#47 Jarred Cosart

Houston Astros

DOB: 5/25/1990

Previous Rank: N/A

ETA: 2013

This report is written under the assumption that Cosart will start in the Majors instead of relieve, as some suggest he is better equipped to do.  Cosart, alongside stud hitter Jonathan Singleton, was dealt at the deadline for Hunter Pence by Philadelphia.  Cosart immediately became the top-pitching prospect in the Astros’ organization and features a 95-97 mph heater that can jump up to 99.

His secondary offerings are at least 50s in terms of stuff, but he does not command them well enough to use in high volume.  At this point, his changeup is a 55 and the curve is a 50 with good shape when he works in front of his body with it.  Cosart has a 6-foot-3 frame with room to add some bulk.  His mechanics range from clean to jerky, but he is athletic and has time to gain consistency with them.

As far as stats go, 2011 was up and down.  He absolutely dominated through the middle of June, got shelled for a month and a half or so, was traded, and finally was promoted to Double-A where he was bad.  On the year his numbers are pretty meaningless, but he was able to keep his ERA near 4.00, take the ball in 26 starts, and strikeout over 100 guys in nearly 145 innings.

I personally don’t see a lot of reason to give these stats too much consideration, though, since his season was so full of off-the-field distractions that he could not control nor impact.  Regardless, Cosart’s position in our top 50 is based on his arm, age, level, and likelihood of assuming a top-of-the-rotation spot within five years.

With the Fall Classic kicking off tonight, I felt compelled to make my predictions for this exciting World Series. Let me start off by saying that I am rooting for Texas. For starters, as an Astros diehard I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if I rooted for those bastards from the Midwest. Iʼve been raised better than that. Secondly, being from Texas has always allowed me to have a reason to root for an American League team, so long as they were not actually playing my beloved Astros. That appears to be changing though. With news last week of new ownership taking over (finally) and Houston headed for the AL West, this may be my last chance to cheer for the other team from Texas. Unless something drastic happens they will become my new division rival (read: mortal enemy). On the other hand, the Cards will begin fading away as an enemy in my mind. Now I will be able to cheer out loud for Albert Pujols and not have to feel guilty about it. I can watch Lance Berkman and not resent his resurgence, because it will not be at the cost of my team. It seems almost fitting then, that this final series of baseball for 2011 pits my arch nemesis from the past against the arch nemesis of my future. Or, maybe I am just grabbing at air as I try to ascend from the endless abyss known as Astros fandom.

For my predictions:

Rangers win in 7

Josh Hamilton wins MVP with 7 homeruns, including 2 in Game 7.

–  How bout those Rays?  Can they really pull the rabbit out of the hat and clench a playoff berth?  I mentioned this earlier as a joke, but the Tampa Bay Rays are about to pull a Houdini.

–  But which is more impressive- The Rays surge, or the Boston Red Sox collapse?

–  Good old Manny being Manny again…or is it Manny being Kirby now?  Either way, at least Manny Ramirez’s legacy was already tarnished, right?  Makes this episode just a bit less shocking.

–  I am not sure what all the hullaballo was about MLB not allowing the Mets to wear hats that did not meet the “uniform” requirements as written in the rulebook.  It is a rule people.  And it is not like there were not other ways that the Mets, and every other NFL and MLB team used to show support for all of 9/11.  Sure, they could have shown a little leeway, but then they might be setting a precedent that could cause problems somewhere down the unforeseen road.

–  Someone asked me to describe teaching 6^th graders in a single sentence the other day…and this is what I came up with- “Teaching 6^th grade is the equivalent of herding cats.”

–  Watching a player begin his decline as a ball player is always difficult.  It is even more difficult when said player has never given anyone a reason to hate.  That said, it will be interesting to see how Ichiro Suzuki‘s 2012 campaign goes.  Is him not reaching 200 hits that big a deal this year?  Does it mark the start of his decline?  Only time will tell.

–  Good luck to Andrew McCutchen while negotiating what hopefully turns out to be a favorable deal with the Pirates.  It’s really exciting to see a team like Pittsburgh rising from their grave.  It gives Astros fans hope.

–  Speaking of the Houston Astros, we currently host 16 rookies on our roster, with 10 of them being pitchers.  Yikes.  Talk about rebuilding.

Bottom 2: Jayson Werth singled to shortstop against Henry Sosa

Bottom 3: struck out swinging against Sosa

Bottom 5: struck out swinging against Jordan Lyles

Bottom 7: struck out swinging against Lance Pendelton

Bottom 8: struck out on a foul tip against Mark Melancon

Final Line: 1-for-5, R, 4 K

Notes: Werth picked up his third golden sombrero of the season on Sunday afternoon against Astros.  The real story of the game was that Ian Desmond, Rick Ankiel and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to-back-to-back jacks off of Henry Sosa in the third.  Oh yeah, and that Strasburg guy pitched.  There’s nothing noteworthy about Werth’s season that his .164 ISO and .727 OPS doesn’t already suggest.  He’s now tied with Adam Dunn, Grady Sizemore and Kelly Johnson for the league lead in golden sombreros at three.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 112

–       Sure, the Yankees are one of, if not the most storied franchise in baseball.  They have a history of being larger than life, no doubt.  However, do they really believe that they are in a position to complain about rescheduling a couple games due to a freaking hurricane?  Forget being happy about the fact that they were not the ones trying to gather the pieces of their lives and put them back together.  Forget the fact that the payroll of that organization could provide a lending hand and still turn a profit of a billion dollars.  Nope, they want to complain about rescheduling baseball games.  Go be the whales you are NY, and blow it out your hole.

–       Congrats to the kids from Cali.  They took home the LLWS title in a most dramatic, walk-off fashion over the weekend.  The only way this game could have been better would have been if the SS from Japan had not booted the opportunity to turn two the batter before, and the game went to extras for a walk off victory.  I feel for the little guy.

–       It might just be that I am a former Tommy John victim, but following Stephen Strasburg’s Phoenix-like rise from the ashes of an operating table is remarkable.  The fact that he will return to the Nationals around September 6^th is downright absurd.  Man, am I glad to say I saw him pitch live once in my lifetime.  An arm like that is once in a lifetime folks.  I suggest you watch it every chance you get.

–       Jamie Moyer is still rehabbing from his own Tommy John surgery and believes he will be ready and able to pitch again in the bigs next season.  The dude turns 49 in just a few months.  Good luck, partner.  I am definitely in your corner.

–       I can’t wait to see the Moneyball movie next month.  I only hope that Hollywood does not ruin it for me.  I also am afraid that the average person who goes to that movie will not be able to truly understand, or appreciate what that story is about.  It forever changed the way that not only baseball, but all sports, are viewed, played, and managed from the front office on down.

–       I am not sure what is happening at The Ballpark in Arlington, but this is starting to become downright ridiculous.

–       Go Astros!  We were able to win in extra innings last night, despite the fact that we are basically a Triple-A team right now.  Wandy Rodriguez on the bump tonight (a fellow southpaw), and I expect him to record 8 K’s against the Pirates.