Skip to main content

Converted Pitcher Savery Off to Torrid Start

By
Former Phillies top draft pick Joe Savery has been on an early season rampage since the minor league season began on Thursday. The 25-year-old is beginning his first full professional season as an everyday offensive player, after the Phillies made the decision late last season to convert the 6-foot-3-inch specimen from a pitcher.

Savery was selected 19th overall by Philadelphia in the opening round of the 2007 amateur draft out of Rice University.

In four seasons as a pitcher in the Phillies' organization, Savery posted a 28-31 record with a 4.29 ERA. The Texas native was named an all-star of the Double A Eastern League in 2009 when he posted a 12-4 record before being promoted to Triple A Lehigh Valley.

Last year, as a member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Savery struggled and posted a 1-12 record and a 4.66 ERA in 28 games (19 starts) on the mound. However, at the plate, Savery shined, going 16-for-48 (.348 avg) with an OPS of .826.

Now, down a pair of levels and focusing strictly on hitting, Savery is off to a scorching hot start and has helped the Clearwater Threshers achieve a franchise best start by winning each of its first four contests. In a four-game series over the weekend, against the Dunedin Blue Jays, Savery ripped nearly everything that came his way, going 12-for-15 (.800 avg) with 2 doubles and a homerun. Savery's OPS stands at an astounding 1.946.

This is not Savery's first go around as a hitter because, much like many collegiate pitchers, he played a position when he wasn't on the mound prior to turning pro. As a freshman at Rice in 2005, Savery led the Western Athletic Conference in batting with a .382 batting average and was named to the all-conference team as a pitcher and a first baseman. He was also named National Freshman of the Year. One year later, Savery continued to excel, when he sported a .335 average with 66 RBI in 68 games played with the Owls. In 2007, prior to being drafted by the Phillies, Savery led his team in hitting.

While Savery's ceiling as a hurler was once in question, the inquiry that now resounds is "How early can a player's performance command a promotion?" If there was ever a prospect who proved himself a graduate of a league after four games, it could very well be the offensive catalyst Joe Savery with the Threshers of the Florida State League here in 2011.

_____________________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

You can also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Labels:

Comments

Jay Floyd said…
Savery went 2-for-3 in the Threshers game on Monday for the 2nd straight day. Amazingly...that lowered his average both days.
April 11, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stats to Ponder: Jimmy Rollins Edition

By
J-Roll has batted under .200 for a calendar month twice in his career. In April 2004, Rollins went 13-for-71, for a .183 average. The following month, Rollins went 30-for-107, which is a .280 average. And in August 2005, Rollins went 22-for-117, for a .188 average. The month that followed saw Rollins go 49-for-122 for a .402 average. Rollins is batting .171 so far in May 2009. Improvement is not far away for Jimmy. The Phillies are 10-2 in games this year which Rollins scores at least 1 run. The Phillies are 4-12 in games which Rollins does not score. Jimmy Rollins in 6 games against the Braves this year is batting .071 (2-for-28). In 2008 Rollins batted .284 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2007 Rollins batted .347 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2006 Rollins batted .367 against the Braves in 18 games. Jimmy Milestone Watch: 6 more RBI and Rollins will tie Scott Rolen for 25th all time in Phillies RBI leaders. 7 more triples and Rollins will tie Richie Ashburn for 4th all time i...
2 comments
Read more

Crawford's Chronicles: JP Crawford talks Spring Training

By
JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd Entering this year as the widely regarded top prospect in the Phillies organization, J.P. Crawford will be taking time each week to provide insight directly from inside spring training in Clearwater, FL, right here on PhilliesNation.com. Crawford, 20, was named the top positional prospect in two leagues (Class A South Atlantic League and Class A Advanced Florida State League) last year, when he combined, in 123 games, to post a .285 average, 11 homers, 48 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He also represented the Phils organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game last season. As the 2015 campaign approaches, the six-foot-two 180-pound lefty batter is expected to reach the Double-A level and continue to prove why the Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2013 draft. In this initial installment of our weekly check-in with J.P., he shares thoughts on a variety of topics, including his exclusion from big league camp, which member of the big leagu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former Player Proposes Marriage on the Field in Lakewood

By
Three's a crowd, Buster...Image- Jay Floyd For one New Jersey couple a unique meeting at the ballpark led to a new meaning for the term baseball diamond. Brian Parker spotted the woman of his dreams from the bullpen bench at Lakewood, NJ's FirstEnergy Park on July 9th, 2010. The right-handed reliever for the Orioles affiliate Delmarva Shorebirds wasn't summoned to pitch that night, but it didn't stop him from getting up and going through his usual warm up and stretching routines to inch closer to a young blonde Brick Township native that he felt drawn toward. "I was acting like I was staying hot, but really I was just trying to talk to her," Parker, a 19th round draft choice by Baltimore in 2007, stated. "I ended up putting my (phone) number on a baseball and we decided to hang out and throughout that whole next year it was back and forth trips between the both of us." The lady that caught Parker's eye was Kristin VanDeventer, who was ...
Post a Comment
Read more