Recapping the start of his pro career...

2006: Luke Hochevar was the #1 overall pick in what looks like a very solid draft. I have no idea what "experts" think about this draft class, but just looking at who was taken in the first 42 picks of the draft makes me think it was a good year.
Here are some players the Royals passed on, when selecting Hochevar...
Evan Longoria (#3 overall pick)
Brandon Morrow (#5)

Andrew Miller (6)
Clayton Kershaw (7)
Tim Lincecum (10)
Max Sherzer (11)
Travis Snider (14)
Matt Antonelli (17)
Daniel Bard (28)
Emmanuel Burriss (33)
Chris Coghlan (36)
Joba Chamberlain (41)
Chris Perez (42)
We are not saying that the Royals should have taken all of these guys over Hochevar. In fact, the only guys that we can say they should have definitely taken instead are Evan Longoria and Tim Lincecum.

2007: Luke overcame less than impressive minor league stats to earn a September call-up and Major League debut. Luke immediately became a member of our 2007 championship roto team, as a beloved RP with SP eligibility. (Past SP/RP stars we've employed to great success include John Smoltz, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ryan Dempster.)

2009: After a solid spring training, Luke probably deserved to be in the Royals' Opening Day rotation. Since he had minor league options remaining, the Royals' brain trust decided to relegate him to the purgatorial Pacific Coast League. Unfortunately for Royals' fans, this allowed clowns like Sidney Ponson and Horacio Ramirez to embarrass themselves and the entire Kansas City front office.
Hochevar has really sparkled in Omaha. In six starts and 40 innings this season, he has allowed just 28 hits & 10 walks, while fanning 30 batters on his way to a 5-0 record and 0.90 ERA.
We sit here on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 12th, 2009. Luke Hochevar's entire career is waiting to take off. I'm sure he never wants to be in the Minors again, but what will it take for him to (a) stay with the big club, and (b) be fantasy relevant?
How much patience should we show with Hochevar? We have gone down this road every chance we've had.
Should a poor start tonight have us running to the waiver wire to replace him with George Sherrill or Juan Pierre? If he struggles at Oakland tonight, should we maintain faith that he will right the ship. Some comments he made to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star give me great confidence in his future...
“Everything is clicking,” he said. “All of the things that I learned last year in the big leagues about attacking hitters. My delivery, I feel, is a lot more repeatable this year. I feel the things I had to think about before, they’re just coming naturally now.
Reading those comments make me feel like Hochevar hasn't really left himself an out, if he struggles. I mean after saying that "everything is clicking", everything better freaking "click" tonight.
Dutton includes insight as to what contributed to Hochevar's struggles in previous seasons...
The issues surrounding Hochevar have always been the peripherals: consistency, pace and command.
“There were times when Luke would just get going too fast,” pitching coach Bob McClure once said. “It was like he was pitching with the house on fire. When that happens, he just needs to slow down and take a deep breath.
Still, that magic feeling of hope permeates throughout this opportunity for Luke Hochevar.Hochevar’s sinking fastball is a killer pitch capable of making him a ground-ball machine. Throw in a sharp-breaking curve, a four-seam fastball that hits the mid-90s and a chase-pitch slider — it’s an impressive arsenal.
Does Hochevar deserve more or less stability than Jordan Zimmermann? Or, Rick Porcello? Is Daniel Bard wasting space on our roto roster? How can a former roto champion build a pitching staff filled with so many kids? Why did we allow Tommy Hanson, Zimmermann, Porcello, Bard, Hochevar, and Masterson to be on the same roto staff?When building a roster, fantasy owners must step through an intricate dance that balances patience with a keen sense to avoid becoming paralyzed by hope and expectations.
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