Yesterday, Derek Law continued his dream-like start in the majors by setting out the Diamondbacks 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth while striking out David Peralta on a 96 MPH fastball and Welington Castillo on a nasty curveball. The right-hander's fantastic start came on the heels of an even better debut last Friday, where he struck out the side Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, and Trayce Thompson, all on curveballs, in his one inning of work.
With a bullpen that has been inconsistent and shaky, Law has been one of the few bright spots, and if he's here to stay, I say we get to know him a little more.
Law's arsenal of pitches includes a fastball that ranges from 92 MPH to 94 MPH, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. The main aspect of Law that stands out is his delivery, which has its fair share of unusual mechanics. Similar to Johnny Cueto, Law's back is turned to the hitter during the windup, making it difficult to for the batter to see the ball until it is out of his hand. During his windup, Law twists and turns his body before coming completely over the top. Law's release at the top allows him to snap his curveball and get sharp downward movement, which has proven to be one of his greatest weapons.
The Texas Rangers originally drafted straight out of Seton-La Salle Catholic High School in 2009, but Law did not sign with the team and opted to attend Miami Dade College for two years. In 2011, the Giants drafted Law in the ninth round, and this time, he chose to sign with the team.
Shortly after being drafted by the Giants, Law pitched in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 19 over the course of 18 innings while only allowing five runs.
For the next two years, Law spent time pitching in both Class-A and the Arizona Fall League. In 2012, Law pitched 55.2 innings for the Augusta Greenjackets, striking out 67 with an ERA of 2.91. In 2013, Law jumped between Class-A, Class-A+, and the Arizona Fall League, pitching a combined 78.2 innings while striking out 118 batters and only allowing 17 runs.
In 2014, Law got off to another great start, striking out 29 and only allowing eight runs over the course of 28 innings. Law was expected to come up and play with San Francisco when he suffered an elbow injury that cut his season short and required to Tommy John Surgery. Law came back midway through 2015, pitching 25.2 innings while striking 32 batters.
The right-hander began this season in Triple-A until being called up to the big club, and the rest is history to be made. Based on his history in the minors, I expect Law to continue to strike out batters at a high clip, not the same as the minors, but somewhere between eight and nine per game. He has already transitioned well, of course striking out five of his first six batters, so it will be interesting to see how well he fares throughout the rest of the season.
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