Written by Joe Lucia | 08 February 2012

Back at the end of the 2009 season, when I did my inaugural Top 40 prospects list for BravesHeart, I actually ranked Dimasther ahead of Randall on the Braves Delgado scale of doom. Two years later, that looks silly after Dimasther missed all of the 2010 season, and threw just 96 innings in 2011 of varying levels of success. I feel that Dimasther can regain his spot as a top ten prospect in the organization.

Delgado didn't have an awful year in 2011, especially when you consider everything that he went through in 2010 after getting into a car accident in the offseason that resulted in an injured hip. Delgado's 2011 at Lynchburg resulted in 96 innings pitched, eight homers, 48 walks, and 77 strikeouts over 17 starts and six relief appearances. Not awful, but in 2009, he thre 99 2/3 innings for Rome, allowed four homers, walked 26, and struck out 104. Comparing those two seasons is like night and day.

But a majority of Delgado's struggles came in the first half of the year. After the All-Star Break, he settled down. In seven starts and four relief appearances, he threw 45 1/3 innings, allowed just two homers, walked 18, and struck out 35. That's a 3.42 FIP in the second half, as opposed to a first half FIP of 4.86, a major improvement.

Another thing that plagued Delgado was his home park in Lynchburg, which apparently played as a major hitter's park this year looking at the pitchers' and hitters' stats. On the road, Delgado threw 50 2/3 innings, allowed three homers, walked 22, and struck out 39 for a 3.73 FIP. At home, he threw 45 1/3 innings, allowed five homers, walked 26, and struck out 38 for a 4.68 FIP.

Getting out of Lynchburg and up to Mississippi for a full, healthy season with a clear mind should really help Delgado get back to the level he was once at. He'll be just 23 on Opening Day, so it's way too soon to write him off. Delgado is another guy who could be a huge riser in 2012. 

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