Let the kids play. No, not the Rob Manfred motto to try and market baseball. Literally, let the kids play, much like the Los Angeles Angels have done with Reid Detmers.
With each game, each inning, and each at-bat, the Twitter narrative constantly shifts. It’s baseball’s version of cryptocurrency. One day you’re a bust, the next day you’re the savior of the franchise. Go 0-15? Back to Triple-A he must go. Have back-to-back rough starts against premier-level hitters? Demotion is a must. At the end of the day, this is ultimately what these prospects are, kids. They are kids learning how to acclimate to a big city. No more waking up in a town of 20,000 at the crack of dawn. Media scrum? What?
As we reflect on the most insane game of baseball of the season, Reid Detmers is our latest reminder not to render a verdict on prospects with our heart. As a Los Angeles Angels fan, was I frustrated when Detmers gave up run after run and blew through the bullpen every game? Sure. When you’re promised “ace level stuff” on draft night, you feel like you’ve been lied to when he gets torched when he gets called up, especially for an organization that has desperately needed pitching throughout the last decade and hasn’t gotten any.
Whether you buy the Angels’ hot start that has them running neck and neck with the Houston Astros in the AL West or not, there is no question that the mentality is to win now. The Angels know. Oh, they know. No playoffs since 2014, No wins since 2009. Trout. Ohtani. Rendon. All seemingly in their peak years, yet the Seattle Mariners, one of two teams with a longer playoff drought, were much closer to October baseball than the Halos.
Detmers, drafted in the first round out of Louisville, had done little to inspire confidence. A sore spot in an otherwise retooled and performing Angels rotation. Patrick Sandoval was among many pundits’ choices for “breakout pitcher of the year” and, a month into the season, it’s not hard to see why with a 2.03 ERA with 27 K’s across 26.2 IP. Ohtani, despite struggles at the plate early, has looked better on the mound (one earned run in 13 innings pitched in last two starts). Michael Lorenzen, who only the Angels would give the chance to start, took his own shutout into the ninth. A revitalized Noah Syndergaard, who dropped his 99 mph fastball from his Big Apple days for more efficiency and effectiveness.
Detmers, who Joe Maddon wouldn’t even commit to him staying in the big leagues following his start, had serious growing pains and a huge learning curve in his first 10 starts. However, you’re only as good as your last start, and for young players, it’s not a slow progression. Whenever the lightbulb goes off, there is no looking back. Look no further than Detmers’ own teammate, Sandoval, who was given a spot start thanks to the inefficiency of the Oakland public transportation system and has never relinquished his spot.
For Detmers, it was a realization that the changeup could be a weapon. He threw the changeup over 20% of the time during his no-hitter, compared to a season total of around 5%.
That brings us back to the larger point. We often hear everything amazing about a prospect in the minors, but we must treat these prospects as if they are starting a brand new job. It will be the first time in their entire lives that their performance will directly impact the performance of a team. It is the final hurdle.
There is no excuse, especially for non-contending teams, to keep prospects in the minors. Why else would we play 162 games anyway? Yes, a team must bank wins, but everyone must develop and overcome adversity. The term is called “growing pains” for a reason. It’s supposed to be painful, and it’s supposed to have moments where you want to smash the television. When it clicks, the pleasure though will be immeasurable.