Kyle

Drabek

The son of former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, Kyle is considered one of the top handful of talents in the entire draft. He fell this far due to some concerns over his off-field behavior, but he was too promising for the Phillies to pass up at No. 18.

Drabek, the son of former NL Cy Young winner Doug Drabek, will begin his career at the Phillies rookie camp in Clearwater.

“It hinges on the physical status of other guys in the rotation,” said Farrell. “If a guy needs a blow, and he’s stretched out enough, we have that option available to us. But when we set out to view September, part of it was to finish on a positive note for Kyle, and that’s in the making right now.” Drabek has pitched three scoreless innings over two relief appearances since being recalled from the minors on September 6.

The eight punchouts were a career-high. Drabek has now allowed two runs or fewer in all five starts this season, as he finishes April with a 2.40 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. He’s still prone to wildness at times, but we believe he can remain valuable in mixed formats. Drabek gets the Angels over the weekend.

Laffey allowed just two hits (including a two-run homer by Kelly Shoppach) while fanning three and walking none. He now has a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings of work this spring and could be an option for the fifth spot in the rotation if Dustin McGowan isn’t deemed ready.

Drabek has given up five runs and four walks in 9 1/3 innings this spring. He’s hardly embarrassed himself, but he probably hasn’t done enough to avoid a trip back to Triple-A.

He struck out three. Drabek’s control was hardly glistening this evening (just 56 of his 103 pitches went for strikes), but it was a big improvement on his last start, where his BB happy ways resurfaced in a six-walk outing. Although it’s clear Drabek has put some distance between himself and his disastrous 2011, it’s still far too early to proclaim him a long-haul option in mixed leagues. He’ll be best left on your bench against the Rangers next Monday.

There was some thought that the Blue Jays would keep Drabek away from the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League, especially after he took a real beating there last year, but that won’t be the case. The 24-year-old right-hander has shown signs of improvement this spring, posting a 4.82 ERA and 7/4 K/BB ratio over 9 1/3 innings, but Dustin McGowan is expected to open the season as Toronto’s fifth starter.

Drabek looks like the No. 4 starter in Toronto with Brett Cecil gone to the minors, meaning he has a pretty good chance of avoiding the first-week demotion that likely would have come with being the fifth starter. The Jays need a fifth starter just once before Apr. 21. Drabek ends the spring with a 3.72 ERA. He has some upside, but he’s not going to be an every-week play in AL-only leagues initially.

Drabek struck out five and walked four in the game, struggling with his command for most of the night. The loss drops him to 2-4 on the season, though he still sports a respectable 3.66 ERA. He’ll attempt to get back on track when he takes on the Yankees at home on Wednesday.