UTR: Were you a victim of URHS?

September 27, 2006

My journey toward pitching in the Major Leagues ended just before high school. And while it probably was because of my lackluster fastball and inability to learn a curveball, a trend in scouting has got me thinking that it might have been for a completely different reason.

It’s called Undersized Right-Hander Syndrome (URHS) and it has affected thousands of pitchers across the country.

URHS is not a disease that pitchers catch. On the contrary, it infects scouts as a prejudice that causes them to overlook otherwise qualified right-handed pitchers solely on the basis of height.

Note: Small left-handed pitchers are exempt from URHS because even mediocre southpaws can make careers out of specialized roles in the bullpen.

Tall pitchers are generally preferred because their bodies are often well suited to withstand the rigors of a full season and are more conducive to throwing at higher velocities. Usually, the line of demarcation is arbitrarily drawn around 6-foot-5.

Let’s be clear that this form of prejudice is subtle – big league talent will find its way to the majors. And given enough opportunity, bad players will prove to everyone how bad they are.

If you fear that you are suffering from URHS, you’re not alone.

Current major league pitchers Tim Hudson (6th round draft pick in 1997) and Roy Oswalt (23rd round in 1996) have fallen victim of URHS. Both were drafted far lower than they would have been had height issues not been a concern for scouts, yet both have had very successful major league careers.

Jamie Richmond, a 20-year-old Braves farmhand from Canada, is 6-foot-3 and a victim of URHS. Drafted in the 31st round in 2006, Richmond has excelled everywhere he has pitched – from Texarcana C.C. to the Canadian Junior National Team (as a reliever) in 2004.

Richmond built upon his success with a stellar stat line – 1.21 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and a .210 BAA in 67 innings – in his professional debut at Rookie-Danville. The power groundball pitcher has also not allowed a home run since he has been in the Braves farm system.

Another pitcher fighting URHS is Tampa Bay’s Jeremy Hellickson. A dominant arm at Herbert Hoover (Iowa), Hellickson did not get a lot of exposure and left scouts concerned about his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame, resulting in his name remaining on the draft board for Tampa Bay in the 4th round of the 2005 draft.

The 19-year-old features three plus pitches – a mid-nineties fastball, a hard curve, and an effective changeup. In 2006, Hellickson made Low-A hitters look like they were swinging palm trees through peanut butter, compiling a 2.43 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, .193 BAA, and a 11.12 K/9 ratio in 77.2 innings at Hudson Valley.

Richmond currently projects as a middle-of-the-rotation starter, but Hellickson, with his electric stuff, has every team in the league second guessing passing him up through the first three rounds of the 2005 draft – to be fair, his salary demands were high.

These two pitchers, along with recent Project Prospect interviewee Will Inman, make up a trio of undersized and undervalued pitchers who have been dominant at every level, with only aesthetic reasons to discount their success.

As a 6-foot-2 right-hander myself, I wonder: is it possible that my career was derailed prematurely? Doubtful. Still, URHS is real, but it’s also curable. And with every Tim Hudson and Roy Oswalt, more Jeremy Hellicksons and Jamie Richmonds will be given a chance to emerge as top prospects.

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Project Prospect Geek Test

Twins first base prospect Brock Peterson had a fine season in High-A Fort Meyers, putting up .291/.356/.497 vitals in 447 at bats. Brock was also the first batter to face an elite prospect included in our divisional top 3’s, providing the pitcher with his first professional strikeout and later his first extra base hit allowed. Who’s the prospect? (Hint: He does NOT suffer from URHS)

 

Shoot Pat an email at theblacktornado@gmail.com if you too are a victim of URHS or if you are 6-foot-5+ and want to make fun of him.