2009 Projection:
140.0 IP, 9 W, 3.86 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 123 K (7.91 K/9), 48 BB (3.09 BB/9)

Quick Thoughts:
Maybe this is a moderate projection.  Maybe it’s playing it safe.  Price has the potential to be among the best pitchers in the league, but it’s tough to predict that for a rookie pitcher.  I know how spectacular he looked in the playoffs, but I just can’t hang my hat on that.  All pitchers are going to go through a learning curve sooner or later and I have to go into this season expecting him to feel some of that.

If he breaks camp with the team and actually makes 30+ starts, I obviously would expect him to have significantly better numbers then this.  As it is, he could outperform these numbers, quite easily honestly.  He was lights out in the minor leagues, posting a 2.31 ERA across three levels of the minor leagues, totaling 109.2 innings.

Still, a rookie is a rookie.  Tim Lincecum struggled at times his rookie season and we all know how good of a pitcher he has become.  Way back when John Smoltz posted a 5.48 ERA in his rookie campaign.  How long did it take for Randy Johnson to emerge as the dominating pitcher he became?

It’s tough to step foot into the major leagues and dominate hitters.  It doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, I just would temper expectations and not don him the Cy Young Award winner quite yet.  He’s going to be good, that I expect, but I’m not expecting pure greatness.

What about you?  What are you expecting from the phenom?

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.