In the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft Wednesday evening, the Angels selected LHP Reid Detmers from Louisville.
This was always a likely outcome for the Angels, who had been mocked to get Detmers by multiple analysts. Detmers is described as a “safe” pick who has three plus pitches, including a solid (if average) fastball and nasty curveball. In 2020, Detmers only pitches 22 innings in the shortened season, but they were very impressive, with a 1.00 WHIP and a whopping 19.6 K/9. Detmers was #10 on Keith Law’s Big Board and #9 on our very own Turk’s Teeth board.
Detmers has an extremely high floor and is seen as someone who can reach the Major Leagues very soon, including in a possible 2020 postseason. As the Angels are very pitching-starved, this seems like a positive thing. He may not have the highest ceiling, but sometimes a team just needs pitchers to pitch quality innings.
Are you happy with the pick?
I rely on you all with the prospects. If you’re happy I’m happy. Like everyone else, just glad we didn’t pick a glove-first catcher with round 1.
A solid pick. Nice to have a pitcher that is already in sight of a reasonably high ceiling.
Watch the video on this link… especially from minute 3 on which I believe was this season and why he moved up the board. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/scouts-video-view-2020-mlb-draft-prospect-reid-detmers/
Seems like it’s subscription only, but there’s a ton to like with Detmers. The talent of Canning (likely more) from the left side with a clean bill of health.
To be fair, he had been projected to go in the first half of the first round for many months. His wasn’t a late-helium case. He had a dominant sophomore year, and all the prospect talent rankings were consistent on him. #8 (Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, Keith Law/Athletic), #10 Fangraphs.
If he is better than Suarez and Barria and we have a six man rotation for Ohtani maybe this is the dude. He hasn’t pitched in a game since March 6th…
Neither has anyone else on the Halos.
Although so many pundits mocked a pitcher to us, I wouldn’t believe it until it happened. My brain went to default, “Please don’t draft a SS in the first round.”
I’m relieved to have a college lefty thrower! It was the obvious pick, but I’m glad the Angels weren’t out to subvert from the obvious choice… especially since we missed out on Stripling. I’m good with a solid middle of the rotation arm. We haven’t had some in a long minute!
I just love his curveball – https://twitter.com/pitchingninja/status/1237058396517523460?lang=en
That thing looks really nasty against left handed hitters.
Looks like he throws it against both lefties and righties nicely.
I read he can also drop the bottom out of it as well. Geezus.
Man, he really sells it with his arm speed all the way through his motion…. it’s got to be hard for a hitter to tell it’s a curve until it’s well on it’s way to the plate. My big problem with him is he needs to rely on throwing as hard as he can more often. How is he going to have Tommy John surgery if he doesn’t throw as hard as he can all the time?
Is this guy a reliever or a starter?
either way as long as he’s good!
Looks like a starter to me.
A starter. Middle to top of rotation quality. A pitcher with 2 plus out pitches. But this kid Asa Lacy from A&M is sick.
I think I/we have been pining for some college arms for so long it feels great to finally land one.
I don’t know prospects but trust TT. If he’s happy, I’m happy.
Pretty happy with this pick. Stay away from the Tommy of John please!
Maybe we can get Twitter to cancel UCL tears.
Coronavirus can cancel anything right? Why not UCL tears?
I’ve shed countless UCL tears.
A happy CtPG? I didn’t know that was possible.
We just needed good things to actually happen. We’ve rightfully earned our misery these years
Yeah, seeing as how we are so pitching-starved. Now we need a catcher. Max Stassi won’t be this stellar forever.
Mathis will be a FA at the end of the season and wont even be 38 till next year!
Sad to say, but Mathis is the better player
It’s been forever since I commented here, probably since this site was made and man am I excited. We finally get a pitcher, one with an old bulldog attitude as many reports have been saying and this is super fun to see. I do wonder, I was watching the MLB live show for the draft and over heard McKay, Pomeranz, Keuchel, and even Zito at one point, does anyone here have any comparisons to past or present players?
I think you nailed all the most frequently mentioned comps. 🙂
Given the repertoire (FB, plus curve, change), it’s hard not to think a bit of Tyler Skaggs here, with better command and (ideally) more durability.
Very happy with the pick! Even if he’s not an “ace”, a solid #2 or 3 lefty with a great K/9 and WHIP? I’ll take that with a 10th pick any day of the week!! Welcome to the Angels family, Reid!
Considering it felt like we’ve been mostly filling the rotation with a bunch of 4s and 5s, I am happy with this one.
May this be the beginning of us producing our own 4’s and 5’s and not burning dollars and prospects to get them.
Just two months ago, the Cowboys made the right pick by taking CeeDee Lamb at #17, Angels did the same this draft with Detmers. It’s not a flashy move, but a damn solid one. Pipeline needed some pitching baaaadly.
Thank the sweet baby Jesus the Angels have finally drafted the guy I actually hoped would be there when our pick rolled around! He could be a useful starter sooner than later for us.
I was scared come picks 8 and 9 but we got it!
Eh. Not really. I don’t buy this “he helps us in the postseason” business. He’s not K Rod. I was rooting for one of the higher upside high school pitchers.
Angels best left-handed reliever right now is like…Suarez? I think Detmers could help
That was never going to happen. If the Angels had more picks, maybe you pursue a Mick Abel, but the Angels aren’t going to spend a top ten pick (on a 4-6 year development time frame) on a prep pitcher in the richest college draft in at least a decade.
Detmers recalls a winning era when solid-not-elite starters like Washburn and Saunders kept the team consistently in games. He’s a Heaney/Skaggs level talent with a much healthier, more durable profile.
Those guys end up starting in the big leagues for 3 games and then needing TJ.
Mick Abel and Jared Kelley are perfect for a 2009 draft when the Angels have (had) five picks in the top 40.
Yeah context weighs hard here. Arte is crying poor right now and we have no 2nd round pick to hedge risk. If we’re spending millions on a player, it had to be a safe bet to give some ROI.
Feels weird being excited for the Angels first round pick. But this pick has me pumped.
Feels like a three year phenomenon:
2014 – Newcomb falls to #15 (pumped!)
2017 – Adell still present at #10 (pumped!)
2020 – Detmers still present at #10 (pumped!)
Let’s see how the team rounds out rounds 3-5.
Another 3 year phenomenon:
2017: kid from Louisville we are stoked with
2020: kid from Louisville we are stoked with
And they are friends
Fwiw, it’s not a catcher. (Not that there isn’t an org need for catching prospects also…) but a pitcher, and a lefty at that….
The other thing to like about it is that Reid is a lefty. We have no left handed pitching, so this helps in that regard. Should he not take as a starter (due to below average fastball) he could potentially be an important bullpen piece.
Imagine having to face that nasty curveball sandwiched between the high-octane heat of Buttrey and Robles.
He could potentially be a nice addition there should the Angels choose to use him in that manner, though the more immediate need seems to be starting pitching.
Well, Heaney (signed through next year), Sandoval and Suarez are all lefties.
I’m sure Detmers will be given every opportunity to start, even if he struggles for a couple years (and there’s reason to believe he won’t struggle overmuch).
People are fretting about his fastball, but there are many command lefties that have had very productive careers with middling fastballs. Washburn, Andy Pettitte, Keuchel – these guys lived at 88-91 most of their careers, and solid Angels pitchers like Saunders, Skaggs and Heaney all operate(d) at 90-92.
When healthy and in a groove, these are pitchers with #2 upside – guys you would be happy to throw out there every five days. Most of our frustrations to date with some of these players has been due to health, not lack of stuff or ability.
I was gonna ask, is it not true anymore that lefties don’t need to throw as hard as righties? Being a lefty myself I was always told if you’re left handed and have a pulse you have a shot at the Bigs. But times change, I figured maybe these days even lefties need to throw gas.
Re: Lefties. Well, as you know Heaney has been injured. Sandoval is not with the big club and Suarez is shuttling. More specifically we lack a lefty in the pen, and I for would not be opposed to starting with Detmers in that kind of a role. I think his stuff would fit in well with the power arms we already have in the pen.
And in theory I agree with you about control pitchers. Guys like Zito lived off their curveball. The problem is that when you don’t have that plus fastball there is less room for error. Don’t get me wrong, I like the pick. Just that when given a choice between a control guy and a power arm I will always choose the power arm (except when injury hx comes into play).
YES!
I’m so thrilled with this. I feel pumped!
Saw him in the playoffs a couple years back up here in the Cape Cod Baseball League… hope his ERA gets better.
He was what, 17, 18 then?
2019 – 2.85 ERA 13.58 SO/9
2020 – 1.23 ERA 19.64 SO/9
What’s not to like?
His CCBL ERA. 5.57 ERA overall (11.57 during his lone playoff start)
I don’t know anyone who is going to judge a 20 yr old pitcher on his ERA in six starts in his age-18 year on the Cape. More impressed with his K-rate in 2018 (almost 10 per 9), and his consistent performance vs much stronger collegiate competition since.
I remember high school Mike Trout’s comp/ceiling was Johnny Damon. Things can certainly change from age 18!
Has Detmers gotten fat in college? 😛
Really like this pick. Exactly what the doctor ordered, and long overdue!