgarner to squash my pro-Uribe post.
First reaction … wow?
Second reaction … wow, really?
After mercilessly destroying A-ball in 2008, Bumgarner made his way to AA this year and was indeed challenged. His progression through the minor leagues looks like this:
| Year | Level | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | FIP |
| 2008 | A | 141.2 | 10.42 | 1.33 | 1.71 |
| 2009 | A+ | 24.1 | 8.51 | 1.48 | 2.05 |
| 2009 | AA | 107 | 5.8 | 2.52 | 3.56 |
His sharp drop in K’s combined with reports of velocity loss has had a lot of prospect watchers squirming in their seats. In all honesty, Bumgarner has no business pitching in the majors this year. Will he start tonight? Will he pitch to Posey tonight? I guess we’ll be finding out.
This is a bold move by the Giants. I’m not sure what they accomplish by calling Bumgarner up so early. Chances are, he wasn’t going to be ready for the majors by 2010 and, for whatever reason, they’ve started his arbitration clock by calling him up. By most scouting reports, his breaking stuff is still very much a work in progress. Can a wildly talented LHP survive in the majors (with reported diminished velocity) as a starter with just a fastball?
Is Brian Sabean going all in? Or is there a more logical reason for Bumgarner making the big club? I don’t like the way this story is developing. I guess we’ll get to see if the velocity reports are true, or not, now.
Wow.
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Update: Sounds like Bumgarner will be starting tonight. Tim is out with an unspecified injury. The Giants are to make a statement soon-ish.
More info from Baggs:
Tim Lincecum has a sore back. He was scratched but could return to the rotation when his turn comes up again, Bochy said. He had diagnostics and saw a back specialist. This flared up Sunday night when the team traveled back from Milwaukee. It showed improvement Monday, but not sufficient to start him. Of course, any injury to Lincecum is a “sky is falling” occasion, but at least initially, the Giants are not framing this as an ultra-serious issue.
Another interesting number for Bumgarner in AA:
BABIP – .241
Well, interesting if you want to know the discrepancy between his ERA and FIP. It’s mostly that and his HR rate.