IowaJay

That would be great to see. Vancouver is full of guys that are pitching well though, so I don't see it happening.

It appears that is the case. It looks like he will work out of the bullpen for the time being. His innings total at Iowa was pretty high, so I am not surprised. Hopefully he can continue to pitch well. Went 2 innings tonight. Gave up 1 hit, 0 runs and K'd the last four he faced. He has only walked 2 batters since he his been drafted - 25/2 SO/BB ratio in over 25 innings with an ERA in the low 2's. He pitched very well as a starter, so hopefully he can demonstrate the ability to pitch effectively out of the pen. It seems like his velocity is up when in relief, and his change continues to come on. Showing versatility, increased FB velocity out of the pen and continued development of the change can't hurt.

I have no idea what they will do. I am guessing they will limit his innings some, as he threw a lot of innings at Iowa this year.

Yes King. They are rotating between starting and relieving in that 5th spot. Last night wasn't a great outing. Silverstein struggled and didn't get out of the 2nd inning. Matt pitched 3 innings in relief, giving up 2 earned runs. I listened to the game and it didn't seem as though he had his typical command. He walked his first batter since he was signed, but his K's were up last night. It seemed like he was behind in the count a lot though. Not a terrible outing, but not his best. I did like how he worked out of a couple jams with strikeouts.

The one thing that stands out to me as I listen to Vancouver games is the arm strength of Dickie Thon Jr. Can't believe that won't help his cause at some point.

Actually, the entire process when he was a senior was interesting. He did not get an adviser, so he and my brother handled all the conversations with scouts. In hindsight, they would probably do it differently. He was told by many, including what was out there on Perfect Game, that he would potentially go in rounds 8-12. For whatever reason, he fell into the the 20s. We never really heard why. They were afraid to tell scouts a whole lot in terms of what it would take to sign, in fear that it would hurt his status if they said too much or cause him to fall if they said a lower number. They were just in the dark. There were also some comments that we saw in a couple newspapers by the Iowa coach before the draft that said he probably wouldn't sign because he wanted a lot - not really sure where that came from or if it was actually said by Coach Dahm. That could have potentially hurt his status. Either way, he went to Iowa and loved it there. Our family has been huge Hawkeye fans forever, and the idea of being a Hawkeye was great for him. Coach Dahm is a great guy and class act. Matt liked it there, but in reality was never developed or coached by a real pitching guy. Would he do it differently? Maybe. He loved his time at Iowa, and was treated very well. I would think that the right thing to do as a pitcher would be to sign. You only have so many bullets in your arm, and college coaches run guys out there for 100+ pitches all the time trying to win - that's there job. Had he signed, he would have been coached by pro pitching coaches, and obviously he would not have thrown as many pitches. In terms of reaching his goal of playing major league baseball, signing probably would be the way to go. When it's all over, I am not sure he will regret anything.

I know some about the program. Honestly, I used a modified version of it that I developed through research with my sons who are 11 and 9. I noticed a pretty significant increase in velocity in both of them this year. It is tough to say how much of that is due to the program, as kids at that age will obviously see natural growth in velocity every year. Matt and I talked about it already. We talk about drills and such that are good, so I am sure I will get information from him. I am guessing any exposure he has to the program will not be until after the season. I was a high school coach before taking a job in administration. I am now coaching my son's select team, so I am constantly looking for ways to help develop kids, but not do things that could be harmful to kids while they are young. It will be nice to have the opportunity to get some drill work and technique drills from a pro organization. I am hoping to hit spring training next year to see some things live.

Coming out of the 28th round is definitely a long shot. I still think his best chance is as a lefty reliever - no doubt he has the stuff. If he can continue to develop his change-up he has a chance. He can sit around 92-93 in relief, but seems to be more around 89-91 as a starter. Mixing a plus change, and adequate curve and slider, with a 92-93 fastball can get outs at the ML level. However, he in reality has never been coaches by a professional pitching staff. He will need to learn how to get outs with his stuff. In high school, and most of college, his stuff got guys out. Now he will need to learn how to use it to get pro hitters out - different ballgame. I will never be surprised by what he does. He is a tireless worker and has adapted and improved at every level. His freshmen year at Iowa he got rocked early, but made changes and pitched well the last half of the year. He struggled his junior year - imo because of injury. He worked hard to get healthy and develop his curve and slider and had a great senior year.

Another good pitching night in Vancouver. The Canadians are leading the league in team ERA and WHIP. Quality pitching almost every night from what I have seen. My nephew, Matt Dermody, was assigned to Vancouver recently, so I haven't watched closely until recently. He is splitting games with Silverstein from Virginia. Both have pitched pretty well.

Pretty good outing. The thing right now that stands out so far for him is that he has 13 minor league innings now with 0 walks. I was frustrated for 4 years that the Iowa pitching staff did not use his change-up, or help develop it while he was there. He threw more tonight than he did in 4 years at Iowa, and was getting swings and misses. That is big for him. His curve and slider are plus pitches, especially if he can control the change. His relief outing he was hitting 93, so velocity won't be a question with his off-speed stuff - especially if he continues to control it. It will be interesting to see how he develops under good professional coaching. Not that he was poorly coached at other levels, but obviously getting to work with a professional pitching staff will help him.

Wasn't Tom House somehow involved in the development of that program?

Deadpool, I agree on the starting, definitely. However, since he has never really been a reliever at any point in his career. Other than a few relief appearances his freshmen year in college, he has been a starter his entire career going back to high school. It would be interesting to see if his velocity sits 92+ in relief appearances, as that wasn't the case as a starter.

Actually, he was in relief last night in Vancouver. He took the loss, but actually pitched pretty well. His first inning was clean, striking out the 3rd batter on a 92 mph fastball. The 2nd inning was when they got a run on him. A base hit was followed by a sac bunt, ground out to 1B and a bunt for a hit RBI. He got the next guy on a pop up. He took the loss, as the game was tied when he came in. It appeared though that he pitched well. I am able to listen to games online, so that is awesome. He was actually the player of the game and interviewed after the game - again awesome. It was Canada day, and the crowd was very into the game - loud most of the game. In reality, pitching at a school like Iowa, he probably hasn't pitched in front of many crowds like that. The only comparison would be the state championship game he pitched - a long time ago. He said in his interview that pitching at Nebraska was close to that. I know some stadiums are known for fast or slow guns. Anyone know about the gun at Vancouver? He was hitting 91-92 instantly when he came in the game. In college, as a starter, he generally sat more in the 88-90 range. I just wonder if he approached it differently as a reliever, was just throwing it up there due to adrenaline, etc. I am hoping that they ultimately give him a look as a reliever - obviously a better chance to advance at this point would be as a lefty reliever.

Does the site have people that watch games live from Vancouver and post on the board? Just curious. My nephew pitched for the first time tonight in Vancouver and I just wondered if there is much analysis on the message board from people that see it live and have a clue in terms of baseball knowledge.

That wouldn't surprise me. I am assuming college guys don't spend a lot of time in the GCL. I am curious how long they will keep him as a starter.

Is that the short season A club?

Thanks. I see the Lovelace kid is playing well. He is another Iowa kid who was actually signed to play at Iowa with Matt but he chose to sign with the Jays. He was a great athlete in high school. It will be interesting to see what happens to him when he focuses solely on baseball.

Matt Dermody - made his first start today.

My nephew was drafted by the Jays in June and is in the GCL. Is this the best site to get updates and analysis from the GCL?