Here is the second Two Major One Minor segment of 2014. This is my fourth year of doing this series where I feature two Major League players and one minor league player each week. This week I am featuring Robbie Erlin, Garrett Richards and Henry Owens.
LHP Erlin is entering his second season with the Padres after splitting 2013 between Triple A Tucson and the Padres. He was 8-3, 5.07 ERA, 84 K, 1.60 WHIP in 99.1 IP over 20 games at Tucson and was 3-3, 4.12 ERA, 40 K, 1.24 WHIP in 54.2 IP over 11 games with the Padres. He had shown a live arm in 2012 with 12.4 K/9 rate at Double A and started to show that again in spring training as he was 0-0, 1.46 ERA, 12 K, 1.30 WHIP in 12.1 IP over 6 games. He started 2014 with a relief appearance followed by his first start to set the tone at 1-0, 1.35 ERA, 7 K, 0.60 WHIP in 6.2 IP over 2 games. At only 23 Erlin plenty on promise as he developes.
RHP Richards is in his fourth season with the Angels and has started out firing at a much higher K/9 rate than he has ever achieved. He started the season 2-0, 0.75 ERA, 13 K, 1.00 WHIP in 12.0 IP over 2 games with a 9.8 K/9 rate. The previous two seasons he was 6.3 and 6.0 although he had shown that ability in 2010 in the minors with a 9.4 K/9 rate as he went 12-5 across Class A and Class A Advanced. He is approaching his prime turning 26 on May 27 so it's possible this is not a fluke.
LHP Owens has started his 2014 on fire at Double A Portland of the Red Sox. He is 2-0, 2.04 ERA, 22 K, 0.96 WHIP in 17.2 IP over 2 games with a 11.2 K/9 rate. That is just off the 11.3 and 11.5 rates he put up over his first two minors seasons. Owens already has a rain shorted no hitter to his credit this season and likely will move to Triple A at some point this season. Yet the Red Sox have no need to rush their 2011 first rounder along as he will only be 22 on July 21. With those numbers it is only a matter of time before the Red Sox give him a chance to make Big League bats miss.
Go Sox!!
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