2011 Stats (A- Mahoning Valley/ A Lake County/ AA Akron): 1-1, 2.09, 1.09 WHIP, .159 OBA, 4.9 BB/9, 13.3 K/9
You want heat? Stowell can b-ring it. Consistently in the mid-to-high 90s, he has been known to hit triple digits with startling regularity. Bryce also offers a heavy slider that causes a truck load of swinging strikes. Check out those K numbers. The issue with Stowell, who progressed all the way to AAA in 2010, is one of health. Over the past three season he has missed time with bicep tendinitis, an elbow strain and, most recently, shoulder fatigue, all in his pitching arm. The shoulder issue came to a head during last season's spring camp and led to a horrible outing (IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB) with the MLB squad that included a mammoth home run. The combination of injury and ineffectiveness contributed to an extended absence due to "personal issues." Reading between the lines, the dude was dealing with some psychological issues. No judgment or shame, but recurrence is a concern. Some may point to Bryce's control (4.8 BB/9 for his career) as an opportunity area and I would agreed, but only in an academic sense. The guy allows few enough hits (.208 career OBA, .174 over the past 2 years) that his WHIP (1.28 career) remains reasonable. Should he transition to the bigs in the same manner, I have no worries about the number of men he puts on base. If Stowell can stay healthy (he has pitched just one full season as a pro), then he will be a viable relief option for the Indians as soon as 2012. If not, he will go down as another huge arm that could never harness his massive potential.
Up Next: #22 OF Nick Weglarz
