PN Round Table: Spring Training Excitement

This week over on PhilliesNation.com, the writing staff, including myself, answered the question, "What are you looking forward to seeing most during Spring Training?" My focus, of course, is generally on the younger guys and minor leaguers, so I shared my thoughts on which prospect I would be most looking forward to seeing perform in Grapefruit League action. Read ahead for my answer and check out the full roundtable post over on PhilliesNation.

Jake Diekman is a pitcher I am really looking forward to seeing against Grapefruit League competition this spring. The 25-year-old lefty reliever took great strides in 2011, changing his arm angle during his long toss warm up program, which helped him add some considerable velocity to his fastball, hitting 95 MPH on a regular basis.

With a K/9 rate of 11.49 last year as a member of the Double-A Reading Phillies and a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League in which he held opponents to a .079 batting average in 11 appearances, Diekman has proven himself deserving of a solid look by Phils’ brass this spring.

The 6-foot-4-inch 190-pounder, who was added to the Phils’ 40-man roster this off-season, stands a good chance at making a splash at the big league level this year, if things go his way and needs arise in the Philadelphia bullpen.

To see what other PN contributors had to say about the likes of Domonic Brown, Jonathan Papelbon and others in the upcoming preseason, click THIS LINK.
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