Skip to main content

Prospect Nation 2014: #2 LHP Jesse Biddle

In recent years, Jesse Biddle has become the prospect that Phillies fans have heard the most about. This year though, the hometown kid may go from highly touted prospect to major league rookie and the stuff that Philadelphia faithful have heard will be on display at the top level of the sport every five days.

Upon signing his first pro contract, Biddle quickly made his minor league debut, beginning his journey toward donning the uniform of the team he cheered on from the seats of Citizens Bank Park all throughout his teenage years. The graduate of Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia combined to post a 4-1 record with a 3.92 ERA and a .241 batting average against in 12 starts with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies and the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters in 2010.

The following year, Biddle became an All-Star in the Class A South Atlantic League as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws. As the team's most dependable starter through much of the season, Biddle posted a 7-8 record with a 2.98 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) and notched 124 strike outs in 133 innings pitched. Also, he held opponents to a .219 batting average.

In 2012, Biddle had a very good season, representing the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers in the Florida State League All-Star Game. That season he sported a 10-6 record with a 3.22 ERA, a 9.53 K/9 mark and a .237 batting average against.

He followed that up with another All-Star campaign in 2013 for Double-A Reading. In 27 starts, Biddle tallied a 5-14 record with a 3.64 ERA, a 10.02 K/9 mark and a .210 batting average against. A troubling pair of outings in which he allowed nine earned runs in two total innings in July had a negative impact on his numbers. Without those two stat lines, Biddle's season ERA drops by a half run.

He also represented the Phillies in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, earning the win for Team USA at New York's Citi Field last summer.

A year after he took great strides with improving his walk rate (11.9% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2012), Biddle's walk rate of 14% in 2013 left him with plenty to work on in relation to consistency around the strike zone.

Confident in his own abilities, Biddle maintains a firm focus on the tasks at hand, even on off days. There is not a day that passes, during the season, in which the poised Pennsylvanian hasn't done homework in some fashion to learn a bit more about the game of baseball. Biddle also has a great frame of mind and realizes that achievements and promotions won't be handed to him and that he has hefty amounts of work ahead at all times.

His pitch repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that typically clocks in the 92-93 MPH range, but can reach higher. He also features a dominating curveball that often leaves opposing batters looking foolish and a solid change up, which he has built confidence in to throw in any count.

Biddle enjoyed his first big league spring training this year, learning from the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Mike Adams and loads more veterans. In two Grapefruit League appearances, he allowed four earned runs in three innings of work. He has since been reassigned to minor league camp to lengthen his endurance before the season gets underway.

With an easy, over-the-top delivery, Biddle is a skilled hurler that will steadily improve as his career progresses. No matter if he begins the 2014 season back in Double-A or with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he'll be one call away from the big leagues. If the 22-year-old continues to progress at the pace he's steadily shown in recent seasons, this should be the year in which he makes his big league debut.

Click here to view the running list of this year's countdown.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: BlueClaws OF Justin Crawford

Justin Crawford w/ junior reporter Evan At the age of 19, outfielder Justin Crawford has played his way into the conversation of being considered as one of baseball's top prospects. The son of four-time MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin has looked every bit as impressive as his position as the 17th overall draft selection last year would have most fans thinking he should be.  He opened the season with Class A Clearwater where, in 69 games, he notched a .344/.399/.478 slash line.  And since mid-August when he was promoted to Class A Advanced Jersey Shore, the younger Crawford has posted a .300/.364/.440 line.  He's also stolen 44 bases in 52 attempts overall. And while the BlueClaws enter the final week of the regular season 1/2 game out of first place in their division, I spoke with Justin Crawford about the team's hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2018. I also asked Justin about the similarities and differences between his skillset and his father'

Jersey Shore clinches playoff berth on final day of regular season

Ottto Kemp, image- Jay Floyd With an extra-inning victory over first-half division champions Hudson Valley on Sunday, the Class A Advanced Jersey Shore BlueClaws clinched the team's first playoff appearance since 2018, winning the second-half division title. Key performers in the BlueClaws' clincher were righty hurler Jason Ruffcorn, who threw three innings of relief to earn the victory and third baseman Otto Kemp, notched three hits, a walk, two stolen bases and plated the game winning run in the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly.  On top of that, Kemp, who turned 24-years-old on Saturday, made an absolute game-saving defensive play to help the club hold their lead in the bottom of the 11th frame. One of Jersey Shore's most consistent performers all season long has been right-handed reliever Cam Wynne.  The Phillies' 20th round draft pick in 2021 out of Nebraska.  In 34 appearances, one start, the 24-year-old tallied a 1-1 record with one save, a 2.44 ERA and a .190 batti

McGwire Stays Phony, Despite Admitting Drug Use

Mark McGwire made an effort to publicly come clean today, admitting to the world that he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. Steroids and human growth hormones were among the drugs that McGwire admitted to using. MLB Network featured a one on one interview with Bob Costas and McGwire on Monday evening. The broadcast was virtually garbage, thanks to McGwire. Ahead is a list of quotes from McGwire's interview. McGwire repeatedly stated his point of view that there were no dishonorable intentions involved when taking steroids, and that he was merely using them as a means to recover from varying ailments. When asked if he felt like he cheated... "As I look back now...I can see how people would say that. As far as the talent goes and the hand-eye coordination, the ability, the genetics I was given...I don't see it." "I did not take this for any strength purposes." Denial. Read on for similar B.S. He whined about the abuse he's taken at