Team Tag: Georgia Ghost Busters

by Gray Ulery

1-2 Punch

Evan Warner

Evan Warner and King Crawford are the 2012 pair of aces that many teams dreamed of having and feared facing. Unfortunately, it's 2013 and the former Rookie of the Year and aging superstar aren't quite as intimidating. Warner, still a steal at $510 thousand per season, is pitching well (2.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP), but a lack of run support leaves him with a record that is barely over .500.

King Crawford

Crawford, on the other hand, appears to have lost a little juice. His K/BB has dropped from 6.07 in 2012 to 2.26 in 2013, and he's given up 15 home runs in 19 starts this year as opposed to 17 in 31 starts last season. If he was on my team, I'd be even more scared about his BABIP, which clocks in at .259. When the ball is in play, he's getting good defensive help or good bounces. If that luck evens out and climbs closer to the league average, look for his ERA and W/L record to take a big hit. Considering that they are already 4.23 and 3-10, that could be fatal for the Ghostbusters as they finish out 2013.

Back of the Rotation

Pat Everhart

If you consider Warner and Crawford as the Pete and Ray of the group, and the setup men and closers as the Egon, Pat Everhart, Davey Holmes, and Tony Davidson represent the Winstons. They'll do. Everhart is putting up decent numbers and has the horrible record to go with it. Holmes and Davidson are at or below average but have solid W/L. As a group, they'll probably finish around .500. Given the pitchers available to Georgia at Triple- and Double-A, these three appear to be a stop-gap until the crop of talented youngsters develop at Single-A.

Tony Davidson

Davidson is the most interesting of the group. Having won the 2012 single-A Cy Young, he got called all the way to the big leagues. I'd guess that, as the oldest of the following group, Davidson was sacrificed to allow José Leal, Dave Brown, Frank Cannon, and Jesús Medina additional time to develop.

Bullpen

Gary Payne

If the starting crew above can give the Ghostbusters seven solid innings, they're in great shape. Dave Walton, Domingo Rivera and closer Gary Payne make up shut-down eighth- and ninth-inning options. Unfortunately, the starters are averaging just over six innings, meaning that any time Georgia needs that middle inning coverage, or any time a game goes long, or any time the back of the pen is tired, manager Phil Patterson has to trust a very shaky group of middle relievers that may be the single biggest weakness in the pitching staff.

Top of the Order

Ed Hill

Outfielders Jesús Guareno and Ed Hill and second-baseman Steve O'Donnell make up the top of the Ghostbuster lineup. Hill has the speed to swipe a few bags, but his less than stellar OBP doesn't provide enough opportunities. Guareno and O'Donnell are decent but not necessarily the kind of hitters you want to rely on for the bulk of your scoring.

Middle of the Lineup

Tommy
McCauley

First-baseman Tommy McCauley is a prototypical power hitter: ok average, decent home run totals, high strikeouts. I'd love him as a #5 hitter, but he's Georgia's best option at #4 right now. After that Georgia lines up with center-fielder Sean Bowman and designated hitter Coy Walton who seem to me a little disappointing versus their ratings.

Bottom of the Lineup

Ummm. Pass. Catcher Terry Sterling brings a subpar bat along with his mediocre defense. Super defensive shortstop Mike Rhodes is as powerful a hitter as one would expect from a super defensive shortstop. Batting ninth is slow-footed third-baseman Dave Hall.

Trades

Quincy Peterson

Patrick was quick to jettison a number of contracts when he took over the team. Deals with Seattle, Washington, and Mile High sent high-quality, high-priced talent out and brought in a series of young talent that should make Georgia very competitive in 3-4 seasons. Look for first-baseman Quincy Peterson, second-baseman Michael McFarland, right-fielder Jake McGee, left-fielder Júlio Garcia, and pitcher José Leal to be getting their proton accelerators and joining Guareno, McCauley, and Warner by the end of 2014.