Kyle Drabek Makes MLB Debut

I may have been premature in predicting that Kyle Drabek would win the 2010 AL Rookie of the Year.

After all, he spent nearly all season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. But I would make this observation after seeing him pitch last Memorial Day:

I would be very surprised if Drabek isn't starting games for the Jays before the end of the season.

Well, lo and behold, Drabek made his MLB debut tonight for the Blue Jays against the Baltimore Orioles in Camden Yard. Although he lost to the O's 3-1, the younger Drabek made a good accounting of himself. Drabek tossed six innings giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out five and walking three.

Perhaps most impressive was that the game was completed in one hour and 55 minutes. When I saw Drabek pitch in May the game took exactly two hours. Drabek works as fast as Roy Halladay - the man for whom he was traded this off season.

Can Drabek pitch like Halladay? We'll see if he makes the team in 2011 much less wins NL Rookie of the Year.