25 Brewers in 25 Days : Mitch Stetter

This article will probably be about as short as lefty reliever Mitch Stetter's appearance in a game. With the exception of a random lefty tossed in the bullpen every now and then, Stetter was the only lefty out there. Most of the time he was brought in to face 1 batter, and it wasn't unusual to see him pitch just 1/3 of an inning. The nice thing about that is he was usually brought in to get a key out that was one of the turning points in the game, and he he almost always got the job done. And since he would often throw 10 pitches at most per game, he was available to work back-to-back games which was huge considering he was the only southpaw available for relief for the majority of the season. When a big lefty up to bat for the other team in a crucial situation, Mitch Stetter was the man.

What makes Stetter so devastating against lefties is his sidearm delivery. First off, he starts out pitching with his right foot on the far left edge of the rubber on the pitching mound. From the way that he slings the ball towards the plate out of that position, it looks like it going to cross the strike zone right down the middle. But it doesn't. It cuts way outside to a left-handed hitter, and they end up swinging at something that is nowhere near connecting with the bat. Imagine a blindfolded kid swinging at a pinata. The key to Mitch Stetter's effectiveness and longevity on this team if he figures out how to dominate right-handed hitters with the same success. In 2009 Stetter had a 3.60 ERA, 4-1 record, appeared in 71 games but pitched only 45 innings. But check out these split stats. In 24.2 innings against lefties, he had a 1.46 ERA. In 20.1 innings against righties, he had a 6.20 ERA. Numbers don't lie, and in this case they also validate my argument.

One thing that is unique about Mitch Stetter is that he is 1 of 3 pitchers on the current roster who was actually drafted by the Brewers (with the other 2 being Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra). The Brewers have historically had a big problem churning out pitchers of any variety from their farm system, which has led to overpaying for starters (Jeff Suppan) and relievers (Eric Gagne - remember that 1-year $10 million deal? I cringe just thinking about it). There's a good amount of talented position players drafted by the Brewers that are still currently on the team - Fielder, Braun, Weeks, Escobar and Hart. But only 3 pitchers make the cut, and only 1 (Gallardo) has proven to be worthy of the label "talented". You can make a case for Stetter, and 1 more good year out of him will propel him to the talented section versus the current stage of limbo he is in.

But it could be worse. He could be in the group of pitchers that the Brewers have drafted in the last 10 years that have yet to advance beyond AA minor league ball. Three names always come up when pitchers drafted by the Brewers is the topic du jour. Mike Jones was drafted 12th overall in 2001, and after many shoulder surgeries, rehabs and setbacks, he finally advanced to AAA at the end of last year. That's right, 8 years after being drafted he's in AAA. Mark Rogers was drafted 5th overall in the 2004 draft, and after 2 shoulder surgeries he pitched in his first Spring Training game a few weeks ago. He should be in AA this year, which is ok since he's still just 24 years old. And then there's my favorite - Jeremy Jeffress, the 16th overall pick in the 2006 draft. His fastball clocks in at nearly 100 mph, but he's currently serving a 100 game suspension because he can't stop smoking the reefer. He's already been busted once, and he served a 50 game suspension for that. 1 more positive test and he's banned from professional baseball FOR LIFE. Or like they say in The Sandlot: FOR-EVER. FOR-EVER. FOR-EVER.

Mitch Stetter should have some company in the bullpen this year because it looks like the Brewers are going to carry a 2nd lefty reliever. Lefty starters Chris Narveson and Manny Parra are both out of options, and whichever one doesn't make the starting rotation will be kept in the bullpen to provide depth. Hopefully that means that Stetter will only be used against lefties because as the stats indicated, that is his strength. But I'd also like to see him face righties as well because any experience would only benefit him, seeing as 2009 was only his first full season in the majors. But if he's anywhere near what he was like last year (and if he faces less righties) Mitch Stetter could see this stat line in 2010:

2.79 ERA, 3-1 record, 68 games appeared in but 42 innings pitched and the same awesome delivery.

So much for a short article. Stetter will see some company in the bullpen, but 1 reliever is like the company who keeps coming back to visit year after year and ends up crashing on your couch is Claudio Vargas. Vargas in back in Milwaukee for the 3rd time. He first came here as a starter in the Doug Davis trade back in 2006. Then he was reacquired in July of 2009 but this time as a reliever. Following a successful stint in Milwaukee the 2nd time around the Brewers signed him for 2010 to once again pitch out of relief. His 1st time in Milwaukee he wasn't very good. His 2nd time in Milwaukee he was very good. The 3rd time be the charm where he is great. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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