Eyewitness Accounts

I have seen Diaz twice this season, both in the past 10 days, for a combined two innings of work. He's looked like a big league reliever in both looks, completely overwhelming his opposition with a three-pitch arsenal. In my second look, this was the sequence to one right-handed batter: 99 mph fastball with run; 87 mph slider with two-plane break; 99 mph fastball with run on the outside black for strike three.

The success is coming from his fastball, a true 80-grade offering that plays to its fullest potential, and a recently discovered ability to throw strikes. Diaz established the fastball in both outings, throwing it for called strikes. The pitch doesn't flatten out at any velocity, including 99 mph, which is rarity. Establishing the fastball allowed his two other offerings to play up. The slider became a swing-and-miss offering both in and outside the strike zone. He will throw it glove side consistently. The changeup has the velocity of most pitchers' fastballs, and the bottom will fall out at times.

I would fast track Diaz to the major leagues, because he might be the best reliever in the Angels organization right now. The stuff is major-league ready; there's no projection in the body or arsenal, so there's no need to waste bullets in his arm. Move him up one level at a time to see if he can keep throwing strikes with the fastball.

Previously billed as a bullpen candidate due to the lack of a playable changeup and his funky delivery, Lorenzen has made huge strides across the board this season, and after this start, I believe in Lorenzen as a starting pitcher going forward. He showed a rounded four-pitch arsenal, three of which could be used as swing-and-miss/weak-contact offerings at the highest level. The command profile will never be above average, and despite some mechanical red flags, Lorenzen has top-of-the-charts athleticism and should be able to repeat his delivery in a manner that would be conducive to average command. The stuff is electric and he will likely tease with more, but Lorenzen should settle in as a solid mid-rotation starter, a huge developmental win for the Reds.

Lively has good stuff across the board and, perhaps more importantly, shows good pitchability with realistic room for growth in this department. He goes into at-bats with a plan, executes, and pitches with major confidence, wanting to shove the fastball down hitters' throats. The fastball, while not a crazy weapon in terms of pure velocity, plays up due to its sneakiness and gives the pitcher a weapon going forward. The secondary arsenal is highlighted by the potential above-average slider, and while the curveball and changeup only project to average at the highest level, Lively should be able to deploy these pitches with confidence and keep hitters guessing with a few minor refinements. Overall, Lively looks like a good bet to blossom into a mid-rotation workhorse, a great outcome from a fourth-round selection. He should be ready sometime in 2015.