Continuing to look at some of the pitchers in the Pirates' lower minor league organization. Today we consider five more of the Pirates' 2010 draft picks.
Stetson Allie -- R/R, 6' 4", 225 lb
Allie was the second round pick in the draft, coming out of high school in Cleveland. He signed at the last moment, so he did not get into any games in the regular season. He did go to Fall Instrux, where he again impressed the Pirates' management with his velocity and also with his maturity. He has a fastball that reached into the 100's several times toward the end of his high school career, but he has better control of it when it's in the mid 90's. He also throws a slider and needs work on a changeup. Control, along with the slider and the changeup, are what Allie is going to need to work on as he makes his pro debut. He has been pitching in the minor league spring training camp and has struggled a bit as he faced more experienced players. Allie seems to be slated to do more work in Extended Spring Training before beginning the 2011 season in State College.
James Archibald -- Bats L / Throws R, 6' 1", 190 lb
Archibald came to the Pirates in the 36th round of the draft. He got signed and got down to business in the GCL, at first working out of the bullpen. He did well in 3 relief appearances, allowing 5 hits and one run (a homer) in 5 relief innings, for a 1.80 ERA, with 3 strikeouts and no walks. Archibald was moved to the starting rotation, and in 8 starts, he had more trouble. His first two starts went well, as he allowed one run in 3 innings and one run in 5 innings. The next three were a little shakier, with 5 runs on 15 hits over 12.2 innings. His best game was on August 7th, when he struck out 7 batters in 5 innings. Archibald's last 3 starts were very tough. He allowed 14 runs on 19 hits in 9.1 innings, ballooning his total ERA to 5.40 for the season. Archibald will be 21 years old in May. He might spend some more time in the GCL before heading to State College in 2011.
