#31 Robbie Erlin

San Diego Padres

DOB: 10/8/1990

Previous Rank: N/R

ETA: 2012

Erlin was the prize of the Mike Adams deal, and he is perhaps the most unique pitcher of the Top-50.  While many of the elite arms on this list have blazing hot fastballs and need to come up some in terms of commanding pitches and developing useable third pitches, Erlin already has plus secondary offerings and command.  His breaking ball has terrific shape as does his changeup, and he locates both nearly as well as his fastball.

His fastball works in the 88-91 mph range, but can reach 93 mph when he lets one go.  Erlin gets great plane on his pitches despite only being 6-foot, and has fluid, repeatable, and athletic mechanics that should keep him healthy.  His 2.99 ERA across two leagues (including 16 starts in the Texas League) and 154 strikeouts in 147.1 innings reflect just how dominant Erlin can be despite not having prototypical ace stuff.  He only walked 16 guys all season, and despite a bit of a propensity for flyballs, Erlin projects as a very solid No. 2 option in the Show.

In a yard like Petco, it is quite reasonable to expect Erlin to perform like a No. 1.  We expect him to make at least 10-15 starts in Triple-A before being called up, and he will have to continue to prove that his command is good enough to overcome a lack in pace, but we expect him to stick in the Padre rotation for years.

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#48 Joseph Wieland

San Diego Padres

DOB: 1/21/90

Previously Ranked: N/A

ETA: 2012

Joe Wieland was part of the deal that sent Mike Adams to Texas, and considering how valuable Adams was to the bullpen in both San Diego and Texas, Wieland is obviously viewed as a future Big League contributor.  We at The Sombrero will go a step further.  Wieland will be a top of the rotation arm for years.  We are talking a solid two in the Show.

His stuff isn’t as imposing as other arms that will crack our top 50, but his command is outrageously good.  He walked 21 guys over 150 innings in 2011 for Christ’s sake.  The strikeout totals were nearly one per inning, and he did a solid job keeping the ball in the yard as well.

Wieland should start the year in San Antonio, but he should move quickly to Triple-A.  There is a very real chance he cracks the rotation in San Diego by the end of 2012.  His fastball reaches 93, and his breaking ball is of the 12-6 variety with quality shape.  Both pitches are solid average to above on their own, but Wieland’s command plays each pitch into the 55-60 range.  His changeup is not used as often, but it has decent fade and should be a solid 50 pitch.  Wieland has an athletic 6-foot-3 frame and very clean and easy mechanics that should allow him to stay reasonably healthy.  This is not an ace arm, but it is the kind of No. 2 that every team wants.

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Serious style points for the walk-off and helmet spike

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Last Saturday night, Albert Pujols treated us to an unparalleled display of power.  His 5-for-6 performance, which included three home runs, six RBI, and 14 total bases, produced a RE24 of 5.808, the highest in World Series history.

To help pass the time until tonight’s game, I thought that it would be interesting to examine the best Game Six offensive performances in World Series history, as determined by their RE24 value* from that game.

The most legendary Game Six performance belongs to Reggie Jackson, whose three home run game during the 1977 World Series sits atop the list with an RE24 of 4.874.  Beyond that you will find a list of players that includes a slew of Hall of Famers, World Series legends, a player who probably got high before the game, and Danny Bautista.

*RE24 is the difference in run expectancy (RE) between the start of the play and the end of the play.  That difference is then credited/debited to the batter and the pitcher.

Where’s Ray Vinson when you need him?