Taylor Guerrieri continues scoreless streak

Hot Rods RHP Taylor Guerrieri has kept his scoreless streak going through the end of June and into July.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ #2 prospect has gone 22 innings in four starts without allowing a run. During that span, he has allowed 17 hits, four walks, zero home runs, and struck out 16. On the season, Guerrieri has a 2.08 ERA and a 3.63 FIP. He has a 85.1 LOB % while his BABIP is at .268.

According to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, he has a two seam fastball with a late sink. Velocity is around 90-95, while he has a sharp curveball that averages between 77-81. Guerrieri also has a changeup that Baseball America says he could develop into a third plus pitch.

The Baseball America Prospect Handbook also says that the Rays don’t seem to rush any prospects who were drafted out of high school (Guerrieri was drafted in 2011 and is only 20 years old). So not only is he about the right age for the league, the Rays can develop him to be a plus pitcher without much more than the average risk that goes into prospect development.

For the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the average age for pitchers is 21.8, which puts Guerrieri a bit younger. More averages include a 7.7 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 7.7 K/9, and a 2.62 K/BB ratio. For Guerrieri, he has a 7.3 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 1.5 BB/9, 6.9 K/9, and a 4.55 K/BB. His numbers are pretty close to the team’s average, aside from a stellar BB/9.

Likely, I would have to assume that he will finish the entire season with Bowling Green and start 2014 with High-A Charlotte. There’s really no reason for him to skip High-A and go straight to Double-A at his age and it would allow more time for him to develop that changeup.

There is no next scheduled start for him at the moment, according to the Hot Rods’ website, however, I would assume that it could be the 7th or the 8th because his last start was on the 1st because their game on the 2nd was postponed and there was a doubleheader on the 3rd.