Mudcats pitcher gets start against Dodgers
- Chris Volstad was supposed to be the Carolina Mudcats' starting pitcher this past Monday, but he was sidetracked by the major leagues.
Instead of pitching in Zebulon, Volstad made his major league debut in Denver on Sunday.
"It all happened in less than 24 hours," Volstad said in a phone interview Thursday.
His plans took a big turn when Mudcats manager Matt Raleigh broke the news to him around 11 p.m. Saturday.
His instructions were to get on a plane at 6 in the morning and fly west to meet up with the Florida Marlins, who were facing the Colorado Rockies in a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
"I had no idea at all," said Volstad, who scurried around figuring out what to pack. "I wasn't ready for it at all."
But he was ready to play baseball.
He pitched two scoreless innings of relief and was credited with the win.
Volstad said he wasn't nervous.
"I didn't have time to think about anything to be nervous," he said.
He's scheduled to take the mound again tonight in his first major league start against Eric Stults (2-1) and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
As a Mudcat, Volstad had been chosen to Monday's Southern League All-Star Game. He was the only starting pitcher in the Southern League not to have given up a home run all season.
"It just tells you what kind of stuff the kid has," Raleigh said Saturday afternoon, before he knew Volstad would be called up. "He's not a pitcher you can square up. He makes his pitches up. He has good deception. He's got good arm angle. He locates. For me, he could go to the big leagues any time."
Volstad had a 3.28 ERA in 14 starts this season with 52 strikeouts and 28 walks for the Mudcats.
The outlook has been good for the 21-year-old right-hander from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., ever since the Marlins selected him in the first round with the 16th pick of the 2005 amateur draft.
Baseball America magazine ranked him the No. 1 prospect in the Marlins' farm system in November, the most recent rankings done for the team.
The question becomes whether he can maintain those numbers at the major league level.
If Sunday's performance was any indication, he may be able to lock down the No. 5 starter's spot, which the Marlins have been trying to figure out, especially now that they're in the thick of a competitive race in the National League East.
In two innings, Volstad didn't give up a run, earned or otherwise.
He entered the game in relief in the fifth inning and recorded a groundout with his first major league pitch, but then gave up a hit to Matt Holliday.
In the sixth inning, the Rockies loaded the bases against Volstad, but he got out of the inning unscathed when Clint Barmes flied out to center.
"I did get myself into a little bit of trouble," Volstad said.
Mudcats pitching coach Scott Mitchell said Volstad's fastball and sinker are good but that his curveball eventually will be his ultimate weapon.
"The curveball is becoming a lost art," Mitchell said. "There's not a lot of big guys that can throw it in the low to mid 80s speed-wise with the late break."
Volstad stands 6 feet, 7 inches.
"It gets to the plate, and it just falls," Mitchell said. "It takes a nose dive. Very, very difficult to hit."
If Volstad can be consistent with his curveball, it will lead to big things for his career, Mitchell said.
"He's starting to get a feel to where he can throw it for a strike," he said. "That will eventually be his out pitch in the big leagues."
- Chris Volstad was supposed to be the Carolina Mudcats' starting pitcher this past Monday, but he was sidetracked by the major leagues.
Instead of pitching in Zebulon, Volstad made his major league debut in Denver on Sunday.
"It all happened in less than 24 hours," Volstad said in a phone interview Thursday.
His plans took a big turn when Mudcats manager Matt Raleigh broke the news to him around 11 p.m. Saturday.
His instructions were to get on a plane at 6 in the morning and fly west to meet up with the Florida Marlins, who were facing the Colorado Rockies in a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
"I had no idea at all," said Volstad, who scurried around figuring out what to pack. "I wasn't ready for it at all."
But he was ready to play baseball.
He pitched two scoreless innings of relief and was credited with the win.
Volstad said he wasn't nervous.
"I didn't have time to think about anything to be nervous," he said.
He's scheduled to take the mound again tonight in his first major league start against Eric Stults (2-1) and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
As a Mudcat, Volstad had been chosen to Monday's Southern League All-Star Game. He was the only starting pitcher in the Southern League not to have given up a home run all season.
"It just tells you what kind of stuff the kid has," Raleigh said Saturday afternoon, before he knew Volstad would be called up. "He's not a pitcher you can square up. He makes his pitches up. He has good deception. He's got good arm angle. He locates. For me, he could go to the big leagues any time."
Volstad had a 3.28 ERA in 14 starts this season with 52 strikeouts and 28 walks for the Mudcats.
The outlook has been good for the 21-year-old right-hander from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., ever since the Marlins selected him in the first round with the 16th pick of the 2005 amateur draft.
Baseball America magazine ranked him the No. 1 prospect in the Marlins' farm system in November, the most recent rankings done for the team.
The question becomes whether he can maintain those numbers at the major league level.
If Sunday's performance was any indication, he may be able to lock down the No. 5 starter's spot, which the Marlins have been trying to figure out, especially now that they're in the thick of a competitive race in the National League East.
In two innings, Volstad didn't give up a run, earned or otherwise.
He entered the game in relief in the fifth inning and recorded a groundout with his first major league pitch, but then gave up a hit to Matt Holliday.
In the sixth inning, the Rockies loaded the bases against Volstad, but he got out of the inning unscathed when Clint Barmes flied out to center.
"I did get myself into a little bit of trouble," Volstad said.
Mudcats pitching coach Scott Mitchell said Volstad's fastball and sinker are good but that his curveball eventually will be his ultimate weapon.
"The curveball is becoming a lost art," Mitchell said. "There's not a lot of big guys that can throw it in the low to mid 80s speed-wise with the late break."
Volstad stands 6 feet, 7 inches.
"It gets to the plate, and it just falls," Mitchell said. "It takes a nose dive. Very, very difficult to hit."
If Volstad can be consistent with his curveball, it will lead to big things for his career, Mitchell said.
"He's starting to get a feel to where he can throw it for a strike," he said. "That will eventually be his out pitch in the big leagues."
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