The young guns in the NL East
Andrew Miller, Florida Marlins (LHP): Miller made his Major League debut quickly (2006 as a reliever with the American League Champions) with the Detroit Tigers after dominating in college at the University of North Carolina (he was the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft). He and outfielder Cameron Maybin were the two big prospects sent to the Florida Marlins in the 2007 Dontrelle Willis/ Miguel Cabrera deal, but so far neither has panned out. Miller has always struggled with control and Major League hitters are more patient than collegiate or minor league hitters.
At 6-foot-7, Miller has a high ceiling, especially with a blazing fastball in the upper 90s. All of his pitches are electric in terms of movement when they are in the strike zone. Still just 24, the Marlins have shown patience and believe he could become a top-tiered starter and a fixture in their rotation. Miller understands he needs to find consistency. “It’s basically up to me at some point to show I can find consistency in that potential…At some point, it’s up to me to show that I’ve deserved it (the opportunities)-that I’ve put it to use and I’m running with it.”
In his first two seasons with the Marlins, Miller has dealt with nagging injuries and inconsistencies. He is aware that his numbers are disappointing. He went 3-5 with a 4.84 ERA in 2009. He was projected to be in the rotation (he made 14 starts) though he made six relief appearances. Miller could not establish a rhythm and he was sent to Triple-A New Orleans in July where he had more trouble. Due to lost time, he was sent to the Arizona Fall League to refine his delivery.
One of the adjustments Miller has made while working with new pitching coach Randy St. Claire (the former Washington Nationals pitching coach) is lowering his arm slot. The Marlins have three open spots in its rotation so Miller will have every opportunity to win a job. If not, he will come out of the bullpen or be optioned to the Triple-A rotation. The key for Miller is to stay consistent and to stay healthy. If he can do that, Miller could be a dominant force in a division full of dominant left-handed hitters.
Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves, (RHP): Medlen was rushed to the majors in 2009 when Tommy Hanson was not ready and Jo-Jo Reyes was struggling. Though he struggled through his first two starts, he notched his first big league win on May 31st and moved to the bullpen for the remainder of the season (he did make another spot start). This is where Medlen found his comfort zone. In 26 appearances after the All-Star break, he posted a 2.80 ERA and opponents hit just .246 against him. “He really came on strong,” manager Bobby Cox said. “He had more strikeouts than innings pitched and less hits [than innings pitched] in his very first year.” Medlen struck out 72 in 67.2 innings and allowed just 5 homeruns.
The 5-foot-11 Medlen has been overshadowed by his 6-foot-6 red-headed rookie teammate and friend Tommy Hanson. While he did not receive the same notoriety as Hanson, he does not mind as him and Hanson are living together in Atlanta. The role for Medlen could be more important in 2010 as the Braves traded Javier Vazquez, which depleted their pool of big league starters. “I think it’s just going to be the same as last year with my role,” Medlen said. “I think last year, towards the end of the year, I felt I established myself.”
Even though Medlen is comfortable in his role, he did not plan on going to spring training with an assumption that he will land a spot in the bullpen. His plan is to go to camp with something to prove, just as he did in 2009. “I was an under-the-radar prospect, and there wasn’t much attention on what I was doing,” Medlen said. Medlen made his first 2010 spring training appearance in the Braves spring opener following Hanson yesterday. He pitched two shutout innings against the NY Mets. The Braves may need Medlen more in 2010 than they did in 2009 and he seems to be up to the challenge. Then he might not be overshadowed.













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