Pirates Prospects · Apr 10, 2018
The Mechanical Issue That Could Prevent Luis Escobar From Being a Starter Long-Term
BRADENTON, Fla. - Luis Escobar definitely has the stuff to be a Major League pitcher in the future. He's got a fastball that can sit in the mid-90s and touch higher. He's got a hammer curveball that can be a plus pitch when it's on, and can generate strikeouts. And he's got a changeup that has shown a lot of improvements over the last few years, giving him a third weapon.
The big thing holding him back is his control. Escobar had a 4.1 BB/9 last year in West Virginia, which put a damper on his dominant 11.5 K/9. So it was encouraging to see him make his season debut with no walks over five innings, giving up just one run in that outing on Sunday.