Jeff Niemann...?

[madstork43]

Does anyone have an opinion about this Tampa Bay pitcher?

What is his potential stats and when is he slated to make his MLB debut?

thanks in advance...

[moochie]

Don't know much about what he's done in the minors thus far, did get to see him in college though, and he's evil. Saw him make many a drafted position player look like a tee-baller. I'm looking to take him in my minor league draft this year.

[hybrid]

He is a great arm and talent, but he is also a risky one. He's had injury in college and another injury in his first year in the minors. Despite all that if he can stay healthy he defianty has the talent to develope into a pretty good top of the rotation pitcher.

If he can stay healthy, probably a debut in 2007 sometime.

[Cleveland Steamers]

After the surgery, he isnt slated to start throwing until May. This should throw off his timetable a bit. If he is very successful in 06, Id look for him to come up for a cup of coffee late in the year. The most likely scenario is a mid season callup in 2007 if I had to guess.

[booboo]

niemann is not the next right handed 2nd coming of randy johnson. back when he was 17-0 for Rice, he had a 99 mph heater. he doesn't have that anymore and never will. atleast he hasn't gone for tommy john like his Rice teammates, Humber and Townsend.

I think if Niemann can command and get ahead of the count with his fastball between 91-94 to both parts of the plate, while throwing his killer curveball as a strikeout pitch, and mix it up with his two other pitches, while leveraging his height - then he can be a very good major league pitcher in the next two years. Despite his height, I don't see him as an overpowering pitcher. Granted, he throws harder than Mark Hendrickson, but he's not RJ.

He'll be a good pitcher (because he's not just a flamethrower), IF, and a big IF, if he can stay healthy. Young pitchers rarely do, so I wouldn't count on anything in the near future. But if you have patience, he's minor-league keeper worthy, and may break tampa's atrocious rotation next year. Edwin Jackson, I think because he was the guy they got for Baez, and not because he's more talented than Niemann, gets first shot this year.