They're the swing voters, the ones who will determine whether the upcoming baseball season for the Padres will be a repeat of 2010's fun or a return to inept 2009. P Tim Stauffer and C Nick Hundley just might hold the Padres fortunes in their hands this time time around.
The pitching rotation should have some constants in Mat Latos and Clayton Richard, barring injury. Questions follow. Can Aaron Harang return to form after injuries? Can Wade LeBlanc and/or Cory Luebke throw consistently over the long haul?
It would be nice if Stauffer can pitch like he did last September, and thus push those questions from the middle of the rotation to the end. It is a must if the Padres are going to win their Petco Park-style 2-1 games. He allowed more than one run only once in his last five starts and never walked more than two batters in any of those outings. His final ERA was 1.85, coming in a season in which he had an emergency appendectomy. That's pitching like a former first-round draft choice. If he's on in 2011, the Padres will have a fighting chance.
Hundley was the forgotten man down the stretch last season as manager Bud Black turned to the now-departed Yorvit Torrealba down the stretch. Hundley is now IT behind the plate, unless you consider Rob Johnson or Gregg Zaun legitimate alternatives. While Stauffer brings numbers that project nicely into this season, Hundley batted .249-8-43. He does handle the staff well and his defense is pretty good. It's just that catcher is about as important as it gets for a field position, and the Padres' safety net has holes. I do like some of the things I've been reading and hearing about Hundley, however, so the reason I make a linchpin is he actually has a chance to develop into a team leader and offensive contributor. If it happens, look for the Padres to contend.
Looking up: I see big things ahead for Latos, OF Will Venable, P Ernesto Frieri and, of course, GAB. I'm amazed GAB is still here, the way this off-season went.
Looking down: As much as I'd like to see Harang recover, I just can't see him doing it for a full season. Look for ex-Red to have a good first two months, but the summer will wear him down. My position changed on Venable over time because I saw him make progress. My feelings on OF Ryan Ludwick remain the same because, well, it's February and the guy hasn't had a chance to show me anything different. I'm just not optimistic.
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Nice to have the college baseball season back, just don't expect much out of either USD or San Diego State. Too much youth on both teams. Youth does bring hope, and both are working in top-notch recruiting classes. It wouldn't surprise me to see either or both teams in the Top 25 by early next season.
Head over to Cunningham Stadium on Saturdays to watch Dylan Covey pitch. Winthrop knocked him around for four runs in seven innings this weekend, but the freshman former first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers is going to be interesting to watch. Choose any day to go to Tony Gwynn Stadium to watch Brandon Meredith. The outfielder from Montgomery High in three games has a slugging percentage of 1.000, thanks to a double, triple and home run.
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Would you have liked to have been a fly on the inside of the fuselage for Saint Mary's flight home from here last week? Wow, what a choke! Maybe they bused here and back, or came by personal vehicle. That might explain their upset loss to USD.
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The SDSU-BYU Showdown II looms. It's gonna be mighty interesting around town later this week. Do not overlook the fact that while State has a week to prepare, the Cougars have to play Colorado State, which will be desperate after falling to UNLV on Saturday. The Rams are good enough for the NCAA Tournament, and this is their best shot at a signature win.
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