Scouting Scratch: Allen Webster and Dalier Hinojosa

- At this point, there isn’t much left to say about Allen Webster that hasn’t already been said. Webster has arguably the best raw stuff in the system, possessing a potential plus-plus fastball, plus-to-better changeup, and plus slider, but his command profile lags behind.

At its best, Webster’s fastball will work in the 94-96 mph range showing plus life and heavy sink, leading to weak contact on the ground. At this point. his changeup is slightly ahead of his slider. He throws the changeup with deceptive arm speed and the pitch shows fade and sink in the 83-85 mph range. He has confidence in the pitch, willing to throw it in any count and for strikes. Webster throws his slider in the 83-86 mph range, with two-plane break and depth. The pitch shows wipeout potential, but at times he’ll vary his angle, resulting in a longer, looser version. Webster also possesses a show-me curveball in the mid-70s. He rarely uses the pitch, but when he does, it tends to be effective when used in sequence, especially early in the count to steal a strike.

Webster possesses the athleticism and arsenal to profile as a starting pitcher, but he can struggle with his delivery at times and most importantly his command is only fringe-average. This season, Webster has shown improved command at times, but it can really depend on if you catch him on a good day or bad day. Recently, Webster has impressed and especially in his June 27 start when he struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings, while walking no one and allowing very little hard contact. If Webster can continue to show this improved command and repeat his delivery then he deserves another shot to stick in the Red Sox rotation.

- I’ve seen Dalier Hinojosa a few times this season and in this recent look he showed off the most impressive raw stuff I’ve seen from him. Hinojosa throws over the top and has short arm action and a quick, live arm. Hinojosa’s delivery profiles best in a bullpen role, where he’s been all season, as he has effort in it including a loop behind and a head whip. He struggles with his release point at times, leading to control issues, but when he is locked in he can be tough to hit.

Hinojosa’s fastball has sat 92-94 mph, topping out at 95 mph and showing arm-side run. When elevated the pitch flattens out and is very hittable and he has had trouble locating the pitch to the arm side in outings I’ve seen. However, in a recent outing when he was repeating his delivery and held a consistent release point, the pitch sat 94-95 mph. His primary secondary is a breaking ball that has varied between a curveball and a slider. In one recent outing, he threw a 80-83 mph pitch that showed hard, vertical break especially in the upper velocity range. The pitch flashed bat-missing potential, but was inconsistent. In another outing, however, Hinojosa showed an 84-86 mph slider that showed hard bite and late depth in the zone. If that pitch is the one Hinojosa settles into, it is a potential plus offering and weapon that could miss bats at the highest level. If Hinojosa can refine his command and control and improve his consistency, he could be an intriguing potential bullpen arm in 2015.

Photo credit: Allen Webster and Dalier Hinojosa by Kelly O'Connor

Ian Cundall is Director of Scouting for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @IanCundall.
   

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