A few years ago the outloo
k on Wes Littleton was as high as any up and coming minor league reliever. He had risen though the Texas Rangers minor league system and into the majors. In his sophomore season he was projected to be the teams eighth inning to go guy and now he’s signing a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.
Things just never worked out with Littleton in Texas due to his lack of control. Masked in the minors by poor hitters major leaguers could tell Littleton had a tough time hitting the strike zone and simply took the walk. Following the 2008 season he was traded to Boston and then claimed by Milwaukee on waivers in March of 2009.
Littleton’s hurky jerky delivery makes it tough for opposing batters to read his pitches but by not swinging they have benefited. Last season while in the Brewers minor league system Littleton was awful at two levels. In 45.2 innings of work he walked 39 and struck out 38 needless to say the results of that was a 6.50 ERA and a sour 2.058 WHIP.
While his career totals in the big leagues runs across as 5-3, 3.69 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 102.1 innings it’s worth pointing out the majority of the good of that line was created in his rookie season of 2006 where he was 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 36.1 innings
Little is to be expected of Littleton this year but a successful run in the Mariners minor league system may earn him a call up later this year and maybe just maybe get things back on track for the former fourth round pick.
