Minors: Tillman ready for the show

Honestly, Orioles fans, help is on the way

Chris Tillman, RHP, Orioles (Triple-A Norfolk)
Tuesday's stats: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
As if Adam Jones and George Sherrill weren't enough, the Orioles got even more in return for Erik Bedard, and Tillman could have as big an impact as any of them. A reader reports that Tillman was consistently pitching 94-95 mph on Tuesday while delivering his best start of the season. He lowered his ERA to 2.03 with 37 strikeouts in 31 innings. He's probably big league-ready, but like batterymate Matt Wieters, does calling him up really make a difference right now?

If you have no idea where it's going, the velocity doesn't matter

Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Brewers (Double-A Huntsville)
Tuesday's stats: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 1 K

The Brewers' top draft pick in 2006, Jeffress can throw as hard as anyone in the minors and often touches triple digits. But his once below-average control is now firmly in nightmare territory, as in his past three outings, Jeffress has walked 15 in seven innings while giving up 15 runs. He seems totally lost at this point, and the most disturbing thing is that he's never really been found. He's not a pitcher per se, just a guy who throws really hard.

For news on Antonio Bastardo, Mike Stanton, Jeremy Barfield, Juan Sulbaran, plus daily stats updates on the top prospects, you must be logged in to ESPN Insider.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email
• Subscribe