Chapman and Strasburg Shine in Debuts

Two of the most anticipated spring outings have come and gone...and left batters a bit baffled. Granted, it is only one outing, but...

On Monday, the Cincinnati Reds unwrapped Aroldis Chapman. Chapman proceeded to unveil that famous 100+ mph fastball...three times. That's not what makes Chapman so special in the eyes of the Reds organization, it's because he's a lefty. Comparisons to Randy Johnson are already being thrown around.

One of the concerns going into this outing was that Chapman has no other pitch. He clarified that on Monday showing a slider and an 84-86 mph changeup. Going from that triple digit fastball to that severe change of speed on a changeup can be devastating to a hitter. How do you time that?

Royals manager Trey Hillman had the quote of the day in regards to Chapman.

"It sounded like he was throwing real hard. I couldn't see it," Royals manager Trey Hillman said, laughing. "He gets it up there. I'm not sure I've ever seen a longer stride. It looked like he was going to run out of mound."

That bids well for Chapman. Throwing at that speed and not giving any indication of effort.

Chapman's line: 2 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 K's. Yeah, impressive.

Across the lower 48 in Florida, the #1 overall pick in last year's draft, Stephen Strasburg, strode to mound yesterday. He was every bit as impressive as Chapman. Strasburg faced eight Detroit Tiger batters, fell behind on six, but battled back.

Strasburg's line: 2 IP, 2 hits, 2 K's.

He did appear a bit on the nervous side, but roped the nerves and had a memorable K on Miguel Cabrera. Strasburg not only demonstrated the speed, but also showcased a nasty breaking ball. Tigers manager Jim Leyland says Strasburg is not far away from being a big league hurler.

"A lot of guys now are throwing 96, 97, but not many of them have that kind of breaking ball to go with it," Leyland said. "He's a very gifted young man, no question about that."

"A guy like that's probably not long for the minors."

I think Jim Leyland knows a thing or two about major league pitching. And that brings me to this point.

Both Chapman and Strasburg have pressure on them. Both received a lot of bucks and a microscope. Chapman's road to the majors may be a bit longer than Strasburg's for a few reasons.

1. Less pressure to immediately perform well.
2. The Reds organization can have a better chance to evaluate the Cuban.
3. The is an issue of the language barrier. The kid will not have that added distraction.
4. The Reds have other viable options in their starting rotation.

Strasburg might not have any of those luxuries at his disposal. During his contract negotiations, both Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn outwardly expressed the need for the Nats to bring Strasburg into the fold. And think about this. What other options do the Nationals have? Strasburg has already been tabbed in some circles as the savior of the franchise. That's enormous pressure to place on a kid's shoulders.

I've always been a believer that a pitcher needs time in the minors to properly develop regardless of the big league team's needs. The Reds should know. They rushed along a guy named Homer Bailey.

Bailey had all the tags on him that Strasburg has: "can't miss", "future ace", "star of the future". It netted Bailey nothing but a loss in confidence. Bailey has just now achieved "getting it".

Pitching in AAA is different than pitching in the majors. One thing that a young pitcher can gain in the minors in confidence. A prospect can have all the talent in the world, but if he's not right between the ears, the work is for naught.

Neither the Reds nor the Nationals can afford to do that with their newest and shiniest assets. Too much dough on the line.

And after all, isn't that what it usually boils down to...money?