Sims or Kopps?

[ShotgunDawg]

Makes sense, it will or might be interesting to see how this may or may not play out. I think we will see him more in regional play, maybe Sec tourney if we can make some noise moving forward.

Sec tourney is gonna be the most competitive in a long long time. So many teams playing for slots, no regional will be as competitive as this years Sec tourney.

I'd use him twice this weekend & then only pitch him once in Hoover so that he's ready to pitch twice in the regionals

[ShotgunDawg]

I'm all for Sims being a starter next year.

However, and I may be off on this, he seems like a max effort kind of pitcher, so would he have to change his mechanics or drop a few ticks on his fastball so he can go deeper in games? He works very aggressively, and I'm not sure how that would hold up over 6 innings.

People said the same thing about Max Scherzer in college & it's why he went 11th overall rather than being a top 5 pick. The difficulty is separating "effort" from "intent/intensity" They can look the same but be very different.

IMO, effort is when a guy has poor mechanics or a slow arm but still throws hard. However, Sims' delivery is athletic & doesn't put much strain on his arm.

[Really Clark?]

People said the same thing about Max Scherzer in college & it's why he went 11th overall rather than being a top 5 pick. The difficulty is separating "effort" from "intent/intensity" They can look the same but be very different.

IMO, effort is when a guy has poor mechanics or a slow arm but still throws hard. However, Sims' delivery is athletic & doesn't put much strain on his arm.

Kind of disagree that effort guys could have poor mechanics or a slow arm, they are many out there for sure but you also have undersized guys with great mechanics and a fast arm to generate high speeds but they have to max effort because of their size. Not saying this about Sims at all.

[PMDawg]

I think they are much the "same" pitcher. The real difference is how each staff has managed them. We're about to find out which staff did a better job.

Arkansas is not the #1 national seed if their staff didn't use Kopps the way they did though. Conversely, we have probably lost a few games we could have won had we followed their approach. So their staff has the edge right now IMO. Now, if Kopps becomes overextended in the postseason and starts to struggle, while Landon stays fresh throughout...maybe we had a better plan. However, if we lose our regional or super with Landon barely pitching, then we really screwed the pooch and wasted our best player.

[Captain Falcon]

Kopps has a better offense and defense behind him so that helps. He?s also older and more experienced. I think Sims has more electric stuff though.

I agree that the only real difference is in how they are used. Just have to hope we see Sims more often once we get to June.

[Commercecomet24]

Kopps, not bc of ability though... bc of availability. He's pitched almost 20 more innings than Sims. That's huge... we might have another sec win or 2 if Sims had the same IP

Yep 100%

[Cowbell]

Kopps, not bc of ability though... bc of availability. He's pitched almost 20 more innings than Sims. That's huge... we might have another sec win or 2 if Sims had the same IP

But I have had several "baseball experts" on here argue that we haven't hurt Sims draft status by using him so sparingly....

[Bothrops]

Kopps has a better offense and defense behind him so that helps. He?s also older and more experienced. I think Sims has more electric stuff though.

I agree that the only real difference is in how they are used. Just have to hope we see Sims more often once we get to June.

This sums up this thread nicely.

[Really Clark?]

But I have had several "baseball experts" on here argue that we haven't hurt Sims draft status by using him so sparingly....

You quoted a post that had nothing to do with the draft.

If he was drafted today, as a reliever, his draft stock would be as high as it could be. Our use or less use of him would absolutely no influence on his draft stock, as it stands today. Period.

[R2Dawg]

I haven't seen Kopps enough but I've seen enough of Sims to know he is maybe the badest pitcher in college baseball. His command of the zone is unreal. He will dance fastballs on all 4 corners but the inside upper corner fastball is just not fair. That one pitch is just lethal. I've seen no one do that in college baseball ever as good as he is at it. I feel sorry for the batters when he does it.

[Tbonewannabe]

Makes sense, it will or might be interesting to see how this may or may not play out. I think we will see him more in regional play, maybe Sec tourney if we can make some noise moving forward.

Sec tourney is gonna be the most competitive in a long long time. So many teams playing for slots, no regional will be as competitive as this years Sec tourney.

Hell, Omaha might not be as competitive as the SEC tourney.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I haven't seen Kopps enough but I've seen enough of Sims to know he is maybe the badest pitcher in college baseball. His command of the zone is unreal. He will dance fastballs on all 4 corners but the inside upper corner fastball is just not fair. That one pitch is just lethal. I've seen no one do that in college baseball ever as good as he is at it. I feel sorry for the batters when he does it.

What he did to Tate in the 9th was almost criminal. Those two high fastballs were just unfair. That kid didn't have a prayer.

[Commercecomet24]

I haven't seen Kopps enough but I've seen enough of Sims to know he is maybe the badest pitcher in college baseball. His command of the zone is unreal. He will dance fastballs on all 4 corners but the inside upper corner fastball is just not fair. That one pitch is just lethal. I've seen no one do that in college baseball ever as good as he is at it. I feel sorry for the batters when he does it.

Sims reminds me so much of Nolan Ryan. The way his fastball just explodes is so similar to Ryan.

[Cowbell]

You quoted a post that had nothing to do with the draft.

If he was drafted today, as a reliever, his draft stock would be as high as it could be. Our use or less use of him would absolutely no influence on his draft stock, as it stands today. Period.

See - I completely disagree with this. If he had more innings and or had started some games and gone 5+ innings, it is almost factual that he would be drafted higher (assuming he dominates consistently).

[Hot Rock]

I have seen people say this and I have no clue but starting games and going 5 or 6 innings is valued way more than a guy that shuts a team down for 6 outs. Going the lineup twice and still getting it done will get you drafted much higher.

[ShotgunDawg]

I have seen people say this and I have no clue but starting games and going 5 or 6 innings is valued way more than a guy that shuts a team down for 6 outs. Going the lineup twice and still getting it done will get you drafted much higher.

Correct.

The best reliever of all-time's career WAR - Mariano Rivera - 56.3

Non- HOFer Roger Clemens career WAR - 139.2

[Really Clark?]

See - I completely disagree with this. If he had more innings and or had started some games and gone 5+ innings, it is almost factual that he would be drafted higher (assuming he dominates consistently).

What part of reliever did you not understand? As a reliever, which is what he is today and what he entered the season as, his draft stock is as high as it could be. Regardless if we used him more as a reliever, his draft stock is already as high as it could be if the draft was held today. Your statement is NOT factual. Period. No discussion about something he is not, which is a starter as of today.

If he starts next year, that is a totally different discussion and very well could enhance his draft stock but we are talking facts not hypothetical what could be next year. And you want to start your elite closer for 5+ plus innings multiple times during a season as well as using him as a closer more innings???? Name all of the pitchers who do that

[Really Clark?]

I have seen people say this and I have no clue but starting games and going 5 or 6 innings is valued way more than a guy that shuts a team down for 6 outs. Going the lineup twice and still getting it done will get you drafted much higher.

Has anyone disagreed with that???? Nobody has in this thread

[Cowbell]

What part of reliever did you not understand? As a reliever, which is what he is today and what he entered the season as, his draft stock is as high as it could be. Regardless if we used him more as a reliever, his draft stock is already as high as it could be if the draft was held today. Your statement is NOT factual. Period. No discussion about something he is not, which is a starter as of today.

If he starts next year, that is a totally different discussion and very well could enhance his draft stock but we are talking facts not hypothetical what could be next year. And you want to start your elite closer for 5+ plus innings multiple times during a season as well as using him as a closer more innings???? Name all of the pitchers who do that

Dude, I respect you, so need no need to get your feathers ruffled. But you are telling me if we use Sims for five innings against a really good team in a super regional and he dominates it does not improve his draft stock? (I fully expect this to happen). It's not about him being a reliever or a starter full-time to me, it's more about him having the ability if needed or is he a once through the cycle type guy.

[Really Clark?]

Dude, I respect you, so need no need to get your feathers ruffled. But you are telling me if we use Sims for five innings against a really good team in a super regional and he dominates it does not improve his draft stock? (I fully expect this to happen). It's not about him being a reliever or a starter full-time to me, it's more about him having the ability if needed or is he a once through the cycle type guy.

I apologize for being so short.

I would be absolutely shocked if we try to take our best shut down reliever and convert him into a starter after the end of the regular season. Can you tell me how many teams have done so recently? I have said previously that he is more than just a closer, he can give you multiple innings but there is no way you try to stretch him for more than 5 innings as a starter this late in the year. No way, way too much risk. Bringing a starter back on short rest for 1 inning is much much easier than trying to get 6-7 innings from a guy who hasn’t gone past 3 innings since the end of March. You can’t risk his health at this point for that. As an opener for 3 innings in a do or die game if his PC is low from a day or two before, that’s doable but it’s not being a starter and scouts won’t really change their opinion much on a one off deal like that.

But again you are talking a hypothetical and that was NOT what has been discussed. It was always centered that not using him more as a RELIEVER has hurt his draft stock. And that is absolutely false.