The Rockies announced a host of invitations to Major League Spring Training on Monday, including a new minor league contract with right-hander Brooks Pounders.
Pounders, 27, has appeared for the Royals and Angels in the past two seasons, totaling a combined 23 innings but struggling to a dismal 9.78 ERA in that time. The former second-round pick has logged an impressive 25-to-8 K/BB ratio in that time, but he’s an extreme fly-ball pitchers (29.9 percent ground-ball rate, 51.9 percent fly-ball rate) and has been tattooed for a whopping 10 homers in his brief MLB tenure (3.9 HR/9).
A former second-round pick (Pirates, 2009), Pounders has posted markedly better numbers in parts of three Triple-A seasons. In his time at the minors’ top level, he’s worked to a tidy 2.94 ERA with 9.5 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 0.8 HR/9 in 131 2/3 innings. He’ll have a crowded bullpen picture to try to crack thanks to Colorado’s offseason signings of Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw, but he’ll provide the team with some depth it can stash in the upper minors should injuries thin out the big league club.
his name though
he’s gonna pound the zone
More like get pounded by hitters.
80 grade name
After the breakout success of Brooks Pounders in 2018, the Colorado Rockies infamous 80M bullpen went on to become known in legend as Pound Town.
As in, “The Phillies, down 4-3 heading into the 7th, were on a one-way ticket to Pound Town.”
drafted by the Pirates in 2009, not the Royals. traded to the Royals for Yamaico Navarro
Yeah, talk about an indication early on that the Bucs didn’t think Pounders would ever pan out… they basically gave him away for a utility player in Navarro. It’s rare that the Bucs (or any team) dump a 2nd round pick that quickly in such a minor trade.
Unfortunately for him he’s been pounded in his career. Best of luck though in Colorado.
He’s still going to get pounded even if he makes the Rockies bullpen.
Rockies cannot ever have enough pitching. Here’s the guy you bring in when the score is 10-1 either way.
So a guy with extreme fly ball tendencies is gonna play half his games in Colorado… great place to go.
Fly balls are not the issue in CO. There are more extreme HR parks. It’s the line drives that always fall in.
I’ll never forget the game in which Chris Young, Chien-Ming Wang, and Brooks Pounders pitched in a game in that order. Made for a helluva boxscore!
Did you check the opposing team too? I kid you not, but RA Dickey pitched for the Jays that day (7/5/16)
Yes!
Agree with seamaholic, it is the bloops and alley shots that are the killers.