Rotation next year...

[Dawg61]

What is it if the unthinkable happens and Ginn, Stewart and Gordon are all pitching for MSU next year? We know Small has Friday or Saturday. Whose taking midweek? I want to give Gordon a shot in the rotation. He's earned it.

[Todd4State]

Assuming the worst case scenario is that we don't get Stewart...

I'm thinking it's probably going to be Fri- Small, Sat- Keegan, Sun- Ginn.

We'll see how James looks in the Cape. I think he has the best chance of our wild cards of getting a starting spot whether it's Saturday or the midweek spot assuming Ginn is the Sunday guy because of his dual position status. Ashcraft is looking better in his summer league and that's encouraging. Plumlee is looking good as well given what we know I think he has more of a shot at midweek than the weekend personally. Since he started some midweek the past two years I've got to guess that McQuary is going to get a look too- and we'll see how he looks in Alaska. I don't think Gordon starting is out of the question at this point either- he has done it in the past- but we need to see if he can get into graduate school first. (I can't imagine that he won't).


The thing about Gordon and Plumlee for that matter for me at least is I like them better as Andrew Miller type relief aces that you can bring into the game into any situation at any time and they can do whatever you need them to do. That's kind of something that is in style with MLB right now if a team can find a pitcher like that. And we've certainly done that with Lindgren, Girodo, and even France sort of this year. The thing about that role is we can use them in midweek as well and if they pitch 3-4 innings apiece that's pretty much a game. Especially when we have Riley Self on the back end.


If Ashcraft looks good I'd like to start him if at all possible. If we get Stewart I'd be good with him closing.


Another thing that is a wild card here is the new pitching coach. If we get a good one with the talent that we have we could make some pretty big strides on the mound. Whoever we get is going to have some good raw talent to work with.

[Todd4State]

And to add- some freshmen pitchers to look out for that I like:

Eric Cerentola- played on Team Canada and was drafted by the Tigers. I really like him a lot.
Bryce Brock- LHP from Lewisburg. Could be a guy that can get LH hitters out next year.
Brandon Smith- RHP from Richland. He throws in the low 90's and was a draft prospect this year.
Christian MacLeod- LHP from Huntsville, AL. I think he is a SEC weekend starter in the future. Can get LH hitters out now if needed.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Gordon is perfect from the pen to settle things down. Just like he was doing at the close of this past season. He has never looked better.

Plumlee is a great midweek guy, he is a bit out-of-depth in the SEC. he can beat Bama but the rest of the SEC would hurt him. We are back in Oxford next season where he lasted 4 batters (2 hits, 2 walks) in 2017. It was a 0.1 inning effort as a Saturday starter. At Fayetteville he lasted 1.2 innings and got mauled. Then he found a role in the pen and contributed pretty ok in 2017. He could make a Lindgren Leap in effectiveness in 2019 and I'll gladly eat my words. We almost gave up on Lindy before 2014.

[Pit Bull]

Small was basically rehabbing his TJ this year. His speed was down a bit from the mid 90's he threw as a freshman. I expect barring any other injuries, Ethan will have a huge year next year. Be willing to bet his draft stock will be in the top 10 rounds after next season.

[Dawg2003]

I’m still amazed that we were able to do what we did this year with the pitching we had to put together. We could do serious damage next year if everything falls into place from a pitching standpoint. Imagine the bats we had in the second half of the year combined with the pitching we could have next year.

[ZedFedder]

If we get Carter Stewart, don’t think there is any way he closes. He seems like a starter all the way to me, but I’m not as in the know as a lot of you. Y’all may be correct. Could see the wrist playing in there.

[Rick Danko]

I know it?s always a question mark as to how they come back, but from a physicality standpoint is Spencer Price supposed to be ready this year off Tommy John?

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Fri - Small
Sat - Stewart
Sun - Ginn

Or

Fri - Small
Sat - James
Sun - Ginn

[Dallas_Dawg]

I thought that Ginn was going to be a reliever in order to save his arm? Those guys that throw 100 mph + usually have arm trouble and that is why I thought he would be a closer or something out of the pen.

[louisvilledawg]

Small was basically rehabbing his TJ this year. His speed was down a bit from the mid 90's he threw as a freshman. I expect barring any other injuries, Ethan will have a huge year next year. Be willing to bet his draft stock will be in the top 10 rounds after next season.

If his velocity hits an uptick and he has as good of a year as I think he will, I believe we're looking at a top 5 round pick.

[I seen it dawg]

Small Friday
James Saturday
Sunday wide open

IF Stewart comes and is healthy to log starter innings I have to believe it's him. We have plenty of options.

On the surface seems to me Ginn is gonna close. I just don't see him walking in with his history and all of a sudden going 6-8 on Sundays. He has closer written all over him as I would rather him pitch in the back end in leverage spots all 3 games than just using him on Sunday. I think we will have plenty of real good competition for Sunday without putting him in that spot.

Our pen needs to have Breaux healthy and McLeod ready to pitch when he gets to campus. Got to be able to get lefties out late in games.

If Price is back healthy we will also have great options to get a RH out late in games along with Self.

This could really set up to where our starters only have to get us through 6 with the back end options we will have with Ginn closing.

[klong-dog]

I thought that Ginn was going to be a reliever in order to save his arm? Those guys that throw 100 mph + usually have arm trouble and that is why I thought he would be a closer or something out of the pen.

What I was thinking as well

[preachermatt83]

Small and James will be fri and sat. I expect Ginn to be the Sunday guy but if he’s a closer then plumlee will have a good shot at the Sunday spot. It would be a battle between him and ashcraft. Plumlee is throwing really really hard right now.

[preachermatt83]

Double post

[KB21]

The key guys who have the ability to play major roles in the rotation going forward are Keegan James and Graham Ashcraft. If both of them take a step forward in their development, particularly Ashcraft with his electric fastball though he has essentially not pitched in two years, then anything else you get is gravy.

If we go into post season play with Ethan Small, JT Ginn, Keegan James, and Graham Ashcraft as legitimate starters, then I like our chances with the Omaha set up.

With Carter Stewart, I'm beginning to wonder if he has an injury that will need to be repaired which causes him to sit out his first year.

[the_real_MSU_is_us]

With Carter Stewart, I'm beginning to wonder if he has an injury that will need to be repaired which causes him to sit out his first year.

You may be right, both if so the JuCo rumor makes even less sense... you can either a) go to a real university with real resources to heal your hand, then have real coaching for a healthy year to prove you're still a 1st round talent... or you can sit out a year with little rehab or coaching resources and pray MLB teams take a chance on a guy that hasn't proven he's recovered. That would make no sense to me, but with 18 year olds and money you never know