Hiroki Kuroda

[paddyp43]

Any Dodgers fans got word on this kid? I know the comparison could be to Kei; but it is the NL. And as we all know NL = JV.

Worth a WW? Or just watch for now. Thanks guys

[guffee]

Hiroki Kuroda threw two scoreless innings Tuesday in his start versus the Nationals.
Kuroda had to work a little harder this time than Friday, when he retired all six Braves he faced, but he got through the outing unscathed despite allowing a double and walking two. He got five outs on the ground and fanned one.

Scouting report.
http://www.armchairgm.com/Hiroki_Kuroda

[Element]

I don't see the Kei comparisons at all. Kuroda isn't overpowering, but he works in the 90-92 range with some nice sink on his fastball. So far, he has kept the ball down too. So through the few innings that he has tossed so far, he has gotten a lot of groundballs. I think that he'll make a good stopgap pitcher & should be steady. I'm sure that he'll wear down over the course of the season though with the heavier workload. It all depends on who you would be letting go of. I think that he is capable of 180 innings, 4.15 era, 1.30 whip, 13 wins and 120 k's. Nothing earthshattering.

[dooz]

And as we all know NL = JV.

Obviously never played a NL-only league...

[The Artful Dodger]

I don't see the Kei comparisons at all. Kuroda isn't overpowering, but he works in the 90-92 range with some nice sink on his fastball. So far, he has kept the ball down too. So through the few innings that he has tossed so far, he has gotten a lot of groundballs. I think that he'll make a good stopgap pitcher & should be steady. I'm sure that he'll wear down over the course of the season though with the heavier workload. It all depends on who you would be letting go of. I think that he is capable of 180 innings, 4.15 era, 1.30 whip, 13 wins and 120 k's. Nothing earthshattering.

Kuroda can top out at mid-90's actually. He relies more on movement than throwing straight out heat though to get batters out (and thus the underwhelming K rate). He has a fairly rounded repertoire to go with that fastball, but the knock is he tends to throw the fastball a bit much to induce flyballs. Pitching at Dodger Stadium should help him keep the ball in the yard, but the ball carries at day games better than most would think.

I'll agree that Kuroda should be marginally above average than your average FA spot starter, but I wouldn't expect much to write about otherwise.