Gio Gonzalez had another unimpressive performance yesterday against one of the worst teams in the American League (KC Roayals) He gave up a three run homerun on a high fastball to Billy Butler and a solo shot to Ryan Shealy. All in all he went 4 innings, gave up 4 runs, 3 of them earned and struck out 5.
It's clear that Gonzalez has not gotten off to the start he was hoping for, however, I am not giving up on him just yet. He has the stuff to be a quality pitcher at the major league level, his strikeout rate is very good. His velocity is not what all the scouting reports had on him. I read that he threw around 93 mph and was consistently in that 91-93 area. However, since being called up he has constantly been in the 88-90 mph area not what I was expecting. It is late in the year so he may be a bit tired, so I'll wait until next year to see if he can really throw 93 mph consistently. I hvae been really impressed with his curveball, it is definitely one of the best in the game, if he learns to command it he will be very successful.
The biggest issue I have with Gonzalez is his inability to throw strikes consistently. Not only does he not throw strikes, but his pitches are usually nowhere near the strikezone, which keeps the hitters from swinging at them. Gonzalez needs to figure out how to throw strikes in a hurry if he ever wants to be successful.
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