Incoming impact pitchers for 2016

[MsStateBaseball]

A way too early look at the pitchers who will immediately make an impact on this pitching staff. I am talking about from Day1 not in May or June.

In no particular order:

RHP Ryan Rigby 6-1 185: a JC transfer from East Ms. His JC coach thinks he will be a Major League pitcher one day. He is either a fireman or a closer. When its bases loaded and you need an out, you call on the fireman.

RHP Parker Ford 6-3 230: a big, raw Texan. He is ranked in the Top 100 baseball players by Perfect Game, no matter the position. He is a power arm. In the fall, he might not be a starter but he will be eventually. He will definitely log innings in the bullpen. Low 90's fastball.

LHP Jared Padgett 6-4 210: He shot up the PG rankings in May, landing at #222 right before the MLB Draft. Turned down 3rd round money to go to school. He will start some games in 2016. I don't think he will be a reliever. The skies the limit. He will be a 1st rounder in 3 years.

LHP Kale Breaux 6-0 180: the player of the year in the state of Louisiana. He will start and pitch out of the bullpen the whole year. He is a strikeout pitcher. He may not have the size of the other pitchers but watch out, this guy can pitch.

LHP Ethan Small 6-3 180: fastball in the low 90's. The 1# LHP in the state of Tennessee per PG. Ranked #110 nationally. This kid has a lot to prove. He will come and compete for starter and reliever. Just adds to tremendous left handed pitcher class. Another star in the making.

RHP Ryan Cyr 6-3 200: a big, strong Kansas pitcher. He wasn't highly ranked by PG but I think this guy has flown under the radar. I see him as a bullpen pitcher at first. I look for him to log some serious innings in 2016.

LHP Trysten Barlow 6-3 230: another big, strong pitcher. Ranked #2 LHP in the state of Tennessee. I think Barlow will log many an inning in the bullpen in 2016.

LHP Konnor Pilkington 6-3 220: the #1 ranked LHP in the state of Mississippi for 2015. Another lefty! I think he will log lots of innings from the bullpen in 2016.

Right now, I am slating Keegan James, Noah Hughes and Alex London to redshirt. But of course, I could be wrong. We'll have to wait and see how they do in fall ball.

I have 8 impact pitchers with 6 of them 6 foot 3 inches or taller. The other two, Rigby and Breaux are exceptional pitchers. We got big, strong pitchers who throw hard. Just what the doctor ordered. We need these guys to pitch their best in 2016.

[Todd4State]

Rigby has a LONG way to go before he become a MLB pitcher.

Ford, Padgett, and Breaux are our top three guys- with Ethan Small, Trysten Barlow, and Ryan Cyr pretty close behind.

Breaux is the only one that I think has a chance of cracking the rotation this year.

Pilkington is really good- he was the best pitcher that I saw in Mississippi this past year, although Noah Hughes and Keegan James were very close. I don't think we will redshirt Hughes or James though. Simply because we need to see who can help us out, and redshirting isn't really helping us out.

I do suspect that Alex London will redshirt though.

I do think that every pitcher except for Rigby has a legit chance to be a weekend starter at some point in his career. And I still think that Rigby will be pretty good for us.

[Drugdog]

What's your thoughts on The other Barlow kid?He redshirted this year.

[MsStateBaseball]

All I know from experience, is a walkon who RS's is behind the 8 ball. The competition is tough. It is usually 15-16 pitchers who play in a season and he is on the outside looking in.

Cohen has to bring in new guys each year to push his players. It brings out the best. If Barlow has improved and can get outs on a consistent basis, then he has a shot. Take Dominguez from California. He redshirted last year. Well, this summer his ERA is over 7. He just can't get guys out. Well, he will compete this fall but I don't look for him to make it.

Minus the players who will RS in 2016 (walkons) that don't count against the 35, you will have around 16-18 hitters and 17-19 pitchers. So if he can be better than Billingsley, etc. who are the same spot, as in specialty pitcher. Sidearm, late inning kind. He has a chance but it's slim.

[Todd4State]

Barlow is going to have to do well in the fall to make the 35 man roster IMO. I wish him the best since he is a MC guy.

[KB21]

I noticed that Logan Elliot is now on the Bethesda Big Train roster. He was pitching in the Sunbelt League out of Georgia.

[KB21]

We also apparently have a junior transfer coming in from Shelton State named Blake Smith.

[bulldogcountry1]

The question is how many pitchers on the 2015 roster will have an impact next year.

[Irondawg]

This is where some of you baseball experts lose cred.

We are not going to have 8 newcomers be Impact guys.

Last year we had 10 pitchers pitch more than 15 innings. We lost 4 of them.

The other 6 - Hudson, D. Brown, Houston, Sexton, Mintz, Tatum will probably have big roles, with Tatum probably being on the hottest seat. Then you might get something out of someone like Mccord. History has not be kind to our freshman pitchers in the Cohen era.

I'm hopeful we would get something good out of 4 of them at most this year. It would be great if we ended up recruiting an entire solid pitching staff in one class, but that's highly unlikely.

[Todd4State]

This is where some of you baseball experts lose cred.

We are not going to have 8 newcomers be Impact guys.

Last year we had 10 pitchers pitch more than 15 innings. We lost 4 of them.

The other 6 - Hudson, D. Brown, Houston, Sexton, Mintz, Tatum will probably have big roles, with Tatum probably being on the hottest seat. Then you might get something out of someone like Mccord. History has not be kind to our freshman pitchers in the Cohen era.

I'm hopeful we would get something good out of 4 of them at most this year. It would be great if we ended up recruiting an entire solid pitching staff in one class, but that's highly unlikely.

For the record, the only one I really expect to contribute at some level is Kale Breaux. The six guys that you mentioned that are upperclassmen are the guys that I expect to carry the lion's share. Hopefully we have another freshman in addition to Breaux that steps up in the bullpen and helps out. Odds are pretty good that one of the ten can do that, but with us there is certainly a chance that none of them do.

[Bama_Dawg]

Ok, so Pilkington went to my HS Alma Mater and I've watched him pitch HS for the last 4 years. He will keep the ball down until he starts to tire, then the ball elevates (happens to many pitchers, as they fatigue, they have to watch their form). The one thing is that he does compete, he wants the competition. I really see him working out of the bullpen in the later innings (not closing), and hopefully working some long relief as the season goes on and his experience grows.

Also, don't be surprised if he comes in to pinch hit too. He's got some pop.

I think the big question mark is how will these guys react to the college baseball. Seems that our guys had that problem this year (I'm looking at you Ross Mitchell).

[5 Star]

Rigby has a LONG way to go before he become a MLB pitcher.

I do think that every pitcher except for Rigby has a legit chance to be a weekend starter at some point in his career. And I still think that Rigby will be pretty good for us.
Why? I want details. If you want to have such a strong opinion, you better have some muscle. I'll be waiting.

[Jacksondevildog]

I thought Barlow was out of Tennessee or Arkansas. I don't believe that he played at Madison Central.
Barlow is going to have to do well in the fall to make the 35 man roster IMO. I wish him the best since he is a MC guy.

[MsStateBaseball]

When I say impact I mean playing on a regular basis. Butch has been waiting 7 years for a LHP class like this. He is so happy. Those 5 will play w Breaux and Padgett at the top.

[MSUDawg99]

I thought Barlow was out of Tennessee or Arkansas. I don't believe that he played at Madison Central.

Yeah he's from TN

[Todd4State]

Why? I want details. If you want to have such a strong opinion, you better have some muscle. I'll be waiting.

Because Rigby is a lower 3/4 arm slot guy and that pretty much regulates him to the bullpen only. Plus he was the closer for EMCC. Guys like that are dime a dozen as far as prospects go- for him to make MLB he is going to have to go through every level and pretty much dominate- and by that time he will be 26 or so.

I'm sure you will disagree even though I am right.

[Todd4State]

I thought Barlow was out of Tennessee or Arkansas. I don't believe that he played at Madison Central.

He was talking about Cole Barlow- because he talked about him being redshirted last year.

You are talking about Trysten from Dyer County TN.

[5 Star]

Because Rigby is a lower 3/4 arm slot guy and that pretty much regulates him to the bullpen only. Plus he was the closer for EMCC. Guys like that are dime a dozen as far as prospects go- for him to make MLB he is going to have to go through every level and pretty much dominate- and by that time he will be 26 or so.

I'm sure you will disagree even though I am right.
I disagree because he's dominant and throws gas.

I'm sure you will disagree even though you have never seen him play and honestly probably never played baseball before in your life.

[Todd4State]

I disagree because he's dominant and throws gas.

I'm sure you will disagree even though you have never seen him play and honestly probably never played baseball before in your life.

Nope. I've seen him play before. He throws in the high 80's consistently if you call that "gas"- and he dominated at the JUCO level, but we'll see if he can do it at the SEC level.

He won't start for us- and he was recruited as a relief pitcher. He only started one game at EMCC and logged 30 IP. If he couldn't crack their rotation, he won't crack ours. He will be a good relief pitcher for us. You don't want a guy to start like that because LH hitters hit them well and they have a hard time getting through the lineup more than once.

He is what he is- and his style is simply not coveted highly by MLB in the draft or by MLB period. A team can get an over the hill guy for the league minimum and teach him to drop down and get as much production as they can from a guy that has been doing it his whole life.

And I like sidearm, submarine guys- but they are what they are.

Tell Luke to work on his defense for me- thanks.

[Jacksondevildog]

Rigby won't start for us. Anyone thinking he will has a mental disorder.