Best pitcher in the Valley ... So many to choose

All this is hokus pokus. Wether in a terrible league or not. It doesn't mean a thing. Once they get to College or the minors its over. They are out of the house and this is all memories. Enjoy them while you can. Only a few will make it. Sometimes the guys who never did anything in High School show up in JC. For no reason and dominate and blossom.....for no reason....Look at Trevor Mcdonald at Canyon College the past two years. He is an All Conference standout pitcher. He never played at Valencia High while on Varsity. Everybody felt sorry for him because he was small and didn't play.They said he'd make a great coach at the team awards dinner his senior year. Next thing you know he's kickin all the guys who started in the Foothill League's ass. Or Trevor Bauer for that matter. There was time at the Hart Pony League when none of the daddy ball coaches would let him pitch or play. This stuff is all baloney. Believe me I know. 3 high schools later I know.

Fred,

With so many good pitchers you may have to go to a 5 man staff.

Baseball Man,

You listed 3 or 4 games per team. I listed 11 games. And some (Wilson, Servite) were on both lists. My point exactly

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Did you read ALL the last names as the BEST pitchers in the Valley? All Hispanic knuckle head! Gonzales would fit right in! Spare me the race card! If, there's any qusetion on who is getting the cold shoulder I would have to say "Whitey" is re-read the names bone-head.

playallday,

i think race comes into he equation too. if gonzalez had a different last name or heritage, he would be getting more publicity. it's all about race!

Joe Amat,

Look at who DB (LB Wilson Div I, Servite Div I, El Toro #1 Div II) Glendora (St Francis Div II, Arcadia Div II, Alta Loma Div II) and Damien (Yucaipa #2 Div II, Palm Desert #3 Div IV, Kaiser # 12 Div IV, Corona Div I) played in tourneys. No cake walk. So it is not one or the other. The big three play tough all year long.

fred j

if plutko is on this list, then gonzales from ghs
has to be on the list. the stats are very even, both face the same teams, plutko gets more ink, which i can only figure is because he is 6foot 2
and gonzales is 5foot 11, anyways check out the stats on maxpreps,its really close

Baseball Man,

"Softer" tourney & non-league schedule and a tough 15 game league... or a tough tourney & non-league schedule with a softer (only 12 games) league? All kinda adds up the same - doesn't it?

Anything called Fred J Classic is fine with me...not a bad idea, either

Fred,

Just think, schedule a butt kicker tourney & non-league schedule and then compete in the Sierra League. Not gonna happen. The league is too tough. In 2010 would like to see a new tourney called the Fred J. Classic that pits the Tribs final top ten teams of 2009 against each other in a classic bball tourney. What do ya think? New tradition?

Andrew Melchor, Nogales, 7-0, 1.81 ERA, 66 strikeouts

Particularly in baseball, maybe I should just start a policy requiring coaches to include season and game-by-game stats for players they want considered on all area teams. They may not have to report them to Maxpreps, but don't you think it's fair they turn them over if they want consideration?

Baseball fan, this lack of showing stats is what makes the selection process difficult. I will have season stats, but no head-to-head stats against certain teams to compare with it when it comes to Northview, South Hills, etc.

You're absolutely right, the Sierra is head and shoulders above every other league and there is no day off, that will all be considered. Then there are the schools that hide stats for fear of being scouted (so lame), they make the process more difficult, believe me. At the end of the year they will turn in their stats and all we can do is trust they're being honorable?

Fred,

I agree, you need to look at the wins that each pitcher has. If they are against Covina they should deserve less consideration than if they are against Glendora (as in Calderaro's case). Take a look at the scores of Glendora's games on MaxPreps. They are having a tough time scoring runs in league games. Is that because they have lousy hitters or is that because they have to face LHP Whitehouse, LHP Mathews, RHP Urban, LHP Taylor Jimenez (Chino) and LHP Ryan Dunn (Chino Hills). How does San Dimas' Jensen stack up against Kyle Layton's stats when Layton has to face all those tough lefties. The matchups need to be taken into consideration. By the way, Jensen has had a great season....but he gets to play in those 12 games listed below.

Bottom Line/Baseball man excellent point, but that does not mean, as you said, that the pitcher has to come out of the Sierra League because of the parity. I'm not punishing anyone because of their league schedule, but I will look how pitchers fared in games against tough teams, tough league opponents and in CIF. Look at someone like Nico Calderaro, who as you said plays in a "terrible league" outside of Charter Oak. He also beat Glendora in the championship of their own tournament, that has to count for something.

the bottom line is that Northview plays:
3 games against Pomona
3 games against Covina
3 games against Baldwin Park
3 games against Ganesha

Thats 12 games against what are basically JV teams. That is NOT Northview's fault. In fact, they do everything they can to "spice up" their schedule with big time non-league games. But it DOES matter when comparing players and their stats. Out of those 12 lousy games, Pedroza and Ruvalcaba are sure to each go 6-0. When games are won 20-0, hitters stats get skewed.

In the Sierra, there aren't 12 easy wins in league. In fact, the doormat of the league (Ayala) has some really good hitters that are going to D1 schools that can be game-changers. They are still tough to beat even though they don't have a good record. Not to mention the fact that they were supposed to have the 2 best pitchers in the league (Evan Brock and Ethan Miller) who for whatever reason haven't pitched for them this year. Imagine the Sierra league race if they were each throwing 7 innings a week.

My Freind,

Big Game...against a quality opponent...League Title... CIF Championship on the line - who do YOU hand the ball to? And why?

Thanks for the premature condolences.... or this could be fun! Depends on your outlook.

FJR has our back with the comment below.

Baseball man, I understand your issues, but these teams that you say play in horrible leagues, have also played in quality tournaments and scheduled quality nonleague games. In fact, I don't think anyone in the Sierra League has played as tough a schedule as Bishop Amat or Northview.

Joey ...this could get ugly...."nice knowing you"...where should I send the flowers!

LMAO!!!!

JK.....

While the Del Rey league may not be on par with the Sierra League from top to bottom, it probably compares with a couple other of the "top" leagues in the SGV. But calling the league a joke is a bit too far. However that's a discussion for another day.

As I've said many times - the *entire* schedule is what's important (especially for yearly honors that are not just *league awards*) I do think that games against Chatsworth, Millikan, Servite, Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita, Cypress , Reno (Reno, NV) ,Garfield , Wilson (Long Beach,), Lakewood , South (Torrance) at least match (and maybe surpass) anything the Sierra league has to throw at these pitchers.

Now before you start typing frantically - we all realize that in their head-to-head matchup Ayala get's credit for their 2-0 win on 3 hits against the Lancers at the little league park in Glendora. I'm not sure what has caused their tailspin - but if you remember they were coming off a couple wins over South Hills and beating a pretty good Crescenta Valley team.

Bottom line: I asked the question a week ago and I'll ask again. Big Game...against a quality opponent...League Title... CIF Championship on the line - who do YOU hand the ball to? And why?

Fred,

Plutko and Whitehouse are the only two pitchers that see quality batters throughout league play. I am not taking anything away from any of the players on your list, they are all good, but when they play in horrible leagues stacked with patsies, you really have to look at the stats critically. Amat competing against La Salle, Bishop Mont and Cantwell is a joke. As is Bonita and CO competing against Los AL, Wilson and DR. When you throw a shut out against a last place Cantwell, that's not real impressive especially when the combined score of the three games is 64-0. There is much parity in the SL and I don't think anyone in their right mind would not agree that the SL is the toughest league in the valley. Using that arguement I would say that the pitcher has to come out of the SL and it looks like Whitehouse has the edge over Plutko.

Kenny Mathews - '11 LHP

7-2 2.58 ERA 45 K's 17 BB's

.387 BA .653 SLG% 3 HR's 29-RBI's

This is a Sophomore who has dominated with only 2 losses. One against El Toro in the early part of the season and a tough loss to Chino HS which is leading the Sierra League and is stacked with Senior hitters.

Mathews also has been one of the best hitters on the team so he works on all facets of his game. Kenny has been the mainstay of the Brahmas up and down season.

Kenny Mathews deserves major props for this season.

Bronx Zoo, Who's the animal?

The Animal is better than anyone in the valley. He should be the only pitcher on your list.