| Authored by Douglas Benton - 10th August, 2008 - 10:38 pm
 A team can never have too much pitching, and this version of Team USA was chalk full of good young arms. The staff finished with a team ERA of 0.88 and averaged almost 1.2 strikeouts per inning while holding opponents to a paltry .154 batting average.
Kendal Volz 6-foot-4, 225 RHP Baylor
In 13 relief appearances, Voltz logged 14 innings that saw him strikeout 16 batters and allow only one unearned run as the team’s designated closer. He wasn’t unhittable with six hits allowed and five walks but still a good arm to watch.
Tyler Lyons 6-foot-2, 195 LHP Oklahoma State
Lyons was 2-0 in 11 appearances and held opposing hitters to a .089 average in 14 innings of work. He struck out 17 batters to just two walks, and, like many pitchers on this staff, he didn’t surrender an extra-base hit.
Blake Smith 6-foot-2, 220 RHP California
In just five appearances that totaled nine innings, Smith had 11 strikeouts while surrendering only three hits and no runs. He is one of the many interesting two-way players for team USA this summer.
Mike Leake 6-foot-1, 190 RHP Arizona State
Leake made two starts for team USA and was solid but not spectacular during his time. In his 28 total innings of work, he had 24 strikeouts in 28 innings and surrendered the highest opponents’ batting average at .220. He did finish 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA though.
Mike Minor 6-foot-3, 175 LHP Vanderbilt
Minor was one of the horses for this starting rotation as he tied for the lead in five starts. In a team-high 36 innings, he struck out 37 batters with a WHIP under one and an opponents’ batting average of .179. He ended the tour with 3.0 record with a 0.75 ERA, including 9.2 innings of shutout ball with nine strikeouts in the gold medal game against Japan.
Andrew Oliver 6-foot-3, 209 LHP Oklahoma State
Oliver joined his teammate as a formidable lefty tandem back in Stillwater next season and for team USA on this tour. In four starts totaling 19.1 innings, he struck out 24 batters and allowed just two earned runs. However, he struggled with his command as he walked 11 batters in the process.
Kyle Gibson 6-foot-6, 195 RHP Missouri
Gibson was impressive throughout the tour and became a very strong arm out of the bullpen as the tour progressed. He struck out 25 batters to just four walks in 17.2 innings and ended up going 5-0 in 13 appearances.
Stephen Strasburg 6-foot-5, 215 RHP San Diego State
In his five starts, he averaged just under seven innings and was masterful, at times. He had 48 strikeouts to just six walks and had a WHIP of 0.65. Due in part to his performance for the national team, Strasburg will also compete on the Olympic team starting August 1 against Canada.
Brett Hunter 6-foot-4, 215 RHP Pepperdine
Through his 18.1 innings of work, Hunter struck out 26 batters and held his opponents to a .119 batting average, which is a good number for a starter. His 11 walks, though, raise questions about his command going forward.
A.J. Griffin 6-foot-5, 215 RHP San Diego
Griffin appeared in 10 games and was consistent although not great. He had 18 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA but just wasn’t as dominating as his peers throughout the tour.
Chris Hernandez 6-foot-1, 185 LHP Miami
Hernandez started three games and looked good in limited work. He had 22 strikeouts to six walks and held his opponents to a .145 batting average. He is a solid looking prospect who warrants some extra looks this coming spring and summer.
How does the pitching for team USA look to you? Email your favorites to Douglas.Benton@realgm.com |
