Seth McClung

McClung revived his career with the Brewers in 2008 by posting a 4.02 ERA in 105.1 innings while making 12 starts. He still walks too many batters and benefited from a .283 BABIP, but he could be acceptable as a fifth starter or long reliever. The Brewers will likely try him out of the bullpen in 2009.

McClung was traded to Milwaukee in July 2007 and spent the last month of the season in the majors. The Brewers are taking a chance that he can somehow find some control of his fastball. He'll get a chance to make the team as a middle reliever this spring.

Those 2006 numbers look ugly, although McClung did show some promise as a closer after a demotion, being converted to relief and coming back up again. He'll start the spring as the Rays' nominal closer, but he'll have plenty of competition and isn’t a lock to keep the role.

According to the Bill James Baseball Handbook, McClung hit triple digits on the gun 11 times last year; fifth-highest in the bigs. Some heater. And, eventually, batters figured out it was coming, as that homer rate shows. We still think McClung might be best suited to a relief role, but the kid wants to start. He'd then better develop a third pitch, or else quit complaining if someone wants to make him the next Rob Dibble. At press time, McClung was in the Rays' rotation mix for 2006, but check him in the spring.

McClung is now all the way back from his July 2003 Tommy John surgery. He'd like a chance to start, and would be a decent closer, but will probably begin at set-up and work his way up. Even in that role, he's got strikeout potential in deep leagues and could graduate to greater responsibility as the season progresses.

After getting the win on Opening Day for Tampa Bay and turning in occasionally awesome (but not always) performances as both a starter and reliever, McClung's elbow blew and he underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of June. He might get some rehab appearances at some level towards the end of the year, but he won't have any real big league impact now until the spring of 2005. In keeper leagues, however, realize that, going into this year, the Rays see McClung as their closer of the future, so try to keep him on your reserve list if possible.

McClung, a big kid at 6-6, 235, had a great pro debut season in 2001, posting a 2.79 ERA (WHIP of 1.17) at Single-A Charleston, with 165 K's and only 53 walks in 164 innings. He had some great early outings at Single-A Bakersfield and Double-A Orlando in 2002. However, the bottom then fell out in his last several starts; it sounds as if his change-up wasn't effective at Double-A and hitters simply timed the fastball. Still, he's viewed as one of the Devil Rays' brighter pitching prospects. He'll get regular work in a minor league rotation in 2003, at either Double-A or Triple-A, probably both. Probably still a full season away from MLB roto impact, but a good keeper league sleeper; McClung brings the heat (according to Baseball America, his fastball consistently clocks at 92-95 MPH with gusts up to 99 MPH).