Ben Shelley: Islanders should re-sign Derick Brassard if the price is right

Ben Shelley: Islanders should re-sign Derick Brassard if the price is right
- Ben Shelley

Surprised a declining 32 year old didn't already get a 6 year extension with this club! All jokes aside, he seems to have settled nicely in the isle, after playing for 5 teams in 2 seasons. If he can be retained for a cap hit similar to his current 1.2M, ink the guy. He's still got a season or two of 3/4C in him.

If cizikas becomes a cap casualty he could be a good 4C option

Hell nah, Brassard did his job nicely for the 1yr and thats it. Cant keep guys who are aging when the new NHL is about youth & speed. Next

I know Bassard did not perform as much had hoped. I would like to see the Islanders sign him again if the money is right. He is a better option then Tom Mooseknuckle.

Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.

Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.
- eichiefs9

What?? No mention of Parker Wotherspoon?!!? Just curious....Where is this from? The Athletic?

What?? No mention of Parker Wotherspoon?!!? Just curious....Where is this from? The Athletic?
- JohnScammo

I believe he was on the first list 20-11

Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.
- eichiefs9

I read this on the athletic where I paid for it. That is all

I read this on the athletic where I paid for it. That is all

- Upstate_isles

Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.

I believe he was on the first list 20-11
- Vukota

Gotcha. At one time I thought he might be the next Pelech. I guess not.

[quote=Cptmjl]
I have now read it twice

Good read if anyone hasn’t read it yet.

Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.

[quote=Upstate_isles]
😂

Has anyone seen this? Normally I dont paste this in as I pay for my Athletic subscription but this is too good to miss


Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Interesting

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Thank you.

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9
- Upstate_isles[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Has anyone seen this? Normally I dont paste this in as I pay for my Athletic subscription but this is too good to miss


Last week, we brought you evaluations on the Islanders’ amateur prospects and the bottom half of the professional prospects, from Kyle Burroughs to Josh Ho-Sang.

We wrap the series up today with the top 10 prospects in the Islanders’ system, with insight from Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson and NHL talent evaluators.

10. Bobo Carpenter, center

Undrafted free agent (2019)
5-11, 200
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 28 GP, 4-8-12

It seemed that Carpenter, a good college free-agent pickup in the spring, might lose the entire season after surgery last summer cost him all of development and training camp, as happened with Bode Wilde. But the 23-year-old worked his way back in December and into a consistent role, opening some eyes along the way. He’s never going to be a huge pro scorer, but he could become a fourth-liner in the NHL if things break properly.

“He embraced his role — a hard-nosed, 200-foot center who uses that work ethic to generate offense,” Thompson said. “Probably one of our most consistent forwards because you know what you’re getting night in and night out. Keeping the game simple, bringing energy every night, and when he was physical, he was a force.”

“Not a guy you’d think you’d notice, but I saw him a couple times and he stood out,” one scout said. “He won a ton of faceoffs, which isn’t easy as a rookie in the AHL. He was out there on the PK. You can see the work ethic. That’s going to help him.”

9. Mitch Vande Sompel, defenseman

82nd overall, 2015
5-11, 198
2019-20: Did not play

It’s hard to know if Vande Sompel would be higher on this list had he played this season, but an arm injury suffered the first days of training camp turned out to be season-ending for the 23-year-old who showed some promise in 2018-19, his second pro season. He has the high-end offensive skills to play in today’s NHL, but can he do enough other good things in his own end to reach the top level, especially with the defense-first Islanders? And how much will missing an entire year set him back?

“I still like him a lot,” one scout said. “They missed him in Bridgeport this year. He could have had a big role with (Devon) Toews gone.”

8. Sebastian Aho, defenseman

139th overall, 2017
5-11, 177
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 49 GP, 3-27-30

He established himself as Bridgeport’s top defenseman in his third pro season and earned a few call-ups, but zero NHL games. On the heels of a mediocre training camp, there’s definitely a question as to whether he can maintain his “next in line” status beyond this season. It’s now been two straight seasons under new management in which Aho hasn’t gotten into an NHL game despite three straight AHL All-Star appearances.

“Sebby is a very confident guy with his skill set,” Thompson said. “He knows what he needs to do to be successful, practice habits are tight. Just continue to get stronger — if he does that, he can help an NHL team. He defends pretty well with his stick and good positioning, there are times with his body where it’s 50-50. But he was one of our best defensemen all year. If I look at the whole season, he was inconsistent early on because he was pushing to do too much. Once he was back to his regular game, he was fine; that’s why he got called up. Puck moving, vision are definitely NHL-level.”

“He’s a great power-play guy, he always seems to get his shot through,” one AHL coach said. “That’s a real skill at any level. The size can hold him back a little.”

“This next year will be big for him,” said a scout. “You look at some of the undersized guys in the league, a guy like Matt Grzelcyk, it was a few years out from his draft year before he really established himself. So (Aho), you know he has the offense to play in the NHL, but with that team, is it his size or is it numbers? You already have (Nick) Leddy and Toews on the left side — how many so-called skill guys can you have in your six?”

7. Grant Hutton, defenseman

Undrafted free agent (2019)
6-3, 209
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 55 GP, 6-15-21

There’s a lot to like in Hutton’s game, even if it wasn’t always evident in his first full pro season. The size, the big shot and a very smooth skating stride for a big man — Hutton has great tools and doesn’t seem that far off from putting them together.

“What stands out right away, he’s got the plus size, moves really well for his size and good sense and feel with the puck,” a scout said. “Maybe leans a little more towards the offensive side. He made a lot of strides in year one but you have to get more well-rounded and start to use his size to his advantage. He’s on the right track as a prospect if he can do that.”

“I have a lot of time for him,” another scout said. “You love to see a big kid like that who moves as well as he does.”

“It was a good season, but probably not good enough,” Thompson said. “Inconsistency at times, but I really like his potential. He’s a big, big body, and we have a lot of those back there. He skates extremely well, can make a good outlet pass, good shot. He got himself in trouble with intensity — a little casual at times with and without the puck, the physical engagement needed to be there. He skates so well for a big man; he skates well for a small guy, too. Especially the last third of the season, he really found his game, he became a much more solid defenseman. What made him a lot better was his intensity level with and without the puck.”

6. Otto Koivula, center

120th overall, 2016
6-4, 225
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 12 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 36 GP, 9-13-22

The numbers weren’t as pronounced as they were in Koivula’s surprising first pro season, but the 21-year-old center still progressed, getting the most NHL games of any call-up this season. His first Islander games were cautious, but all of the talent evaluators who chimed in see Koivula as a skilled bottom-six option, given his size and hockey IQ. That’s an easier way to break in than needing to get top-six minutes.

“The good news for him, he doesn’t just have to play in the scoring role to make it,” a scout said. “He’s got the plus size and he did score a lot as a rookie, but you can slot him into your bottom six and he’s really well-rounded. He was honestly around the puck as much as he was the year before. I see him as a guy who will make it as a checker but can contribute offense, like (Casey) Cizikas does. And you love to have that size, especially up the middle. And he’s so young, still only 21-22, and now he’s got some NHL experience.”

“Now he’s learning to play against better defenders and shutdown lines,” Thompson said. “A new challenge for him and I expect even more next year. He has high offensive instincts, he knows what to do defensively. A lot of times when you go up and come back down, the focus isn’t as sharp. And a lot of players want to play safe when they get called up. They want to make sure coaches can trust him. At times he was a little safe, but I thought he did some good things when he was up there. Definitely a different role from when he’s with us. But you’ve got a second year guy going to the NHL and he did a great job. If he comes in in unbelievable shape, works hard, the sky’s the limit for him.”


5. Kieffer Bellows, left wing

19th overall, 2016
6-1, 195
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 8 GP, 2-1-3
(w/Bridgeport): 52 GP, 22-9-31

Of all the players on this list, none took as big a step forward as Bellows. His first pro season did not give off “future NHLer” vibes, with just 12 goals in 73 games; one goal in his first 19 games this season didn’t help either. But after a couple of healthy scratches around Thanksgiving, Bellows turned it around — so much so that his eight-game stint with the Islanders didn’t slow him down.

“After (being scratched), he understood the value of working every shift,” Thompson said. “You saw him go up, did a nice job and he’ll be fighting for a spot. The way he finished — take away the first 20 games — 200-foot, reliable player, won his battles, defensively responsible. That’s what Barry wants. It’s more consistency for him. Getting him to believe in consistent focus the entire game. As a younger kid, there’s distractions in a game — bad calls, cheap shots — there’s always adversity. How you handle that shows your maturity. Early in the year he was letting some little things distract him, starting with the lack of production, and then it’s referees, etc. But he took huge steps in consistency and being mentally focused.”

“You know last year was a tough year for him,” one scout said. “The start of this year was tough for him, too. It’s not that unusual, especially with one year of college, one year in the Western League. It’s probably one of the bigger challenges on the development side is convincing these 18 and 19 year old guys that the American League is really hard when their sights are set on the NHL. You’re trying to prove your draft status and you end up digging yourself a bigger hole. That’s where the coaching staff and the development staff get credit — you keep him on the power play, on the top two lines and then he starts to show why you drafted him where you did.

“When you saw him in the NHL, you were comfortable his skating was going to be fine there. That’s the biggest takeaway. The hands and the skill are there, but he made the biggest strides of any prospect maybe from Thanksgiving on.”

4. Simon Holmstrom, left wing

23rd overall, 2019
6-1, 183
2019-20 (w/Bridgeport): 46 GP, 8-7-15

“The most important thing to remember when watching this kid,” one scout said, “is he was the youngest kid in the entire league! You can’t make any decisions about someone that young. You just can’t. It’s all about the experience for him at this point.”

And Holmstrom showed flashes of why the Islanders picked him in the first round last June, well ahead of where he stood in most projections. The final numbers weren’t overly impressive, but compare him to Klim Kostin, the 31st pick of the 2017 draft by the Blues who chose to stay in North America and play in the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Kostin, like Holmstrom a winger with skill and decent size, had 6-22-28 in 67 games with AHL San Antonio in 2017-18, then went 10-14-24 in 66 games in 18-19. He got his first call-up to St. Louis this past season and should battle for a regular spot next season.

Holmstrom’s timeline should be similar, barring a big breakout next year — which may come back in Sweden, given the uncertain status of the season. Staying in Sweden to play for HV71 may end up being the right call with the pandemic throwing every level of hockey into chaos at this point.

“The fact he got drafted in June and went right to the American League makes him so unique,” the scout said. “It’s going to be time, not rushing him, getting him that exposure, playing with good players. Next year could be more of the same, you have to be ready for that.”

3. Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing

11th overall, 2018
6-2, 211
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 9 GP, 0-0-0
(w/Bridgeport): 45 GP, 10-12-22

It wasn’t a dominant year for the 19-year-old, but in an ideal world he would have been a sophomore at Boston College and prepping for a jump to the pros next season — or even into whatever form the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season takes.

But that’s old news. Wahlstrom made his choice, the Islanders made theirs and the bumps were expected, even though the big winger can boast he still hasn’t lost an NHL game in regulation as the Isles went 8-0-1 with Wahlstrom in their lineup.

“What I liked, aside from the skill and the shooter’s mentality, the confidence he can score,” a scout said. “I liked how his game became more well-rounded as the season went on. He had to move his feet more, stay in the flow of the game and I thought he competed harder from seeing him early on. Not just relying on scoring from the outside, but getting to the inside. He’s a big, strong kid, strong on the puck, one of those guys from the top of the circle down, it’s tough to get the puck off him. He showed he’s a top-six player in the American League as a 19 year old, which is really rare. I wouldn’t rush to judge him because of the age — 95 out of 100 times those guys take the extra year in college. He’s on the right track and they’ve got to feel good about where he’s at.”

“I thought, you look at the whole season, big picture, he would want more goals, but what I thought he did well was being better away from the puck,” Thompson said. “And understanding situations — if it’s one-on-three, you don’t need to try and beat everyone. His work ethic was consistently better as the year went on. When he started shooting a bit more at the end of the year, he produced more. He’s 19 years old and he’s in a serious league. I expect big things for him next year. He’ll have a bigger impact offensively for sure.

“I think he is figuring it out. There are times where he looks to make an extra move to get closer, rather than not one-timing a puck. It was, ‘Hey, you can be selfish. When you can get a puck to the net, you do it.’ Away from the puck it’s a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

One scout compared Wahlstrom to Joel Farabee, who was selected three picks after Wahlstrom by the Flyers and also turned pro last season. Farabee played 52 NHL games this season.

“Just the consistency thing — that’s the biggest difference between him and Farabee,” the scout said. “Farabee brings it every game. You see the different players you’d worry about as a coach. When I saw (Wahlstrom), I didn’t think I’d have to worry about him.”

2. Noah Dobson, defenseman

12th overall, 2018
6-4, 184
2019-20 (w/Islanders): 34 GP, 1-6-7

OK, OK, you don’t normally see guys who play a full NHL season on the prospects list. But Dobson is a special case. His NHL season was a reluctant one, in which the plan seemed to be that Dobson would have played barely 30 games if everyone ahead of him on the depth chart had been healthy.

When Adam Pelech went down for the season with an Achilles’ tendon injury on Jan. 2, Dobson was into the lineup — albeit mostly on the left side, where he wouldn’t normally play. And he got over 17 minutes in a game just four times.

But even with all those shackles, Dobson impressed plenty of observers.

“Love him,” one pro scout said. “He’s got so much upside — a kid that can skate like him, move the puck like him, has that ability to recover when he’s looking for the offense. For his age, he showed a lot of poise. He’s a top, top prospect, has that 2-3 potential. Could very easily be a top-pair guy in the next few years.”

1. Ilya Sorokin, goalie

78th overall, 2014
6-2, 176
2019-20 (w/CSKA Moscow): 40 GP, 26-10-3, .935 save pct., 1.50 GAA

Dec. 27, 2014 is a date to remember. That night marked the last time an Islander-drafted goalie started a game for them (it was Kevin Poulin, by the way). Sorokin had also been drafted six months earlier and was just embarking on his successful six-year run with CSKA Moscow, one of the top KHL clubs.

By the time you read this, Sorokin could finally be an Islander — at least for next season, whenever that may happen. The pandemic will delay the arrival of the Isles’ potential cornerstone goalie, but six years after he was drafted it will finally happen. And, given what Sorokin’s good friend Igor Shesterkin did in his first season with the Rangers, Sorokin’s arrival in North America means even more now than it might have a few years ago.

In the Garth Snow era, Sorokin was talked about privately as the one prospect who could change the Isles’ future. We’re about to see if that still holds.
- Upstate_isles

Three times a charm

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

Who’s Jamie Moyer?

Three times a charm
- nyisles7

Jamie Moyer (born November 17, 1962) is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date (in June 2010), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro.
- eichiefs9[1][2][3]
Moyer has pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
Contents [hide]
1 Amateur career
1.1 High school
1.2 College
2 Professional career
2.1 1986–1996
2.2 Seattle Mariners
2.2.1 1996–1998
2.2.2 1999–2000
2.2.3 2001–2003
2.2.4 2004–2005
2.3 Philadelphia Phillies
2.3.1 2006
2.3.2 2007
2.3.3 2008
2.3.4 2009
2.3.5 2010–2011
3 Personal life
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Amateur career

High school
Moyer attended Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, basketball, and golf.
College
Moyer pitched at Saint Joseph's University where in 1984 he set the school's single-season records in wins, with 16, ERA, with 1.99, and strikeouts, with 90.[4] In 1997 he became the only Saint Joseph's baseball player to have his jersey number, number 10, retired,[4] and was one of three inductees into the first class of the St. Joseph's Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 1984 amateur draft, and completed his college degree from Indiana University in 1996.
Professional career

1986–1996
Moyer was selected a New York – Penn League All-Star in 1984. He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 16, 1986, against Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies, and got his first win. Later that year, on August 16, he threw his first shutout against the Montreal Expos. He was also the starting pitcher for the Cubs on the day that Greg Maddux made his major league debut.
In 1987, Moyer ranked tenth in the National League in strikeouts with 147, while winning 12 games. Following his then-best season in 1988, he was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of the 9-player Rafael Palmeiro for Mitch Williams trade.[2]
Moyer was on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder for much of a disappointing 1989 season. 1990 saw Moyer spend time in the bullpen before regaining a spot in the starting rotation.
Moyer was released as a free agent after the 1990 season and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made seven starts for the Cardinals in 1991 before being sent to the minor leagues on May 24, and was released on October 14.
In 1992, Moyer went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, but was released and spent the rest of the season in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. On December 18, 1992, Moyer signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Moyer began the 1993 campaign in the Oriole minor leagues, before being called up on May 30. He tied his career-high total in wins with 12 and a new career-low ERA of 3.43. The strike-shortened 1994 season was disappointing for him, but he was third on the staff in innings pitched. In 1995, Moyer again found himself in the Baltimore bullpen, but worked his way back into the starting rotation. He was released following the 1995 campaign, but his contract was picked up by the Boston Red Sox on December 22. Moyer started the 1996 season in the Boston bullpen, but made seven starts for the Red Sox by year's end.
Seattle Mariners
1996–1998


Moyer was the Mariner franchise's all-time leader in starts, wins and IP. He went 145-87 with an ERA of 3.97 over eleven seasons with the M's.
In the middle of the 1996 season, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 30, where he would start 11 games and go 6–2. His record of 13–3 would lead the majors in winning percentage at .813.
In 1997, Moyer was fifth in the American League with 17 wins. His 17–5 record gave him the second highest winning percentage (.773) in the league. Moyer would make his first postseason start against his former club Baltimore, but was forced out with a strained elbow in the fifth inning.
In 1998, Moyer went 15–9 with a 3.53 ERA. He was third in innings pitched with 234.1. He registered his 100th career win against the Cleveland Indians on August 27, as well as his 1000th career strikeout with a sixth inning strikeout of David Bell. He was named Seattle's Pitcher of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA.
1999–2000
He walked two or fewer batters in 29 of his 32 starts. He ranked fourth in the American League averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings. Moyer was also third among the league in innings pitched and seventh winning percentage. He matched career-best seven game winning streak that stretched from May 11 to July 7. He started the Inaugural Game at Safeco Field on July 15 against the San Diego Padres, throwing a called strike to San Diego's Quilvio Veras for the first pitch getting a no-decision in Seattle's 3–2 loss after leaving with a 2–1 lead after eight innings.[5] He defeated Baltimore for the ninth straight time on July 31; did not lose to the Orioles, in the 1990s. Moyer's only loss at Safeco came on August 5 against the New York Yankees. He recorded three complete games in the final month of the season, tossing back-to-back complete games on September 14 and 19. His 2.30 ERA after the All-Star break was the second-lowest among AL starters, behind only Pedro Martinez with his 2.01 ERA. He pitched 4 complete games for the second-straight season, tying his career best.
In 1999, Moyer went 14–8 with a 3.87 ERA and was voted to The Sporting News AL All-Star team. He again won the Seattle Pitcher of the Year award.
2000 saw Moyer rebound from an early shoulder injury to tally 13 wins, giving him at least 13 in each of his past five seasons. He made his first Opening Day start for Seattle, but lost to the Boston Red Sox 2–0 on April 4. His shoulder problems led his ERA to balloon to 5.49. A knee injury[6] suffered on the last pitch of a simulated game caused him to miss Seattle's trip to the American League Championship Series against the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.
Moyer lost five consecutive starts from August 4-24. He allowed a career-high and a club-record 11 earned runs in a 19–3 loss on August 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed 11 runs, 6 earned, in a 14–4 loss on August 14 against the Detroit Tigers, joining the Houston Astros' Jose Lima as the first two pitchers since 1950 to allow ten or more runs in consecutive starts. Moyer allowed a career-high seven walks in a no-decision on August 29 against the Yankees. The Mariners' 7–2 win on September 9 against the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak. Moyer lasted just one-and-two-thirds innings in his final start, getting a no-decision September 28 against the Texas Rangers. Moyer suffered a hairline fracture of left kneecap while pitching a simulated game on October 7.
2001–2003
In 2001 Moyer won 20 games, ranked tied for second in the American League, and his 3.43 ERA was sixth in the AL. He earned his 150th career win against the Texas Rangers on September 24. He became only the second Mariner in history to win 20 games on October 5, former teammate Randy Johnson being the other. Moyer went 3–0 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason. He won Games 2 and 5 for the Mariners against the Cleveland Indians and also carried Game 3 against the New York Yankees before Seattle lost in Game 5.
In 2002, Moyer went 13–8 with a then career low 3.32 ERA. Although he pitched 20 more innings and had a lower ERA than in 2001, he won seven fewer games.
Moyer was fourth in the AL in innings with 230.2. He was tied for second in the league with 34 starts, fifth in opponents' batting average, holding opposing hitters to a .230 clip, and ninth in ERA with 3.32. He tossed a team-high 24 consecutive scoreless innings from June 16 to July 6. He averaged just two walks per nine innings pitched, tied for sixth-best in the AL. The Mariners were 20–14 in his starts. His four complete games tied his career high, also done in 1998 and 1999. He threw his seventh career complete game shutout, first of the season, on June 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 10–0 win. Moyer's start on June 16 against San Diego began a streak of 24 consecutive shutout innings over four starts. He finished June 3–1 with a Major League best 1.01 ERA in five starts. He collected his 1,500th career strikeout August 24 against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2003, Moyer won a career high 21 games, lost 7, and had a career low 3.27 ERA. He tied for second in the American League for wins and was sixth in ERA. His .750 winning percentage placed him fourth in the league and his 21 wins are a club record. He became the only Seattle pitcher to win 20 games more than once. Moyer was voted to his first All-Star Game in 2003. He was named for the third time the Seattle Pitcher of the Year. Moyer was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big leaguer whose success on the field is mirrored by his impact in community service, The Hutch Award, presented annually by the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to an MLB player displaying "honor, courage and dedication to baseball, both on and off the field," and The Lou Gehrig Award, presented annually to the MLB player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.
2004–2005
In 2004, Moyer went 7–13 and posted his first losing record since 1994. While the year started well for him, going 5–0 with a 1.59 ERA from May 20 – June 18, Moyer ended 2004 on a 10-game losing streak. He threw the slowest fastball of all AL starters, averaging 81.6 mph.[7] One positive for Moyer was he was awarded the Branch Rickey Award for his exceptional community service following the season.
During the 2005 season Moyer passed Randy Johnson to become the winningest pitcher for the Mariners on May 30. On July 8, 2005, Moyer became the 25th southpaw to win 200 games in Major League Baseball. He finished with a 13–7 record and for the second year in a row he threw the slowest fastball of all major league starters, averaging 81.7 mph.[8]
On June 18, 2006, he became the 33rd man to start 500 major league games. In his 11 seasons with the Mariners, Moyer had a record of 145–87 with a 3.97 ERA in 324 games (323 starts) and is the franchise leader in wins, starts and innings pitched.
Moyer is also one of the all-time leaders in 1–0 complete game losses. Moyer has lost eight games having surrendered only one run over nine innings. Before being traded in August of 2006, he was the oldest active American League player.
Philadelphia Phillies
2006


Philanthropic Phillie: Moyer Foundation serves children under distress in Philadelphia and Seattle.
On August 19, 2006, Moyer was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitchers Andrew Barb and Andrew Baldwin. In his first start with the Phillies, Moyer set a franchise record as the oldest pitcher to record a win. In eight starts with the Phillies in 2006, Moyer went 5–2 with a 4.03 ERA. After the season, Moyer signed a two-year extension worth $10.5 million with the Phillies on October 23.[9]
2007
On April 13, 2007, at age 44 Moyer combined with Tom Glavine to become the oldest matchup of lefty starters (85 years, 163 days) in major league history. He struck out six batters in the game which included his 2000th batter. Later that month, on April 29 Moyer pitched a two-hitter through 71⁄3 innings as he recorded a win against the Florida Marlins. On May 9, at age 44, Moyer broke that same record when he combined with Randy Johnson to become the oldest match up of lefty starters (88 years, 48 days) in major league history. Moyer won the game, with Johnson receiving a no decision.
In the finale to the 2007 season, Tom Glavine and Moyer faced off respectively in separate games to determine the National League Eastern Division Champions, as the division lead was tied at 88 wins. Moyer defeated the Washington Nationals, pitching 51⁄3 innings and surrendering no runs, and three hits, while Glavine was crushed by the Marlins at Shea Stadium, surrendering seven runs in the first inning, hitting a batter with the bases loaded and recording only a single out before being pulled.[10]
He threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2007, averaging 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h).[11]
2008
In 2008, at age 45, Moyer became the oldest active player in Major League baseball. On April 30, Moyer hit a single off Padres pitcher Chris Young into left center field to become the oldest Phillie ever to get a hit.[12][13]
On May 26, Moyer won his 235th career game, giving him at least one victory over each Major League team. The victory came in a 20–5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Moyer pitched seven innings, struck out seven batters, and gave up four runs. He followed that in his next start against the Florida Marlins by earning his sixth victory of the season, pitching seven innings and giving up five runs.
On September 11, Moyer won his 14th game of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, which began the Phillies a seven-game win streak. On September 27, Moyer took the mound for the Phillies against the Nationals, in a game where the Phillies could clinch the National League East title with a win. Moyer pitched six innings and gave up only one run and the Phillies won the game 4–3. Moyer earned his 16th win of the year, the second oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat, finishing with a 3.71 ERA. He also threw the slowest fastball of all NL starters in 2008, averaging 81.2 miles per hour.[14] He threw cutters 29.5% of the time, the highest rate in the NL.[14]
On October 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 National League Division Series, Moyer became the second oldest pitcher to ever start a post-season game at the age of 45 years 321 days, and the oldest since 1929 when Jack Quinn started for the Philadelphia Athletics at 46 years 103 days.
On October 12, Moyer became the oldest pitcher at 45 years 329 days to pitch in a National League Championship Series game, starting in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he struggled during the game and surrendered six runs in 11⁄3 innings—his shortest start in over eight years—and went on to lose the game.
On October 25, Moyer made his first World Series start against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching 61⁄3 innings, giving up three runs, and receiving a no-decision. More impressive was that he pitched with a severe stomach virus.[15] He won his first World Series ring when the Phillies defeated the Rays on October 29, winning his first ring in his 23rd Major League Season. In his speech at the World Series celebration at Citizens Bank Park on October 31, he related to the fans that he grew up as a Phillies fan and played hooky from Souderton Area High School to attend the Phillies' championship parade in 1980. On December 15, 2008 Moyer signed a two year, $16 million contract with the Phillies, keeping him with the club through the conclusion of the 2010 season.[16]
2009
Moyer posted a 3–5 record with a 7.42 ERA,[17] but earned his 250th career win on May 31 against the Washington Nationals in a 4–2 win, becoming the 44th pitcher and the 11th lefty to do this.[18] By the All-Star break, Moyer had improved his record to 8–6 and had lowered his ERA to 5.99. On July 16, Moyer won his 255th career game, pitching a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings and passing Jack Morris for 41st on the all-time wins list. Despite leading the rotation with ten wins, Moyer sported a 5.47 ERA when the Phillies decided to move him to the bullpen, making room in their rotation for Pedro Martínez.[19] Regarding the move, manager Charlie Manuel said,
"Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."[19]
In Moyer's bullpen debut on August 18, he relieved Martínez in the fourth inning after a rain delay, pitching six scoreless innings to earn his 11th win of the season. A similar situation occurred on August 28, as Moyer again relieved Martinez in the third inning after a rain delay. He pitched four and one third innings in relief, giving up one earned run and picked up his 12th win of the season.
Moyer tore three muscles in his groin and lower abdomen while pitching against the Houston Astros on September 29. He missed the rest of the regular season, and was not on the Phillies' postseason roster.[20]
2010–2011
When asked about retiring after the expiration of his Phillies contract at the end of 2010, Moyer said, "You know, I'm going to leave that as an open-ended question because I don't know how to answer that. It could be (my last season). It potentially could be. But so could have last year. So could have two years ago, so could have five years ago."[21]
After the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. in early 2010, Moyer, along with Omar Vizquel, were the last two active players in MLB who played in the 1980s. On April 10, at age 47, Moyer became the sixth oldest pitcher to appear in a game and the eighth major league pitcher to start a game in four different decades. Moyer pitched six innings and earned his 259th career victory.[22] On May 7, Moyer became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history (47 years, 170 days) to pitch a shutout, blanking the Braves on two hits, striking out five batters and walking none.[23] Moyer also became the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).
On June 5, Moyer became the third MLB pitcher to win 100 games after turning 40 years old, defeating the San Diego Padres, 6–2, using just 98 pitches to accomplish the feat. It was also his second complete game of the season. On June 16, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever defeat the New York Yankees. Moyer beat the Yankees at 47 years, 210 days. The previous oldest pitcher to beat them was Phil Niekro at 47 years, 122 days, according to the Griffin Sports Bureau. On June 27, he became the all-time major league leader in home runs allowed (506), passing Robin Roberts. On July 20, Moyer left a start against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an elbow strain after pitching only one inning.[24] The injury proved to be a sprain in his ulnar collateral ligament and a strain of his flexor pronator, which resulted in Moyer missing the remainder of the 2010 season.[25]

It’s great to see the thread active again.

It’s great to see the thread active again.
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