RADIO
Angel starter Nick Tropeano will make his second start of the season Sunday in Minnesota against the struggling Twins. The 25 year-old right-hander entered the rotation last week after Andrew Heaney hit the disabled list. With Heaney and C.J. Wilson each expected to miss at least a few more weeks, Tropeano will stake a claim to a rotation spot.
Tropeano has limited big league experience but showed potential during the seven games he started in 2015. Over 36.2 innings, Tropeano struck out 38 and walked only 10. His 3.93 ERA was by no means excellent, but the young Angel produced a 2.59 FIP and a 3.57 xFIP. Victimized by a bloated .346 BABIP, Tropeano will likely have better luck over a longer period of starts.
Boasting an 11.5 SwStr% in 2015, Tropeano ranked 25th in the category among starters who pitched at least 30 innings. The right-hander primarily generated whiffs using his change-up and sliders, both of which maintained a 20.0+ SwStr%. With a fastball that sits in the lower-90s, Tropeano needs his secondary offerings to be as effective this year as they were in 2015.
Tropeano is a fly-ball pitcher and will be susceptible to the gopher ball. He only allowed 0.48 HR/9 in 2015, but that ratio is lower than his line at nearly every minor league stop. Expect the right-hander to maintain at least a 1.00 HR/9 over a full season. A pitcher who throws strikes, Tropeano produced a BB/9 under 3.00 in most of his minor league seasons and should continue to hover around that output in the majors.
In his only 2016 appearance so far, Tropeano went five innings, allowing no runs and picking up the win. He allowed six hits and two walks–one intentional–while striking out six. His stuff was sharp, as the 25 year-old generated 15 whiffs on only 92 pitches–good for a 16.3 SwStr%.
At the very least, Tropeano will be a great stream option for Sunday’s game in Minnesota. But the young Angel has potential for much more and could challenge 150 Ks while providing decent ratios. He will have a few starts to show he is worthy of a rotation spot, and there’s a good chance he runs with the opportunity.
