This or That: Mike Pelfrey or Jorge Sosa

Well last time it was Mike Pelfrey or Orlando Hernandez for the 5th, well now it is Jorge Sosa or Mike Pelfrey. Here is cases for and against each starter.

Mike Pelfrey

6'7 215 lbs.
1/14/1984
2 years MLB experience

• Pros:
• Fastball you can't teach
• Filthy Breaking ball
• Young/driven to win
• Potential Ace Pitcher

Cons:

• Very Inconsisten
• Inexperienced
• Control Issues
• Still needs time

Jorge Sosa
6'2
220 lbs.
4/28/1977
6 years of MLB experience



Pros:

• Filled in beautifully when called on last year
• Has a rubber arm
• Versatile (can start or relieve)
  
• Will let young players keep their options

Cons:

• Does not have the best stuff
• Can give up the long ball.... a lot
  
• Does not do as well after teams get a look at him

Stuff: Pelfrey is clearly the one with better pure stuff. Like discussed last time his pitches just have filthy movement he just needs to learn to control his pitches and be more aggressive with his fastball. Sosa features a low to mid 90's fastball with little movement and a tight slider that could be called his best pitch. Sosa tends to throw the slider too much leaving it up some times resulting in the large amounts of homeruns.
Advantage: Pelfrey

Spring: Because of Jorge Sosa's spring he is in the conversation. He has pitched 12 innings, struck out 10, and has given up only 2 runs 1 earned for a 0.75 ERA! Pelfrey has had the complete opposite spring training. Pelfrey has pitched 17.1 innings, given up 29 hits, 17 runs, 16 earned, walked 7, gave up 2 homeruns, and struck out only 6. His ERA is 8.31!!!! Click here to see their spring stats lined up.
Advantage: Sosa

MLB Success: This is where both pitchers struggled. Click here for Sosa's stats and here for Pelfrey's stats. As you can see neither guy has pretty ERA's, although Sosa did have one amazing season with the Braves in 2005. Something I didn't know that is Sosa's next homerun he gives up will be his 100th career homerun given up, a proud stat to have. It is also pretty sad Pelfrey hit more batters in 19 games (12) than Sosa hit in 234 games (8)
Advantage: Push

Overall: My opinion has not changes on who I think will win the final spot. Sosa just was so much better coming out of the pen last year and was able to pitch back-to-back games effectively. So I guess you could say my opinion is based not on who is most deserving, but what would be best for the team. I also don't believe in babying players in the minor leagues. They are going to have to learn mental toughness and if they were meant to be great they will be great an extra year in the minors will not change this. The Mets would also be expecting less this year than in previous years so if he went 3-6 it would not be so bad with Johan, Pedro, Maine, and Perez so my answer is clearly.... Mike Pelfrey.
Advantage: Pelfrey.

This or That: Chris Woodward or Morgan Ensberg

Who should be the last person on the Yankees 25 man roster?


Chris Woodward
6'0
190 lbs.
6/27/1976
SS/Utility


Pros:

• Plays multiple positions
• Plays great defense at most positions
• Veteran presence
• Used to coming of the bench
• Familiar with the American League
  

Cons:

• Not good offensively
  
• Not much playoff experience
• Hasn't played in 100 games in 5 years.

Morgan Ensberg

6'2
210 lbs.
8/26/75
1st/3rd

Pros:

• Great power potential
• MVP candidate just a few years ago
• Has playoff experience

Cons:

• Coming off an injury year
• Had a terrible season last year
• Not the best clubhouse personality
  

Hitting: This is clearly Ensberg's category. Before he hurt his shoulder he was a feared hitter in the National League. He was someone who hit in the middle of the lineup and was always a home run threat. He has even hit 35 in a season and driven in 100 runs. His only downfall is that he is a bat hitter for average.
Woodward is a terrible hitter who has never hit more than 13 homeruns or driven in more than 45 runs. Woodward is also a career .243 hitter.

Defense: Now this time it's Woodward's specialty, although Ensberg is not so bad himself. Woodward is able to play just about every position: 1st, 2nd, SS, 3rd, OF and he is usually a teams 3rd emergency catcher. Not only can he play all positions, he can can play them well. Ensberg is also a good defender, but he is typically a 3rd baseman, only playing 1 game at each 1st and SS in his major league career. In almost 1600 chances he has only committed 71 errors and 1 of them was during his only game at 1st base.

Overall: Right now this decision is going to be based on need more than potential. I am sure that both of these guys at some point during the season will be up in the big club, but only one will make the 25 man roster. The Yankees are a team that clearly does not need any offensive help. Top to bottom they are the deepest lineup in the league and have offensive guys like Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit on the bench. What they need is someone to play SS on Jeter's day off or some back up for when Melky has to serve his suspension and because of his versatility I am going to have to go with this person.

Advantage: Chris Woodward.

This or That: Orlando Hernandez or Mike Pelfrey

Orlando Hernandez "El Duque"
6'2 220 lbs.
10/11/1969(?)
10 years MLB experience


Pros:

• Experienced MLB starter
• Proven
• Consistent when healthy
  
• Playoff experience
• Big game pitcher

Cons:

• Older (he is not really 38 years old)
• Injury prone
• Using a new wind up
• Has not pitched in a live game yet (in spring training)

Mike Pelfrey

6'7 215 lbs.
1/14/1984
2 years MLB experience

• Pros:
• Fastball you can't teach
• Filthy Breaking ball
• Young/driven to win
• Potential Ace Pitcher

Cons:

• Very Inconsisten
• Inexperienced
• Control Issues
• Still needs time

Either one of these pitchers is a great pitcher to have as a #5 starter in any league. If you are going for a more prototypical 5 starter you go with El Duque, if you want to have 5 potential #1 or 2 starters you go with Pelfrey.

Stuff: Both of these guys have filthy movement, but here is how it breaks down. Pelfrey's arsenal includes a 2-seam fastball that will just run off the table and generate ground balls, a devastating slider that his still a work in progress (to see its potential watch last year's Braves game), a change-up that is an average pitch and still a work in progress, and a 4-seam fastball he just started working on this year.
El Duque has too many pitches, but here are some I can think off. 4 and 2 seam fastball topping out at 91 on a good day, a pitch which looks like a slider with weird movement, curveball at about 72, change-up, and a 55 mph bugs bunny curve.
Advantage: Draw

Spring: Mike Pelfrey has started 4 games this spring with his longest outing being 4 2/3 innings. In 13 innings he has given up 16 hits, 9 runs, 8 earned runs, hit 1 batter, walked 6, and struck out 5; pitching to a 5.54 ERA. The good news is that he has only given up 1 home run and that his best start came the start after they learned he was tipping his pitchers. Hernandez has yet to pitch in an actual game and has decided to pitch in another simulated game instead of a live one.
Advantage: Pelfrey

Overall: I am beginning to start learning towards Pelfrey. I had been hoping that with Santana he would be able to spend a full year in AAA and get to refine all of his pitches. Now I am not so sure the Mets even have a choice. With El Duque being hurt, not pitching live baseball yet, and changing he wind-up he might not start the season ready for the rotation. Pelfrey's biggest problem seems more like confidence than his pitches. All he has to do is trust the same fastball that helped him dominate college and make him the best pitcher in his draft and he will be fine as were Duque has to learn a new wind-up and pitch with a bunion on his foot. It should be clear as day who I am deciding with for now and for the future.

Advantage: Pelfrey

p.s. Omar sign Freddie Garcia we could use him!