Brecht
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104.
If you're gonna diss the kid, at least get the number right.
He's a top 2024 MLB prospect, but hey, let's just forget that.
He's a top prospect for 2024 based on raw talent and the ability to throw the ball where it registers triple digits on a radar gun. He's not a top prospect based upon results on the diamond.
44.2 IP; 24 Hs; 44 walks.
Practically one walk per inning.
Averaging more than one baserunner per inning.
10 starts. Only one where he's made it through 6 IP.
In 50% of his starts, he couldn't make it through 5 IP.
Since his phenomenal outing against Indiana, his last three starts have been:
Minnesota 4.1 3H-4BB 5ER 3K (handed a 3 run lead)
Nebraska 4.0 2H-7BB 4ER 7K (handed a 5 run lead)
PSU .2 1H-5BB 4ER 1K (handed a 2 run lead)
9 IP; 6 hits/16 walks; 2.44 WH/IP; 13.00 ERA; 11Ks.
No one doubts that he possesses the raw tools. But you're being blinded by the glow of digital readouts on a radar gun if you choose to ignore actual production. And, as of right now, I still believe that he is Iowa's version of Nuke LaLoosh.
I'm not claiming that he lacks either the physical capability or mental wherewithal to "turn it around" or "get locked back in." Somewhere in that body is the same pitcher that dominated a really good Indiana lineup. But, unfortunately, what we've seen on field is a "top MLB prospect" (using your words) fail to shut down B1G opponents after being handed (a) a 5 run lead against Maryland (to be fair, the shot off his ankle likely impacted his performance); (b) a 3 run lead against Minnesota; (c) a 5 run lead against Nebraska and (d) a 2 run lead against PSU.
If it is "dissing" (again, using your words) a player by looking at his actual stats as opposed to being "wowed" by a digital readout on a radar gun, so be it.
If hitting triple digits is all that it takes to be successful on the mound, Stetson Allie would likely be a household name. I'd be willing to be a lot of money that you've never heard of Stetson Allie and there's a reason for that. He (a) was a "top prospect;" (b) hit triple digits regularly on the gun; and (c) walked about one batter per inning.
For his minor league career, he pitched 127.2 innings, walked 126 batters and struck out 160 batters. A whopping 20 games pitched at AAA level.
I've always maintained that if I was given the choice of only one of these before I die, (a) seeing the Iowa football team play for the national championship; (b) seeing the Iowa mens basketball team make the national championship game or (c) going to Omaha to see Iowa make it to the CWS, my pick is (c). If Brecht, Morgan and Langenberg bring the "best that they can be," Iowa can be a really tough Regional team. And Iowa has some decent talent in the bullpen that can create problems for opponents - especially if Brecht, Morgan and Langenberg can shorten games by getting into the 7th. Thus, I'm hoping upon hope upon hope that Brecht (and Morgan and Langenberg) find the consistency necessary to be what they can be on the mound. If (and it's a big if) they can do that, Iowa can earn a chance for post-season play and it could be really exciting. But . . . making a run to improve standing in the B1G, making a deep run in the B1G tournament and being competitive if Iowa advances to post-season play is going to take far better "performance" as opposed to simply "potential."
44.2 IP; 24 Hs; 44 walks.
Practically one walk per inning.
Averaging more than one baserunner per inning.
10 starts. Only one where he's made it through 6 IP.
In 50% of his starts, he couldn't make it through 5 IP.
Since his phenomenal outing against Indiana, his last three starts have been:
Minnesota 4.1 3H-4BB 5ER 3K (handed a 3 run lead)
Nebraska 4.0 2H-7BB 4ER 7K (handed a 5 run lead)
PSU .2 1H-5BB 4ER 1K (handed a 2 run lead)
9 IP; 6 hits/16 walks; 2.44 WH/IP; 13.00 ERA; 11Ks.
No one doubts that he possesses the raw tools. But you're being blinded by the glow of digital readouts on a radar gun if you choose to ignore actual production. And, as of right now, I still believe that he is Iowa's version of Nuke LaLoosh.
I'm not claiming that he lacks either the physical capability or mental wherewithal to "turn it around" or "get locked back in." Somewhere in that body is the same pitcher that dominated a really good Indiana lineup. But, unfortunately, what we've seen on field is a "top MLB prospect" (using your words) fail to shut down B1G opponents after being handed (a) a 5 run lead against Maryland (to be fair, the shot off his ankle likely impacted his performance); (b) a 3 run lead against Minnesota; (c) a 5 run lead against Nebraska and (d) a 2 run lead against PSU.
If it is "dissing" (again, using your words) a player by looking at his actual stats as opposed to being "wowed" by a digital readout on a radar gun, so be it.
If hitting triple digits is all that it takes to be successful on the mound, Stetson Allie would likely be a household name. I'd be willing to be a lot of money that you've never heard of Stetson Allie and there's a reason for that. He (a) was a "top prospect;" (b) hit triple digits regularly on the gun; and (c) walked about one batter per inning.
For his minor league career, he pitched 127.2 innings, walked 126 batters and struck out 160 batters. A whopping 20 games pitched at AAA level.
I've always maintained that if I was given the choice of only one of these before I die, (a) seeing the Iowa football team play for the national championship; (b) seeing the Iowa mens basketball team make the national championship game or (c) going to Omaha to see Iowa make it to the CWS, my pick is (c). If Brecht, Morgan and Langenberg bring the "best that they can be," Iowa can be a really tough Regional team. And Iowa has some decent talent in the bullpen that can create problems for opponents - especially if Brecht, Morgan and Langenberg can shorten games by getting into the 7th. Thus, I'm hoping upon hope upon hope that Brecht (and Morgan and Langenberg) find the consistency necessary to be what they can be on the mound. If (and it's a big if) they can do that, Iowa can earn a chance for post-season play and it could be really exciting. But . . . making a run to improve standing in the B1G, making a deep run in the B1G tournament and being competitive if Iowa advances to post-season play is going to take far better "performance" as opposed to simply "potential."
Is @BraydonRoberts5 "dissing" Brecht as well? This is a really nice write-up about yesterday's game: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/brechtwatch-2023-the-penn-state-debacle
Or, is your "ire" reserved only for those posters who don't agree with you?
Roberts used Colt Griffin as a "comparable." Another wonderful example. I, on the other hand, have been a long suffering Pirates fan (NOT SO FAR THIS YEAR BABY!!!!) and, thus, am quite familiar with the Stetson Allie saga - he of the 102 mph fastball.
Roberts cites a mind-boggling stat . . . PSU swung 4 times on Brecht's first 34 pitches. That's the stuff of Babe Ruth level baseball. (And, let's not overlook that PSU took the first 10 pitches thrown by Marcus Morgan before swinging - which happened to be a 3 run HR).
PSU's game plan yesterday was abundantly clear. Make Iowa's starting pitching execute a fundamental skill . . . throw the ball in the strike zone. And, because Iowa's starters couldn't do that (Brecht 5 walks in .2 innings; Morgan 5 walks in 1.1 innings), PSU was "gift wrapped" run after run after run after run.
Or, is your "ire" reserved only for those posters who don't agree with you?
Roberts used Colt Griffin as a "comparable." Another wonderful example. I, on the other hand, have been a long suffering Pirates fan (NOT SO FAR THIS YEAR BABY!!!!) and, thus, am quite familiar with the Stetson Allie saga - he of the 102 mph fastball.
Roberts cites a mind-boggling stat . . . PSU swung 4 times on Brecht's first 34 pitches. That's the stuff of Babe Ruth level baseball. (And, let's not overlook that PSU took the first 10 pitches thrown by Marcus Morgan before swinging - which happened to be a 3 run HR).
PSU's game plan yesterday was abundantly clear. Make Iowa's starting pitching execute a fundamental skill . . . throw the ball in the strike zone. And, because Iowa's starters couldn't do that (Brecht 5 walks in .2 innings; Morgan 5 walks in 1.1 innings), PSU was "gift wrapped" run after run after run after run.
I simply pay attention to the experts who actually know what they are talking about.
And I am not being blinded at all by his 100+ mph fastball. I am also fully aware of his nasty slider.
And so are the experts.
Rob is an MLB analyst and an NBC/Peacock pitching analyst.
Brody had a bad game. He had control issues. We all know it. But only you were condescending about it.
You were clearly dissing Brody with your "but, but, but … 101 on the gun" comment. And you brought up only his fastball in your diss and couldn't even get the number right.
And you clearly were not "just looking at this stats" in your diss, as you claim.
Good grief.
Bullsh-t. Complete bullsh-t.
Your posting history demonstrates your fascination with Brecht's velocity. Hell, for some weird reason, you conclude that I am someone "dissing" Brecht's performance because I wrote that he can throw the ball 101 mph (ummm . . . he can) and that I didn't write "104 mph." I can safely say that he's likely hit 101 on the gun far more frequently than he's hit 104 mph. I'm also aware that there are "fast guns" and "slow guns" so I make a habit of taking reported velocity with a grain of salt.
My point was simple and anyone who isn't blinded by the glow of radar gun readings could have understood it.
Brecht grabs attention because of his velocity and his strike out numbers. Twitter goes a flutter when Brecht is hitting triple digits and striking out hitters. Twitter goes awfully quiet when Brecht walks 5 in .2 innings. Twitter is awfully quiet when Brecht can't hold 5 run leads. Did Dochterman tweet about Brecht's dominance over the last 3 weeks? Did Pitching Ninja? Did Kendall Rogers? Did Peter Flaherty? Did anyone from Baseball America? Did anyone from d1Baseball?
Is Brecht a top whatever number pitching "prospect?" Yes. I know that I've never said that he isn't a top "prospect." Thus, your insistence on posting tweets from others that point to his "prospect" status completely misses the point.
Baseball's history if filled with MLB offices drafting "prospects" based upon what they "might" ultimately develop into.
And, to be blunt (and a bit snarky), Brecht cannot stop the game and say "since I'm a top prospect, you aren't allowed to score runs against me." I'm referring to actual results. You want to focus on whether a MLB team will draft him (he will get drafted).
I agree with you on your comment about having a bad game yesterday and he had control issue.
That's three games in a row where he's had control issues and, if they weren't "bad," the two previous starts were awfully damn close to being "bad."
Fastballs in the triple digits are wonderful.
Hard breaking sliders that are devastating are spectacular.
IF there is a threat that the pitches can be consistently thrown as strikes. That threat has been lacking for the last three weekends. Incontrovertible fact.
Don't believe me? Look at the weekend performance of any of the other 50 top pitching prospects in the NCAA. Did anyone of those other prospects face an opponent which felt comfortable just standing in the batter's box and happy not to swing? Any other opponent swing at just 4 of the first 34 pitches thrown by that prospect? That's the direct result of very good scouting. Make that "prospect" throw his electric stuff for strikes. He didn't do it against Minnesota. He didn't do it against Nebraska. Let's see if he can do it against PSU.
Here's hoping that he figures out his mechanics between now and Friday.
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Bottom line, he needs to throw strikes and get the walks under control and show more consistency. I won't be sitting in my seat watching him in Game 1 of the Big Ten Tourney in Omaha fully comfortable, I hate walks especially leadoff walks at any level of the teams I coach and watch, they simply come back to bite!
Maybe he's consistently inconsistent? If he and Morgan are both "on", we will be a very tough out in the tourney and hopefully the regional with Langenburg spinning his best stuff recently.
Maybe he's consistently inconsistent? If he and Morgan are both "on", we will be a very tough out in the tourney and hopefully the regional with Langenburg spinning his best stuff recently.
I'd be willing to bet really good money that, if Iowa can earn wins in the first two games of the B1G tournament, Langenberg will be a better pitcher than whomever is pitching for the opponent in that Game #3.
The new bracket adopted this year by the B1G also shows the importance of getting one of the top 3 seeds and staying out of the #4/#5 game. Tournament starts one day earlier (Tuesday) with #1v#8, #2v#7 and #3v.#6. Wednesday has the final first round game #4v#5 and a loser bracket game (loser of #1v#8 plays loser of #2v#7). If Iowa can play its first round game on Tuesday and win, it would have an off day on Wednesday and play its second round game on Thursday. If it wins that game, it would have another off day on Friday and play again on Saturday. Final game is on Sunday and it is a single elimination game.
Those potential days of rest and going Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday will be a huge advantage for advancing teams.
Good stuff Aurora, that new format helps all teams and gives more rest and flexibility with weather too!
Lol
Another long, moronic post no one will waste their time reading.
Everyone can see you were dissing him.
Everyone can also see that I've commented not only about his velocity but also about his wicked slider. So quit making s*** up. When you continually lie, your credibility becomes even worse than it already is.
And quit acting like you're an expert on here when you're clearly not. Your act has gotten old.
Well . . . there are certain things that I've experienced and studied over 40+ years and one of those is baseball. And, while I won't call myself an expert, I'd be more than happy to discuss strategies, analytics, mechanics and fundamentals with anyone anytime. To call it a passion would likely be an understatement.
Was I "dissing" Brecht? Yes and no. I was certainly reacting to the post preceding mine by @MitchLL which noted (accurately, I might add) that Brecht will flounder as a pro if he can't find any semblance of control. But, to be clear, my "but but but . . . he throws 101 mph" was actually more of a comment (dare I say "diss") on what the sport has evolved into at this juncture. You've got kids posting velocities on Instagram and Twitter and there is a push to hit that triple-digit mark. If I was "dissing" anyone (I would characterize it as blatant sarcasm), it was more directed at the segment of baseball fans who salivate over certain analytics but wholly overlook results on the field.
As for calling my points "moronic," that I'm making sh-t up and that I'm a liar, you can go p-ss up a rope. I'm not going to "go there" with you. It isn't worth my time or effort. One need only review the history of your posting on the various boards here to reach their own conclusions and opinions.
That written, if you'd like to engage in a civil discussion over whether any pitcher who has "wicked stuff" and "nasty velocity" but can't throw strikes has demonstrated the ability to thrive as a professional, I'd be happy to engage.
Alternatively, feel free to also point out where @BraydonRoberts5 "missed the point" with his article. He essentially wrote the same things that I concluded but you seem unwilling to step out.
Cheers.
EDIT: If you find my posts moronic, too long, full of "lies" and irritating, feel free to block me. Nothing is forcing you to read what I write.
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I think he's battling mechanical issues. One thing to remember with Brecht is that he's more raw than most sophomores because he's played multiple sports his entire life. Other pitchers his age might've worked through those issues in high school or as freshman, but he's just experiencing them now because he has far fewer innings on his arm.
That's what makes his potential so exciting: if he ever does find better command with his stuff, then watch out. It also makes it more likely an MLB team will still take him high in the draft despite walk issues. At least one MLB team is going to think they can fix his mechanics.
My brother in law is a former MLB'er. He has a batting cage in his gym/house. It's sweet and programmable to be able to throw certain pitchers pitches. You cannot turn it up fast enough to just beat him with a fast ball. I hope Mr. Brecht figures it out because the ugly truth is "ricky vaughn" would carry double digit ERA in the MLB. Ya gotta be able to hit your spots.
en.m.wikipedia.org
Dan Johnson (baseball) - Wikipedia
I'm betting that there are 30 MLB teams who believe that they have the capability of "fixing" or, put differently, "tweaking" whatever mechanics may be failing Brecht at this moment. Alternatively (and I posted this weeks ago), I'm betting that there are at least 30 college baseball programs who feel as though they can "fix" Brecht and I have no doubt that there will be feelers sent out by supporters of other programs who want Brecht to enter the transfer portal.
Couldn't agree with you more on the experience side of the equation. Brecht hasn't had the benefit of summers at, say, the Cape Cod wood bat league where pitchers can hone their skills. Far fewer innings on his arm than others of his age/ilk. The other part of the equation to consider is that, although the CIML has some very good talent, Brecht dominated against a fair number of players who simply don't have the requisite plate discipline and who could dominated by Brecht's velocity. He didn't need to be as precise as what is required to beat strong D-1 competition. (FWIW, that was exactly what was the criticism of Morgan . . . he was heavily dependent upon his breaking pitches in high school; pro scouts see that as a potential red flag) Put another way, I think that he is learning that pitching is a lot more than simply running onto the mound and blowing away the competition. There's far more to the craft and there is work to do. Without football as a diversion, he should get that experience this Summer - probably in a high end wood bat league like the Cape Cod League (where there will be players on other teams in his ear about entering the portal).
And at this point, how much of this is mental on Brody's part? I would guess a decent amount and it's that way for others too when you are walking guys too much.
Yes, you were dissing Brody. You tried to walk it back, but it's a clearly failed attempt.
Piss up a rope, huh? Well, that's quite ironic and hypocritical for someone who wants a civil discussion.
This is what you wrote: Your posting history demonstrates your fascination with Brecht's velocity. My point was simple and anyone who isn't blinded by the glow of radar gun readings could have understood it.
I clearly am aware of his fastball, his slider and what experts think of him so, yes, you blatantly lied when you wrote that I was only aware of and only fascinated/blinded with/by his velocity.
You do realize that tagging someone and bringing up a story they wrote doesn't change your initial diss of Brody, right?
When I was playing in high school I sort of got the yips on throws when I was in the infield. If I was playing outfield and didn't have to hit a precise target to get an out, I had no problem. If I had to make a throw from third to first to get an out, I would overthink it and my throw would be wild.
I don't think Brecht has the yips by any stretch, but I do think the mental side of baseball can have a large impact on control. That's how one or two walks compounds into the Penn State outing.
Next season will be a big test for Brecht. For the reasons we've mentioned (a summer at the Cape, focus solely on baseball, etc.) we should expect to see big growth with his command, pitch mix, etc. If we don't next year, that would be problematic.
Yeah . . Brecht doesn't have Steve Blass Disease. His control has been a problem dating back to the days when he pitched for AHS. He had more walks than IP last year and it has not gotten markedly better this year. But, IMO, he's fighting not only his mechanics but battling what's between his ears as well.
There was a stretch where I thought that the pitch clock was helping both him and Morgan. I had the impression last year that both took "so much time" between pitches that it was hard for either of them to find a rhythm. Most pitchers thrive when working quickly and developing/maintaining that rhythm - less time for the brain to interfere; muscle memory works its magic.
Herein lies the problem . . . he's pitching for a team that's trying to get into the NCAA tournament, not the Cedar Rapids Kernals. If he struggles with command and control for the Kernals, no big deal? Single A ball is designed to develop talent so that they can be the best possible player by the time they work their way up the system.
The 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes possess no such luxury. That is the exact reason why I've alway maintained that - if I ever had a son who was a legitimate pitching prospect - I'd highly recommend not playing college baseball. Pretty sure that I posted several times back when there were questions regarding whether Brecht would go pro after high school that he should eschew college and start to develop his talent. I've seen too many instances of pitchers getting burned out because of the "win now" mentality.
I'm hoping that Brecht has some type of "Sandfort moment" and figures it out.
Let's hope (a) he finds that command and (b) he's pitching for Iowa next year after honing those skills.
If Brecht cannot fix his control issues then it's going to hurt his draft stock. There are pitchers who can throw over 100 mph that never stick in the big leagues. Don't get me wrong Brecht, as of right now, will get drafted as getting a pitcher that can throw over 100 mph is still rare but he will not be a top draft pick unless he starts demonstrating control.
Fortunately for Brecht he still got time and he's done with football. He's got a year to start pitching with some control in order to improve his draft stock and, hopefully, help the Hawkeyes get into the NCAA tournament.
Fortunately for Brecht he still got time and he's done with football. He's got a year to start pitching with some control in order to improve his draft stock and, hopefully, help the Hawkeyes get into the NCAA tournament.
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