Priorly an Ace

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

I’ve never been mistaken for a TINSTAAPP hardliner, but Mark Prior makes about as good of an argument as possible. In fact, I might be considered on the opposite side of the spectrum regarding young hurlers, as I inevitably get enamored with the likes of Francisco Liriano, Felix Hernandez and Cole Hamels; consistently drafting their upside in fantasy leagues over proven, veteran pitchers with a track record. Maybe this infatuation started with Prior, whom I personally witnessed toss a complete game shutout while pitching at USC. One of the best college pitching prospects, if not the best ever, Mark Prior not only had the stuff, but he had the head as well. He was can’t miss.

While his stuff wasn’t eye-popping overwhelming, he had a very good fastball and pinpoint control. Unlike most young pitchers, scouts never worried about future health problems, as Prior’s body type was built like a 220-inning workhorse, and his mechanics were flawless; a delivery so effortless that no one could have foreseen what the future entailed. One punctuated with untapped potential.

When the Minnesota Twins drafted hometown hero Joe Mauer over Prior in the 2001 draft, I thought the franchise made a blunder of Michael Jordan proportions. Now, I thought Mauer was more Hakeem Olajuwon than Sam Bowie, but the point was about Prior, who started off his career posting a 2.74 ERA and 1.12 WHIP during his first two seasons, striking out 392 batters over 328 innings of work. He was the rare hyped prospect that not only lived up to expectations but even surpassed them.

What has occurred since has been nothing short of disastrous, as Prior has suffered injury after injury. He’s visited the DL six times since then, twice with elbow problems and another two times with shoulder woes. While the actual damage in there has been kept more secretive than Jimmy Hoffa’s whereabouts, it’s clear something is wrong, evidenced by his 7.21 ERA last season. MRI after MRI says surgery isn’t necessary, but a unique and hereditary condition in which there’s a “loosening of the muscle” inside his shoulder may very well rob Prior of his career.

Not only is the confidence gone when Prior stands on the mound nowadays, but so is that fastball, now typically arriving in the 85-88 MPH range. Is this really how the story is going to end? He’s just 26, so there’s time for the answer to be no, but the outlook also doesn’t look very positive either. Prior could have been one of the best pitchers of our generation, and now, after a full offseason of rest, he’ll be lucky to start the season in a Triple-A rotation.