Detroit Tigers Prospect Rick Porcello: What to Expect

Lots of news has been lighting up my google reader rss inbox about former Seaton Hall Prep star and current Detroit Tigers rookie Rick Porcello.

There are lots of stories that seem to center around concern that the Tigers are "rushing" this young pitching prospect.  I tend to disagree with most of those concerns. I might have seen where the naysayers are coming from if he did not pitch so well under much pressure this spring. 

Everything I saw (thank you mlb.tv)  had the look of a major league pitcher.  His poise and command was as impressive as anyone else I saw out there for the Tigers.

Baseball Prospectus had a wonderful question and answer session with him (Subscription needed to view the entire article) where he seemed to give all the answers you want to hear from a young pitcher with electric stuff.

One of the better quotes is in the first question:

David Laurila: How would you describe Rick Porcello's pitching style?

Rick Porcello: I'm kind of—at least I try to be—aggressive. I go after hitters and try not to back down from anybody. I'm the type of pitcher who pitches a lot off his fastball. I'm the type of guy where there really aren't going to be a lot of surprises. It's more of a, "here it is, try and hit it" sort of mentality that I have when I go out there. I'm going after guys. They know what I'm going to throw, so it's my best against their best, and that's the way I like it.

Jim Calis from Baseball America had this to say in one of thier online chats.

J.P. (Springfield, IL): Jim, could I get your comments on Rick Porcello getting the nod as Detroit's #5 starter? I worry about this decision, as I'm currently getting Maybin flashbacks. He was their #1 prospect at the time of his callup as well, and you saw how that turned out. Would his self-esteem take a big hit if he got rocked in the show? Thanks.

Jim Callis : (2:12 PM ET ) I don't think Maybin was irreparably harmed, and I don't think Porcello will be either. If he gets knocked around, you send him down. Would I promote him? No, I'd send him to Double-A for at least a month. But a lot of jobs are on the line in Detroit, and Porcello is one of their five best starting pitching options, and they're trying to win, so I can understand it.

You can bet that Rick Porcello has the poise to attack big league hitters.  As long as the Tigers keep a close eye on him and use sort of a "kid gloves" approach in the early going, I think this move could be a great move for both Rick and the Detroit Tigers.

If it ends up not working out, put him in AA for a while to fix what needs to be fixed.

Read more of Chris Gilmore's work at The Statline Report