FAST TRACK TO MAJORS Using uncertainty to his advantage

Dontrelle Willis is best known for his unusual throwing style.
MIAMI (AP) -- A year ago, Dontrelle Willis was at the lowest level of organized baseball, playing for the Class-A Kane County Cougars.
About half of his teammates from last season are still in the minors. And every fifth day, they're crowding around a TV, watching Willis dominate major league hitters with virtually the same ease he blew fastballs by Single-A hopefuls.
"He was the best pitcher in our league, but we still didn't expect him to go to the big leagues this year," said Steve Phillips, who was Willis' manager at Kane County. "I didn't know if he'd even go to Double-A right out of camp. This is a surprise, but not something we felt he wasn't capable of."
Wins in his last five starts for the Florida Marlins have certainly proven that Willis is capable of big-league success. His last start was the gem of his still-brief stint in the majors, a one-hitter against the New York Mets on Monday night.
Call him unorthodox
The 21-year-old rookie left-hander with the unusual first name and even more unusual delivery carried a 6-1 record and 2.61 ERA into his start Saturday at home against Tampa Bay.
His ERA during his current stretch of five straight winning starts: 0.96.
Batters routinely look helpless against Willis, who has a high leg kick and mannerisms on the mound that draw comparisons to the likes of Vida Blue, Juan Marichal and Mark Fidyrich -- although Willis says he hasn't modeled his throwing style after anyone.
"It's very unorthodox, but it's comfortable for me," Willis said. "If you break myself down, I do everything I can to get myself in the direction of the plate. It works for me."
Mets left fielder Cliff Floyd struck out all three times he faced Willis on Monday. Afterward, he said Willis was the best pitcher he had ever faced -- and left it to reporters' imaginations to decide if he was kidding.
"He's right up there with all the rest of the good young pitchers they have," Floyd said. "When they have everyone back and healthy, teams are going to dread coming down here."
Willis' delivery leaves hitters guessing until the last possible moment. The high leg kick and wild throwing motion -- eerily reminiscent of Blue, whom Willis had never seen, even on tape, until recently -- combine to conceal the ball longer than pitchers with a more-conventional release.
Becoming known
And if hitters are fortunate enough to pick up the ball quickly enough to figure out what's coming, Willis keeps them guessing on speeds. His fastball ranged from 88 mph to 95 mph against the Mets on Monday.
"It was like being back in high school and facing a crazy left-hander," Mets first baseman Jason Phillips said. "Before the game, I didn't know who he was. But I do now."
It's hard to find someone in baseball today who doesn't know of Willis. He was generally considered to be an afterthought in the deal last year where the Marlins dealt pitchers Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca last year to the Cubs in return for Julian Tavarez and three minor leaguers, including Willis.
But from the moment he finished off the one-hitter against the Mets, Willis has been thrust -- grudgingly -- into the national spotlight.
On the mound, his mannerisms -- exaggerated arm swings, megawatt grin, penchant for high-fives -- give the impression that Willis is the life of the party. But off the field, he's certainly one of the softer-spoken players in the Florida clubhouse. He conducted interviews at his locker Tuesday while being discussed on ESPN, but didn't even look up at the screen.
"It's fine and dandy, but you can't get caught up in that. I'm having good success now, but I could easily turn around and be 6-6 and now they'll be talking bad about me," Willis said. "God forbid that happens, but you have to stay levelheaded about everything. Even when I did bad in Montreal, I still had confidence and I still believed in myself that I could do the job."
Potential All-Star
The Montreal game was May 20, when he gave up eight hits and five runs in three innings. In 37 2-3 innings since, he's yielded a total of four runs and is allowing opponents to bat just .199.
Marlins manager Jack McKeon believes that Willis not only should be National League Rookie of the Year, but an All-Star as well.
"If he can win another game or two, how can baseball not even consider this guy for the All-Star team?" McKeon said. "He's a new, colorful performer coming into the game and we need colorful guys coming into the game. Hopefully he can win two more games before they pick it."