The only real consistent pitcher in the Cyclones bullpen last season,
Jeremy Mizell is a force to be reckoned with. Posting a 1.34 ERA in 18 games, Mizell was a NY-Penn League All-Star last season
and is ready to prove that his amazing year was no fluke.
Q: Which
position player on the Cyclones team do you think has the highest ceiling and why? What do you like about his game and
what do you think he needs to work on the most in order to develop into a big leaguer?
Jeremy Mizell: I would say Dustin Martin; he’s a five-tool player that can do it all. If I had to
choose one person, it would be him. All he has to do is learn to be a little bit more disciplined at the plate and a little
more selective with pitches he swings at. That’s probably the only thing he has to work on.
Q: Which
pitcher do you think has the highest big league upside and why?
Mizell: Right now, I’d say Eric Brown because
his pitches move so much. His slider is virtually unhittable to right handed hitters. He also has an excellent sinker that
produces a lot of ground balls.
Q: Who
do you think is the biggest sleeper prospect, position prospect or pitcher? Who do you think will fly under the radar,
doesn't get the attention he deserves, but will become a quality big leaguer?
Mizell: I’d say Tobi Stoner because he did
a great job last year and didn’t get picked to go to the All-Star game, when all of us thought his numbers were good
enough. He was solid for us all season and doesn’t get nearly as much credit as he deserves.
Q: This
offseason, what do you need to work on the most to be ready for this season?
Mizell: I want to develop my changeup so I won’t
have to rely on my fastball and slider. By developing my fastball and slider, I’ll have three pitches I can depend on
to get me out of trouble when I have to; that’s something that Hector [Berrios] told me will help me develop here and
when I move up, so it’s pretty important for me. The changeup is a pitch that you can throw a lot and it doesn’t
put too much stress on your arm, so I’m going to be throwing it a lot this off-season.
Q: What
would you say is your biggest strength as a ball player? What do you bring to the field and to your team?
Mizell: I’d like to say that I’m very
focused out there. Some people tend to come into games and it takes them a few hitters to get settled in. I like to think
I’m locked in as soon as I get out there.
Q: What
did you think of your season last year? How do you think it went for you?
Mizell: I think it has been more than I could ever
ask for. I wasn’t expecting to have this type of success, especially in my first year. I give a lot of credit to the
defense playing behind me and my pitching coach Hector Berrios, the knowledge that he gives us, telling us to keep the ball
down, has been so important in terms of my success.
Q: Tells
us about your repertoire. What kind of pitches do you throw and at what speeds? What is your strikeout pitch?
Which pitch needs the most work? Is there a pitch you'd like to develop?
Mizell: Right now, I don’t think I’m
going to be working on anything else until I master the changeup. In terms of my repertoire, I throw a four-seam fastball,
a two-seam fastball, a slider and I work the changeup in there as often as I can when it’s not risky. The situations
that I usually come into games call for a lot of fastballs. Lately, my fastball has been around 90-91 miles per hour, but
I have touched 92 before.
Q: To
give our fans a better idea of the type of player (pitcher) you are, who would you compare your game to at the Major League
level and why?
Mizell: Roger Clemens, I like his attitude. Give me the ball and I’m coming after you with everything
I got. Some days, he gets beat, it’s not very often, but for the most part, he comes right after you and that’s
the kind of attitude I’ve always had. I’m going to come after you with my best stuff and if I get beat, then all
I can do is tip my hat to you.