Rays 2009 player preview: David Price

February 4, 10:53 AMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

Previous Next

6 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Bay Rays Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

What does it take to be number one? You could ask Nelly, but for David Price it was being a powerful 6’6" lefty with a mid-90s fastball and nasty slider at Vanderbilt. The Rays chose him number one overall in the June 2007 entry draft.

So far, only one sport’s overall number one pick from 2007 has won the Rookie of the Year award. Can you name the player? It obviously is not JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders. Greg Oden of the Blazers? Nope. Only one left. Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks was the number one overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft and went on to win the Calder trophy as the NHL’s top rookie for the 07-08 season. David Price will try to join Kane as a Rookie of the Year in 2009 and give the Rays back-to-back Rookie of the Year awards (Evan Longoria won it in 2008).

Price burst onto the scene in the 2008 ALCS against the Red Sox, recording a win and a save in three relief appearances, putting his tremendous talent on display for the whole nation to see. David’s bases-loaded strikeout of J.D. Drew in the eighth inning of Game Seven was one of the most memorable moments of the series. Price belongs in the starting rotation, however, and he should see plenty of big-league starts in 2009. The question for Price heading into spring training is this: Is his changeup ready for a full season as a Major League starter?

After his call-up to the bigs in 2008, Price relied pretty much exclusively on the fastball and slider and was pretty much untouchable. Having the changeup as the third pitch in his arsenal, though, will help him be able to get hitters out through the grueling 162-game season. The development of Price’s changeup may require more time in Durham to start the regular season. It’s nice to know the Rays have enough pitching depth to give Price all the time he needs to refine a new pitch. Jeff Niemann and Jason Hammel are two good options to round out the starting rotation while Price takes some time in AAA.

Whether it’s the first week of April, late April, or mid-May, at some point Price will hit the mound for the Rays this season and though I am not one to overhype young players, I expect Price to be an immediate sensation. Coming out of college, he’s not as young as many people think he is and he combines big-time gifts with maturity, intensity and a desire to succeed.

My 2009 prediction: 27 GS, 14-5, 2.96 ERA, 146 K, 169 IP, 1.14 WHIP

Overly optimistic? Maybe. I’m also predicting that Price will take home the Rookie of the Year award. This kid has the talent to get it done.

David Price on Baseball Reference

David Price on Retrosheet

David Price on FanGraphs

Are the numbers I'm predicting Price to put up ridiculous? Let me know about it in a comment.

Any and all questions as well as story ideas are welcome in e-mails to raysexaminer@live.com