Re-run: Keith Law on Darvish vs Strasburg
On the day that Stephen Strasburg made his MLB debut, we dust off this conversation with Keith Law, originally posted on July 7, 2009.
If you’re reading this blog, there’s a high probability that you’ve heard of Keith Law. Keith is a veteran of Baseball Prospectus and the Toronto Blue Jays’ front office, and currently the lead baseball analyst for ESPN’s Scouts Inc. Keith took the time to answer a few questions on how Yu Darvish compares to Washington Nationals draftee, Stephen Strasburg.
NPB Tracker: How does Strasburg’s repertoire compare to Darvish’s?
Keith Law: Darvish shows far more pitches than Strasburg, who has four but spent most of the spring using just two.
NT: Who do you like better mechanically?
KL: I would say Strasburg – he’s easier and cleaner – although the sheer arm speed puts us into uncertain territory with Strasburg. We have little experience with starters who throw that hard and get their arms going that fast.
NT: If you had to choose one of the two pitchers for an MLB rotation this year, who would it be?
KL: I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here, but I’d take Darvish, given his experience facing a higher level of competition.
NT: Which of the two has the higher upside, and why?
KL: That’s a good question and I have gone back and forth on this. I think Strasburg’s fastball and hard curve rate well ahead of Darvish’s top two pitches, so I’d take Strasburg.
NT: Thank you Keith.