I guess when you give up 48 runs in four days, it's as good of a time as ever to bring up one of your prized pitching prospects. After salvaging a split in the highest-scoring four-game series in major league history against the Colorado Rockies, the San Diego Padres will call on Logan Allen to start on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The burly southpaw from the famed IMG Academy, and former eighth-round selection of the Boston Red Sox, has been a mainstay on the weekly top-10 prospect list this season.
What he can do
Allen checks a lot of boxes for me when it comes to identifying pitchers who can have success at the next level. He works with a low-90s fastball that has a little more pickup when necessary. His changeup is a plus-pitch in my eyes, and he backs that with a slider that flashes similar ability. There is a slower breaking ball in the mix, but I believe Allen can have success right away with his current trio of pitches.
In addition to quality stuff, the left-hander has good control that grades out at 60 or better. He also has the size to handle handle a full workload. He tossed 148 2/3 innings just one season ago. The ability to spot the fastball with a secondary weapon to go after both lefties (slider) and righties (changeup) is a huge advantage. However, his delivery isn't the cleanest -- which can leads to bouts of ineffectiveness and inefficiency.
What to expect
Honestly, I don't know right now. Yes, Allen is ready for the show. He pitched well enough in the Pacific Coast League and has the arsenal that can get him outs at the highest level. That said, your guess is as good as mine in regards to how this San Diego rotation ultimately settles.
It's currently a mix of 20-somethings that has produced uneven results. Even further, as in the case of Chris Paddack, who knows how many innings they'll be granted? Nobody knows what this rotation will look like down the stretch. To me, Allen is one of the best five options that San Diego has right now. I also think he can give them enough innings to stick as a starter for the rest of the season. Trading in Southwest University Park for Petco Field will be an organic boost.
I like Allen in 12-team leagues (or deeper) and certainly in multi-year environments. At the same time, I could see him being "one-and-done" for now as the Padres' upcoming schedule affords them some added wiggle room to manipulate their staff. If you need pitching, absolutely make the move and hope he sticks. You can always adjust later. If, though, you have a staff where you can afford to wait and see what San Diego will do over the next few days, I wouldn't fault you either.