|
This is the time of year when young (and a few not-so-young) people are graduating all over the country. For some, the next phase of their lives is undecided. However, there are a number of graduates who have a solid idea of what they want to do professionally. For graduating baseball prospects, the plan is clear: reach the majors and do everything in your power to stay there. That plan appears to be on track for at least one youngster who made his big league debut this past week. Eduardo Rodriguez, who was acquired last summer in exchange for Andrew Miller, made his first major league appearance on Thursday for the Boston Red Sox. In what was billed as a "spot start" to provide rest for the remainder of the staff, the southpaw made a great first impression and earned another chance to remain in Boston. Facing a formidable Texas Rangers lineup, Rodriguez tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks. He struck out seven while throwing strikes 65 percent of the time. The southpaw used a three-pitch medley to keep the Rangers off balance, starting with a firm fastball. He leaned heavily on the heater, keeping the velocity between 93-96 mph. He followed that with a mid-80s changeup that he used to generate five outs, and a sweeping slider to his glove-side. Rodriguez will look to keep the major league mojo going this week while our top 10 prospects below are hoping to soon get their chance.
|
