Anthony Ranaudo

[jsinger121]

Anthony Ranaudo column by Mike Andrews of SoxProspects.com up on ESPNBoston.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/8976/soxprospects-anthony-ranaudo-finding-his-groove?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[jsinger121]

Ranaudo will begin his career with Greenville.

 

[SoxScout]

... with Workman and Hernandez. Not very aggressive by Red Sox standards.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Kicks off his career with 5 scoreless for the Drive, with 95 MPH on the gun for his first professional pitch thrown in anger.

The Renaudo Era Begins!
WEEI concurs

3 hits, 4Ks (2 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP), 1 walk over five innings.

I'm in.

 

[lostjumper]

... with Workman and Hernandez. Not very aggressive by Red Sox standards.

Speier provided an explanation on his blog.

Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen explains:"The biggest thing was that they didn't pitch at all last year. They've never pitched on a five-day routine. When they were in college, they pitched on a seven-day routine. They've never pitched on a five-day routine," said Hazen. "The only time they've pitched on a five-day routine was in spring training, which was three to four times through. We're asking them to make all these adjustments.

"We felt like we wanted to get (Ranaudo's and Workman's) feet wet doing those types of things where maybe there would be a little more comfort as far as the level of competition. Once they prove that they don't belong there – we certainly don't necessarily think that in terms of raw stuff they belong there, considering the way they competed in the past – but developmentally, we feel like they needed to take that step

 

[Wake's knuckle]

Ranaudo is having a pretty good beginning to his Red Sox career. Through three starts, he is 1-0 with 15 SOs in 15 inning pitched, with 8 hits, 7 walks, and only one run given up.

 

[doctorogres]

Good article about Ranaudo's hot start by Alex Speier on WEEI. The main focus is on how quickly the organization will seek to promote him if his dominance continues.

Hazen declined to put a timetable on when that might be the case for Ranaudo. However, he did note that the issue of a pitcher accomplishing all goals at a level was not limited simply to the in-game results at this stage of the pitcher’s career, suggesting that the Sox have different standards for promoting first-year pitchers as compared to position players.

“If he continues to show us that he’s not being challenged at the level, we’re going to move him,” said Hazen. “The only difference with guys who are starting pitchers is there’s so much to the five-day routine that, that part is going to artificially determine some things. If he hasn’t locked that in, we’re not going to move him because that’s a huge part of what he’s doing right now.<br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">

“He’s learning the five-day routine, learning what keeps him healthy and successful. He’s learning what he needs to do on a side day to be healthy on day five,” added Hazen. “All those things, he’s not going to learn those things overnight. It’s going to take start after start after start to figure that out.<br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">


“Other than dominating to the point where it would be kind of stupid, we still need to make sure that he’s locked in on that five-day routine. There’s a little bit of a difference with a pitcher vs. a position player.”

 

[Brianish]

Ranaudo wrecked another lineup in his most recent start (6ip 6k 1h). At some point soon they have to move him up, don't they? I know they want to get him into the routine, but it sure seems like he's not being challenged right now.

 

[redsox3g2]

Just a quick update. Called up to Salem. He pitched 6 shutout on Wednesday, 3 K's. Recap Box Score.

His next start should be Monday in Kinston @ the Indians, which is about 30 minutes from me. Planning on trying to make it there for it, I'll make a post on how he looked if I do.


Edit: Messed up the link.

 

[OttoC]

Just a quick update. Called up to Salem. He pitched 6 shutout on Wednesday, 3 K's....

63 pitches.

 

[Phragle]

#37 on BA's midseason top 50

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/07/midseason-top-50-prospects-list/

 

[SoxScout]

Alex Speier on Twitter

While not an unexpected result, Cherington says Ranaudo is expected to open the year in Portland.

2010: NCAA/Cape
2011: A 46IP, A+ 81IP
2012: AA

 

[Wake's knuckle]

Apparently Ranaudo tweaked his groin in Spring training. The only news I can find says he should start his season a week later, but that would have been two weeks ago now -- but he still hasn't pitched. Any updates on his situation out there?

 

[SoxScout]

That's the last thing I saw.

 

[PrimusSucks626]

SoxProspects says Ranaudo will be in Portland by mid-May, per WEEI.

 

[mabrowndog]

Alex Speier

Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo could join Portland in the next few days. He made a two-inning appearance in extended spring training last week, striking out four, and is expected to make one more appearance of three to four innings in Fort Myers (depending on pitch count) this week before potentially joining the Sea Dogs rotation. Ranaudo is not fully stretched out, and so he might require a piggyback starter initially, but he is healthy, throwing well in extended spring training and both the pitcher and the Red Sox are eager for him to begin pitching against more advanced competition.

 

[FFCI]

Some interesting comments from yesterday's MiLB Gameday thread.

Is that Anthony Ranaudo music I hear... Yes it Is. Anthony Ranaudo starting tonight for Portland.

Ranaudo's first inning- 25 pitches, 11 for strikes. Went to a 3 ball count on the first 4 batters (walking one). Gave up a run on a walk, 2 SB and a sac fly. Next batter doubled, but was stranded. 3AO-0GO.

Ranaudo gave up 2 shots in the 4th.

Final line: 4ip 4h 4er 3bb 2k 2hr

I drove up to Reading take in Ranaudo's debut. Aside from being quite tall, he was pretty pedestrian and forgettable. According the stadium gun - which seemed reasonable all night fwiw - he sat at 91-92 in the first inning, but was mostly 88-90 after that. And not a ton of life on it either. Both HR were 89 mph fastballs groved over the heart of the plate. Very few swings and misses - only 3 out of 75 pitches by memory. One was an elevated 93 mph strike three and the other two were on off-speed pitches. But mostly all the hitters - and Reading isn't much of a lineup - were all over every fastball.

He seemed to be visibly muscling up and overthrowing his fastball a bit in the 4th so hopefully he's still gaining arm strength after the layoff. There were definitely some split reports on him over the winter with BA staying relatively positive giving him a mulligan for the so-so Salem performance and Goldstein repeatedly saying the scouts he talked to thought he was just another guy. He looked more like the latter tonight.

Game Story

I honestly have not ever seen the man-love for Ranaudo since he stepped onto a diamond as a professional. He doesn't have an overpowering fastball, his command is mediocre and he doesn't seem particularly durable. IMO he's a guy I'd be using as trade bait while his name and early time at LSU is still somewhat fresh in GMs' minds. He'll probably end up a major league arm, but either as a reliever or a back-end starter (especially in the AL East).

Ranaudo was excellent in 10 starts at Greenville, and fair in 16 at Salem. One start in Portland isn't significant in itself, and it's not enough to bury him as a prospect even should he repeat AA next season.

His biggest problems are finding consistent mechanics at his height, and being compared to Barnes' white-hot burn through A-ball.

Ranaudo was not excellent in his starts in Greenville. His control was mediocre, but in the Sally they swung and missed at it making his stats look better than he was.

68% of his Ks in Greenville were swinging, 78% of his Ks in Salem were swinging.

Ranaudo in Greenville had a WHIP of 1.11, a K/BB of 3.13, and a K/9 of 9.78.

It's relatively equivalent to what Papelbon put up at Sarasota when he was 23 (1.08 WHIP, 3.56 K/BB, 10.6 K/9). Papelbon was only slightly better, at one higher level, but was almost 2 full years older.

He wasn't as good last season as Barnes has been this year, but that is generally considered an excellent line. What is the benchmark you're expecting him to measure up to?

If you go back to my posts on Raunado in Greenville, you'll see the concern a the time. He was simpy overpowering inferior competition. His velo was decent, but his command -- I do not say control -- was not good. Every fastball belt high and above. The breaking stuff decent but played up because of he competition. What was hit was hit hard, squared up I mean, but often landed in gloves.

His relative struggles in High A were predictable. I'm not down on him by any stretch. But to call his performance excellent in Greenville is a stretch.

 

[FFCI]

More discussion pulled from 5/15 Minor League Gamethread that will be interesting to follow in this Ranaudo thread...

I never said that his STATS were mediocre. In the starts that I saw he was missing the plate, but they were swinging anyway, thus making his stats look better (which happens in the Sally). I'm just suggesting that going from 'excellent' to 'fair' from Greenville to Salem may not have been because anything he did different...it may have just been better competition being able to handle the same 'stuff'. I don't know this for fact as I never saw him at Salem...just throwing it out there.

And yah, I don't think I would ever use Barnes as a benchmark for anyone.

Can someone explain why he was promoted to AA? Just trying to figure out the reasoning behind the move. it's not like he was taking care of business pretty handily at Salem. Isn't his age about league average at Salem?

Overpowering inferior competition shows excellence in its own way, doesn't it?

I just think folks are overly eager to bust Ranaudo for hiccups and delays because he's further away than was initially hoped, after "the #1 college pitcher before the 2010 season" fell to the Sox.

For me the concern is the reports of velocity hovering around 90 mph and topping out at 93. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that isn't what the Sox thought they were paying such a huge bonus to acquire. Unless the velocity goes back up to sitting 93-95, then Anthony Ranaudo is just another guy to watch, as opposed to somebody to be excited about.

Nothing to see here, just another guy that everyone has in the minors:

"Lester and Papelbon will rank well on the 2006 list, I&rsquo;m sure. But let&rsquo;s not fool ourselves into thinking that these guys are rare elite arms. They&rsquo;re solid, good pitching prospects. But these guys aren&rsquo;t special. Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester. There&rsquo;s a lot of 90-94 MPH arms with developing secondary pitches and mediocre command running around out there." - Dave Cameron, 12/29/2005

Note: I'm certainly not making a direct comparison. But deadpanning high-upside pitching prospects always reminds me of this blog post.

 

[alwyn96]

I'm not reading too much into an underwhelming first start from Ranaudo. I'm just happy he's back out there. The Sox don't have a ton of pitching prospects in the upper minors at the moment.

 

[FFCI]

Things haven't been going so well so far.

Hopefully this is the low point the article mentions - however, his stats aren't very encouraging.

6 Games, 27.2 IP, 26H, 20BB, 20K, 20ER, 1.66 WHIP, 6.51 ERA



Game Story

He began the year on the disabled list with a groin strain and since joining the team last month, he has not looked like one of the top prospects in the Boston Red Sox organization.

The low point may have come Wednesday night when he lasted just three innings in a 7-0 loss to the Bowie Baysox at Prince George's Stadium.

Ranaudo, making his sixth start, left after 66 pitches, giving up four runs, one earned, and three walks in the third.
It was the shortest outing of the season for Ranaudo, the 39th overall pick in 2010 who has a 5.53 ERA.

"He lost command of the zone," said Portland Manager Kevin Boles. "A lot of the damage was self-induced on our part. We love his arm. It looks like he got uncomfortable once he was in the stretch."

After allowing one run in five innings June 8 against Richmond, Ranaudo retired the first six batters before Bowie batted around in the third.

 

[threecy]

Haven't seen any updates here lately. Ranaudo was placed in the DL on July 5th with deadarm.

 

[pokey_reese]

Update from BP's reports on the Puerto Rican Winter League:

Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Red Sox (Caguas-PRWL): 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 3 K. Regardless of the competition -- he faced the likes of former big leaguers Ruben Gotay and Ramon Vazquez -- it's a great sign to see Ranaudo shut down an opponent for a few innings. The 23 year-old, who was the 39th pick in the 2010 draft, struggled in nine Double-A starts (6.69 ERA, 27 BB, 27 K in 37.2 IP) before he was shut down with shoulder fatigue. He'll likely return to Portland in 2013, where he'll try and do a better job of living up to expectations this time around.

 

[SoxScout]

Red Sox right-handed pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, who was limited to 37 2/3 innings with Double-A Portland this year due to a succession of injuries, had his participation in the Puerto Rican Winter League came to a premature end after he suffered a right groin injury in his outing on Nov. 28.
Ranaudo lasted just 2/3 of an inning in his most recent start, permitting two runs (one earned) on two hits for Caguas before being lifted due to the injury. While a Red Sox source said that the injury was not considered as serious as the one that sidelined him for April (an injury that he incurred in the last week of spring training, then aggravated in early April), the team didn't want to take any chances of the pitcher suffering a more serious physical setback in his winter league.
The 23-year-old, who had been slated to work approximately 25-30 innings in Puerto Rico, was instead limited to just 9 1/3 innings in four outings, finishing with a 6.75 ERA, seven strikeouts and two walks. He alternated two terrific outings (three no-hit innings in his Caguas debut, and four shutout innings of one-hit ball in his third outing) with a pair of outings in which he allowed a combined eight runs (seven earned) in 2 1/3 innings.

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21244501/sox-prospect-ranaudo-groin-shut-down

 

[mabrowndog]

So... Still spastically inconsistent even when healthy, and then he gets hurt yet again.

It's beyond frustrating to follow this kid's progress.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Yeah... I remember how excited I was when they drafted him. He's been such a letdown so far.

 

[Hugh G Rection]

He has been a let down so far, but there are some more positives going into this season than what it appears. Supposedly He threw the ball better in Puerto Rico than he has in quite awhile and the injury looks to be more of a pre-cautionary thing then anything else. I think it's a "make or break year" for two former 1st round picks : Vitek and Ranaudo ... If both continue on the path toward oblivion as prospects it would be two of the worst drafting choices in the last couple years... Or if they (or one) could take advantage of the talent that led to being 1st rounders, they still could re-establish themselves as prospects.

I have a lot more hope for Ranaudo than I do for Vitek.

 

[TomRicardo]

I doubt Vitek will be able to reestablish himself.

 

[Bigpupp]

I doubt Vitek will be able to reestablish himself.

You mean establish himself?

 

[Stanley Steamer]

You mean establish himself?

He means pre-establish himself.

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

He means pre-establish himself.

Does this mean Vitek should go back to pitching?

 

[JakeRae]

Does this mean Vitek should go back to pitching?

It can't hurt...

 

[Stanley Steamer]

He should go back to the womb for some embryonic stem cells so he can become a better baseball player, and just all-around good guy.

 

[SoxScout]

seadogsradio: Anthony Ranaudo done after 4.1, he retired all 13...7 Ks and one ball hit out of infield.

Ranaudo retired all 13 hitters he faced in a sensational 4 1/3-inning outing against the Minnesota Twins' Double-A lineup on Thursday at JetBlue Park. He threw his fastball in the mid-90s, as he has all spring, and he touched 98.
Is this similar to what Ranaudo looked like before he got hurt last year?
"I feel even better than I did last year," he said after his start Thursday.
He's not the only one with such a sentiment.
"We've seen an improvement in stuff probably similar to what we saw in spring training last year," farm director Ben Crockett said earlier this week. "Powerful breaking ball. Velocity up to 96. We've seen some inconsistencies, but primarily we've seen a lot of really good things."

http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/2013/03/ranaudo-primed-to-reassert-himself-as-top-prospect.html

 

[FelixMantilla]

When I saw Scout's post I half expected to read Ranaudo had been released. Unexpected good news. Maybe there is still hope....

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

If Ranaudo can reestablish himself as a potential major league rotation candidate, even a back of the rotation candidate, at a time when the system has so many promising arms emerging, that would be huge.  The more names we can toss around as having a chance at being major league caliber starting pitchers, the better.
 
/captainobvious

 

[Brianish]

If the kid can stay healthy long enough to find some consistency, I still get a little giddy thinking about his upside. He's still only 23 after all. 
 
Edit - And I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with all the good vibes surrounding our pitching prospects lately. Except Britton I guess. 

 

[jsinger121]

Read this one instead. Less of a puff piece.
 
http://news.soxprospects.com/2013/03/scouting-scratch-anthony-ranaudo.html

 

[Brianish]

I would actually suggest reading both, since they talk about different outings. 

 

[mabrowndog]

When I saw Scout's post I half expected to read Ranaudo had been released. Unexpected good news. Maybe there is still hope....

 
Come on, Felix. You of all people? I mean, you've been around long enough to remember the lessons of the past.
 

Those who wouldn't have cracked the [hypothetical 1972 Red Sox Top 31 Prospects] rankings back then but later made the majors include:
 
* Don Aase, RHP - Sox' #6 pick in '72, went 0-10 with a 5.81 ERA as a 17-yo in rookie ball, but wound up an AL All-Star with a 13-year MLB career.
* Ernie Whitt, C - Sox' #15 pick in '72, hit .183/.272/.220/.491 in 31 G at Winter Haven that year, ended up an AL All-Star with a 15-year MLB career.
* Bo Diaz, C - 1970 signee from Venezuela as a 17-yo, struggled mightily in '71 (.132/.175/.158/.333) and in '72 (.159/.159/.182/.341). He'd later be sent to Cleveland in the Eckersley trade, and would make 2 All-Star teams in a 13-year MLB career.
 
---------------
 
... Aase, Whitt and Diaz are prime examples of why the pessimistic whining and cataclysmic rushes to judgment that appear on this board when prospects struggle are annoying at best and overbearingly obnoxious at worst.

 

 
Yeah, let's just give up on Ranaudo. He has no shot whatsoever.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Aase was 20 in his first AAA season, and had 620 innings above A ball at Ranaudo's age, though. I suppose Papelbon is a better example, and he spent his age 23 year in A ball after posting a 6.43 ERA in the NYPL. 

 

[SoxScout]

Ranaudo

Date	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	HBP	WP	BK	SO
4/9/2013	5.0	5	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	6
4/15/2013	5.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	6
4/20/2013	5.7	4	1	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	5
4/27/2013	6.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9
	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	HBP	WP	BK	SO
	21.7	11	2	2	0	5	0	1	0	0	26

 

[Brianish]

I am trying really, really hard not to get excited about this prematurely. 

 

[JakeRae]

I am trying really, really hard not to get excited about this prematurely. 

It's perfectly reasonable to get excited now. I'm confused by the recent trend of people trying to avoid excitement about players. What's the point of watching the farm if we don't get amped up by great performances. I'm not writing him into Boston's future rotation, just as I'm not annointing Almanzar the 1B of the future, but I am definitely excited that a couple of our prospects who had fallen off the radar have been dominating the EL to start the season.

 

[Brianish]

2-3 years of control problems, injuries and other setbacks vs a sudden and so far brief, but eye-opening bounceback. I'm jazzed, and I'd love to see Ranaudo vying with Barnes and Webster for status as our top pitching prospect, but I'll wait just a little longer before I risk disappointment (especially since I can't actually see the kid pitch). The K:BB ratio is really encouraging though. 

 

[FelixMantilla]

Just saw this thread again. Come on Dog, I never said the Sox should give up on Ranaudo, but after a few years struggling I hadn't expected to see his name suddenly reappear in a good light. 
 
Oh, and Dan Aase and I were born on the same day.....

 

[Rasputin]

It's perfectly reasonable to get excited now. I'm confused by the recent trend of people trying to avoid excitement about players. What's the point of watching the farm if we don't get amped up by great performances. I'm not writing him into Boston's future rotation, just as I'm not annointing Almanzar the 1B of the future, but I am definitely excited that a couple of our prospects who had fallen off the radar have been dominating the EL to start the season.

 
Careful, you might end up in the signature of someone for the rest of eternity.

 

[OttoC]

Just saw this thread again. Come on Dog, I never said the Sox should give up on Ranaudo, but after a few years struggling I hadn't expected to see his name suddenly reappear in a good light.

A few years of struggling??? He didn't begin his professional career until 2011 and in the 10 games he pitched for Greenville, he had 50 K in 46.0 IP while only allowing 35 hits and 16 BB. That pace slowed a little after he was promoted to High-A. His 2012 season was a struggle but he also had two trips to the DL while with Portland.

 

[Montana Fan]

 
Careful, you might end up in the signature of someone for the rest of eternity.

Why, does someone have a Shea Hillenbrand, Holmes Smarter Brother sig?

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

He's looking like the guy they drafted him to be, and that's awesome.  2012 may well have been due mostly to injuries, but that's something we need to keep in mind as a negative, as well.  One of the things he needs to do soon (preferably this year) is prove he can have a healthy professional season.  I'm definitely encouraged with the start, though.

 

[SoxScout]

Baseball America:
 

 
Anthony Ranaudo, rhp, Red Sox: This is the version of Anthony Ranaudo the Red Sox thought they were getting when they signed him for $2.55 million as a supplemental first-round pick out of Louisiana State three years ago. After a disastrous 2012 season during which he battled groin and shoulder injuries coupled with brutal on-field performance, Ranaudo has been extremely sharp in his return to Double-A. With nine strikeouts over six shutout innings on Saturday, Ranaudo lowered his ERA to 0.83 with 26 strikeouts and five walks over 21 2/3 innings through his first four starts. It’s early, but this is the best Ranaudo has looked in his pro career. It’s also his best stuff. In his most recent start he was sitting 93-95 mph, touching 97 mph with a good downward plane on his fastball.