I was curious to see how Kyle Drabek would do in his Double-A debut tonight in Reading.

The Phils first round pick from the 2006 draft did not disappoint. As I follow the game on milb.com, I see the hard-throwing right-hander, who also features a nasty hook and plus changeup, has been removed from the game.

How did Drabek do?

He allowed three hits in seven shutout innings against Akron. He struck out four and walked three.

The R-Phils are up 3-0 in the eighth inning, thanks to Kyle D.

Fearless prediction: If Drabek keeps rolling like this in the next 4-6 weeks, the Phils might not need to add a big-name pitcher at the trade deadline. Drabek, like Cole Hamels before him, might be a fast mover through the organization and be fitted in red pinstripes before September if not sooner.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Phils won't trade for a pitcher, too. But the rapid development of Drabek, who missed most of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, sure doesn't hurt.