After a gloomy April that saw pitcher Jason Hirsh post a 1-2, 6.46 mark, the big right-hander has been hotter than the summer sun, reeling off 13 wins and counting without a loss. His dominating work at Round Rock, combined with an appearance in both the Futures Game and the Triple-A All-Star Game this season, Hirsh has a resume ready for a Major League job. He debuts at No. 10 in our MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 rankings.
Undrafted out of high school and drawing little interest from Division I schools, Hirsh took his heightened talents to D-III California Lutheran University. By his junior season, the righty was flashing a 97-mph fastball, en route setting a school record with 26 career victories. The Astros used their top pick in the second round of the 2003 draft and a $625,000 signing bonus to secure Hirsh’s talents.
The 6-8 hurler dominated the New York-Penn League in his pro debut, going 3-1, with a 1.95 ERA. He also limited NY-P batters to a .175 average, fanning 33 hitters in 32.1 innings of work. The following season, he skipped the low-A Lexington Legends to record 11 victories at the Advanced-A Salem Avalanche while honing his secondary pitches.
The 2005 season was Hirsh’s breakout year. He claimed Texas League Pitcher of the Year honors in registering a 13-8, 2.87 record. He also struck out a Texas League leading 165 batters to rank among the elite hurlers in Minor League Baseball, but was second in the organization to Round Rock’s Fernando Nieve’s 171 whiffs. More importantly, Hirsh cut down on free passes by walking just 42 batters in 172 innings.
In 2006, Hirsh rebounded from his April woes to hold Triple-A batters to a .177 average over his next 17 starts. He began August by notching his 13th victory, while lowering his ERA to 2.13, second best in the Pacific Coast League at the time. Hirsh also eclipsed the century mark in strikeouts for the second straight season.
An imposing figure on the mound, Hirsh has good leverage and pitches down to hitters. His 2-seam fastball has nice sink at 92-94 mph, while Hirsh’s slider has good bite at 84-86 mph and projects to be a Major League out pitch. Hirsh continues to refine his changeup that has fair deception and movement in the low-80s.
The 23-year-old projects to be a frontline Major League starter with two plus pitches. The ‘big hoss’ will also be an innings eater for a pitching staff, as Hirsh has averaged over six innings per outing at the Triple-A level in 2006.
“He’s a very mature kid,” Astros manager Phil Garner said during spring training this year. “Whatever he’s doing, he looks like he focuses at it. He looks like the throws the ball down in the zone well, which is really good for as big as he is. And his stuff’s good.”
With future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens rejoining the Astros in July, and Nieve called up again, there wasn’t a need to rush Hirsh to the big leagues… but the big kid from tiny Cal Lutheran will get there in 2007, if not sooner.
- C.J. CARLSON
