Comments on: Happ-y Go Lucky?

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:18:20 +0000

no. hes gonna b good, iv been watching him for years now. he may not keep this up. but hes gonna hav a darn good carrer maybe as a 3 or even a 2. im telling u hes got a future. keep an eye on this kid! and o btw NL ROY BABY!

By: The A Team

The A Team — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:51:05 +0000

I think what will strike you right off the bat is that he is a smart pitcher with good command. His control is a little iffy, but when he misses it’s off the plate rather than down the cock. He’s gotten away with a mediocre walk rate so far but really needs to improve in that category to be more than a #3-4 guy.

His stuff isn’t fantastic but his pitch strategy is strong and doesn’t rely on any kind of patterns making me believe that beyond the numbers he could be a 3.5-4 ERA type pitcher going forward

By: B

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:19:08 +0000

He’s 6’6 and has deception in his delivery, so his fastball plays up. His release point is closer to the plate than most pitchers because of his size and he hides the ball really well. Velocity readings don’t tell the whole story.

He’ll have a decent career, he’s a decent pitcher. He’s a smart kid too, he attended Northwestern.

By: Abreutime

Abreutime — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:47:46 +0000

As much as stats guys may automatically believe that a guy like Happ is overrated based on amorphous claims of grit, clutch, etc, there’s more to it than that. His high K-rate in the minors suggest there is room for improvement in the stats that are FIP inputs. And amusingly, if you compare Happ’s peripherals with Matt Cain’s, their stats are eerily similar. These are 2 solid pitchers who would be very good number 3s.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:01:53 +0000

Phillies fans are tough and as Billy Wagner recently said, “It’s hard to play there, those fans expect everything.” Well for whatever reason they really like this Happ guy. I checked out the Phillies blogs during all the trade rumors and well over a majority of people did not want to give Happ up in any trade. I talked to a Philadelphia friend who said how so many people liked how Happ pitched his guts out for a month not knowing if he’d still be on the team and for a couple of weeks after the Lee trade not knowing if he’d be in the bullpen. And get a runner in scoring position, Happ just seems to be unflappable and get the next batters out.

By: BallDude

BallDude — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:33:52 +0000

This Happ dude is smart and has got lots of poise and grit on the mound. He made an amazing fielding play last game where he shoveled the ball to first base from on the ground. He never gives up. He eats up innings and seems to get stronger as a game goes on. He’s not going to have a 2.66 ERA forever – what pitcher does? And maybe his peripherals aren’t what we are trained to look for but he’s pitched well on every level of ball he’s played and I’ll take him on my team anyday,

By: nick

nick — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:09:00 +0000

I know, i’ve just developed a bad taste for Happ with all the love he receives from the W-L loving fan and ESPN but the kid has been a very pleasant surprise for the Phillies. Looking back to the offseason he wasn’t even expected to contribute much and if anything it’d be out of the pen but he’s turned into a very good MOR guy. It’ll be interesting to see if he can hold off on a fall like Kendrick but those numbers (namely the BABIP with RISP) are just ridiculous

By: Travis L

Travis L — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:02:27 +0000

He’s got a david eckstein voodoo doll that he puts in his jock strap before games.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:40:32 +0000

Nick, I am a Phillies fan and I wouldn’t even think of suggesting that Happ will be better than Hanson. I’m not sure that you would find many educated Phils fans who would. Now if you talk to the casual, rose-colored glasses variety….

That said, this isn’t about Hanson, it’s about Happ. The kid is a gamer. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and so far it hasn’t. Hopefully his run continues through the playoffs. I hope the organization stays realistic when his luck catches up (ala Kendrick). But if he is expected to remain a #4 (maybe a 3) for the duration, I can live happily with that.

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:49 +0000

That is one odd PFX chart. It’s not just his fastball that’s straight, everything’s straight. I really need to watch this kid pitch, because for the most part — if the pitch is in the strike-zone, it’s staying there. I’m surprised that with a BB/9 over three, batters just can’t tee off on this kid.

I’m confused. I’ll watch this kid pitch next chance I get.