Stats — Minor League Splits — WTM
I’m honestly not sure what to make of Strickland. He was a pretty fringey prospect when we got him from Boston last year, but he pitched pretty well with West Virginia and Greenville, Boston’s Sally League affiliate. His strikeout rate was low, but his control was good and he kept the ball on the ground and didn’t get hit hard. The Pirates choose to start him out with West Virginia again in 2010, which was surprising in that he didn’t pitch poorly enough in 2009 to be held back. But someone had to get left behind with Locke, Morris, Adcock, Pribanic, and Brian Leach (older than Strickland but pitched a bit better than him with the Power in 2009) in the Maruaders’ rotation and Strickland made the most sense.
He was awful with West Virginia, but got promoted to FSL Bradenton as soon as Bryan Morris went to Altoona and he’s been kind of decent there. He fits Huntington’s MO as a really big guy that doesn’t throw hard but theoretically might. He’s still just 21, so I suppose there’s still a chance. Until then, it’ll be hard for him to go higher than the fringes of this list.
