TJ Stuff: Debuts Galore!
Mick Abel, Zebby Matthews, Carson Palmquist
Welcome to “TJ Stuff”, a series which aims to highlight any intriguing MLB players and performances.
This article will cover a trio of debuts from this past weekend.
Mick Abel - PHI
Mick Abel was a highly touted prospect out of high school after he was drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft. He quickly climbed Top Prospect lists as he debuted in AAA as a 21-year-old. Unfortunately, the last few years of Abel’s MiLB career were marred with inconsistencies and poor command, leading to many outlets and analysts (like myself) to sour on him. It was more of the same to start his 2025 AAA season, however he honed in his command throughout April while showing off better stuff than he has in recent years. His improvements were rewarded with a promotion to MLB and he made the most of it!
Abel shoved in his MLB debut as he struck out 9 across 6.0 scoreless innings, and most important, 0 BB. Adrenaline was flowing through Abel’s veins yesterday as his fastball averaged 97.3 MPH, a +1.5 MPH increase compared to his AAA starts. Not only was the velocity improved, the shape also looked great. He generated 16” iVB from a 5.7' slot with 7’ of extension to push his fastball to plus-plus status. Control was no issue for Abel as his fastball returned a 78.8 Zone%. It’s shallow VAA helped it whiz by batters in the zone.
Abel’s curveball was also exceptional as it generated 8 whiffs on 11 swings. It’s mid 80s velocity and two-plane action is a joy to witness and an even bigger pain for LHH. His confidence in the pitch was astonishing as he tackled batters in all counts and was not afraid to fill the zone. He looked like a seasoned veteran! His slider and sinker also looked strong. They are his go to secondaries against RHH and they flashed average-to-plus potential, similar to his AAA outing. He rounds out his arsenal with an intriguing “kick” changeup that exhibits 13” of vertical separation from his fastball at 90 MPH. It will likely be exclusively used as a put away offering against LHH, where it should perform well.
Abel impressed me immensely in his debut. His poise and tendency to pound the zone was something we haven’t seen from him a while, and he supported it all with a big bump in stuff. His time in the Phillies rotation may not be long this time around, but he definitely earned another start!
Zebby Matthews - MIN
On the opposite end of the debut spectrum sits Zebby Matthews, who laboured through 3.0 IP and allowed 4 ER, 5 H, 5 K, and most shockingly, 3 BB. For a pitcher lauded for his command, Matthews struggled throwing strikes and couldn’t find the zone with his breaking balls. On a positive note, his stuff looked solid as his fastball averaged 96.5 MPH with 17” iVB from a 5.8 ft release point. These traits a tad worse than his AAA metrics this season, but it is still a comfortably plus option. The biggest knock on Zebby is his inability to generate whiffs and put away batters, and his debut was a perfect example of that. He induced just 6 whiffs across 71 pitches while struggling to generate chases.
There were not many positives to gain from Zebby’s debut, but I would caution writing him off. He has displayed a substantial bump in velocity this season and has been stellar in AAA. His biggest hurdle will be figuring out how to better tackle batters with 2 strikes. His good control sometimes becomes a detriment because he leaves too many hittable pitches in the zone, leading to hard contact against. He has the talents of a top pitching prospect and hopefully the Twins give him another chance to prove he has the stuff to stick in the majors.
Carson Palmquist - COL
Carson Palmquist is cursed with playing on Colorado, but that shouldn’t detract from him being one of more interesting pitchers in MLB. He is a soft tossing lefty that has registered elite strikeout rates throughout his entire MiLB career thanks to funky fastball and loopy slider. His fastball catches batters off guard thanks to his elite extension paired with well above average ride from his lower slot. Even with its 91 MPH average velocity, it grades out as a plus offering due to these characteristics. His sweeper does not fare the same as its mid 70s velocity simply does not fool MLB batters. His cutter and changeup were not tossed much, but they are decent weapons he can utilize based on the situation.
Palmquist is a peculiar arm that could see some success thanks to his unique arsenal and deceptive fastball. It is such a different approach that it may work in Coors, but as always it will be tricky.
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