Atomic RoadRunners

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner has been touted in the release of two new prospect rankings today. First ESPN’s Keith Law labels Bumgarner as the 27th best prospect, but MLB.com is more bullish, ranking the young left 10th. Some excerpts:

First from ESPN’s Keith Law:

Bumgarner took a big tumble this year when his velocity gradually declined the deeper he went into the season. It’s possible the velocity drop was just a function of a very young pitcher (he didn’t turn 20 until Aug. 1) who wore down over the course of a long year, but it’s also possible that this is where he’s going to pitch long-term if he works as a starter. Bumgarner throws from a low arm slot — well below 3/4 — and has had some trouble against right-handed hitters since they see the ball very well out of his hand, although the slot gives him good tailing life on his fastball. He throws a slider and changeup and both will flash average or better, but neither was very consistent in 2009, with the slider sometimes showing good tilt but other times going soft on him, allowing hitters to pick up the break earlier. He was 88-93 mph early in the season but just 87-90 by midsummer, and the velocity on his slider and changeup dipped as well. He’s a big kid who has started to fill out and could add more to his 6-foot-4 frame, but the loss of velocity this year and his related difficulty in missing bats raise serious questions about how high his ceiling really is.

And from MLB.com:

Statistically speaking: In his Minor League tenure, Bumgarner has a career 1.65 ERA. He won the Minor League title in 2008 with a 1.46 mark, then finished third with a 1.85 ERA in 2009. After his ERA dropped below 2.00 on June 11, 2008, it never rose above 2.38 at any level (that was its height on June 13, 2009).

Scouting report: Bumgarner’s velocity dropped in the second half of last season, but when he’s firing on all cylinders, he can crank it up into the mid-90s with good life and command. His secondary pitchers continue to improve, with a good breaking ball and a changeup that lags behind a little bit. He’s got a tremendous work ethic and is incredibly competitive on the mound.

Upside potential: With his combination of stuff, command and competitiveness, he’s got front-of-the-rotation potential. He could start that climb by landing the No. 5 spot in the Giants’ rotation this spring.

They said it: “He’s had a good year. He’s a kid we think a lot of. Sure, he came up here on the fast track, but he’s the best choice we have to put out there. He’s the guy who’s probably our best starter in the Minor Leagues.” — Giants manager, Bruce Bochy, on the decision to call up Bumgarner