John Gast Stats & Scouting Report

IP	12
ERA	5.25
WHIP	1.333
BB/9	3.75
SO/9	6

Full name John Walter Gast
Born 02/16/1989 in Altamonte Springs, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Florida State
Debut 05/14/2013
Drafted in the 6th round (199th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010 (signed for $140,000).

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Florida State doesn't have the power arms the program used to produce in the early 1990s. Its top arm this year was supposed to be Gast, whose career never quite got going in the right direction. He had Tommy John surgery after his senior season in high school and came back quickly, pitching in mid-April of his freshman year. His relief worked helped the Seminoles get back to the College World Series for the first time in eight years, and he stayed in a relief role as a sophomore. Early in his junior season, Gast was flashing his high school form, reaching 92-93 mph with his fastball and working with an upper-70s power curveball. However, as the season wore on, he no longer was showing the kind of stuff to go in the first three rounds. His ERA had soared to 6.33, mostly because of his lack of command. When he gets ahead of hitters, he still can finish them off with his curve.

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When the Cardinals needed a starter because of an injury, it wasn't Michael Wacha who got the first call or even Carlos Martinez or Tyler Lyons. Crafty lefty Gast did. The Florida State alum had a 1.16 ERA and 35 strikeouts in his first 39 innings (seven starts) at Triple-A Memphis, and he brought that changeup-based success with him to the majors. He also brought his tricky shoulder. Gast got through two games without incident, both wins, and then couldn't throw a second inning in his third start because of shoulder soreness he didn't tell the team about. The shoulder troubles that put him on the disabled list in 2012 also ended his 2013, and they could erase his 2014. Gast had surgery in July to have a muscle in his left shoulder reattached after it had torn loose. Understandably, his recovery could take a full year. At his best, Gast has a deceptive, slinging delivery that contributes to the organization's best pickoff and improves his stuff. He further challenges hitters with changes in speeds, averaging 10 mph difference between his 88-91 mph sinking fastball and changeup, and another 6-10 mph on his work-in-progress curve. He'll spend most of 2014 rehabbing.
Gast was a Rangers fifth-round pick out of high school in 2007, but he opted to have Tommy John surgery and try to enhance his stock at Florida State. That didn't quite happen, and the Cardinals were able to get him with a sixth-round pick and $140,000 bonus in 2010. He advanced to Double-A in his first full pro season, but Triple-A hitters took advantage of his spotty command last year. He fought shoulder troubles in the second half that complicated his control issues and landed him on the disabled list. Gast has a deceptive, whippy release that gives him the system's best pickoff move and helps his stuff play up. His fastball usually ranges from 87-91 mph, and he also has a solid changeup and average curveball. When he's unable to control his fastball, he slips behind in the count and into trouble. Gast lacks the standout breaking ball to be a lefthanded specialist, so he'll continue to develop as a starter in Memphis.
Jaime Garcia was so enamored with the pickoff move Gast flashed during a couple of major league exhibition games last spring that he sought out pointers from the prospect. Gast has a deceptive, accurate and whip-quick delivery to first base--traits that also serve him well when he comes to the plate. The lefty put another successful season between him and the questions that cost him in college, reaching Double-A in his first full year as a pro. The Rangers made Gast a fifth-round pick out of high school in 2007, but he opted to have Tommy John surgery and reignite his draft stock at Florida State. He rushed back from injury and his performance suffered with the Seminoles. A 6-0, 1.54 pro debut after signing for $140,000 reset his status. Gast has good poise and a fluid delivery. Some scouts describe him as a finesse lefty, though he has a fastball that ranges from 87 mph all the way up to 93. He mixes it with a hard curveball that falls out of the zone and a changeup that is blossoming into a plus pitch. While he's able to locate his fastball, command remains the primary focus in his development. It wasn't there in college and has been sporadic in pro ball. After Gast makes a cameo in big league camp, a return to Springfield is likely for the system's top lefty starter prospect. He has a ceiling as a No. 3 starter but more likely will fit into the No. 4 slot in a major league rotation.
The Rangers made Gast a fifth-round pick coming out of high school in Florida in 2007, even though he needed Tommy John surgery. He had a 1.18 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 58 innings as a high school senior but couldn't find that same form in college, compiling a 4.96 ERA in 123 career innings. He came back quickly in a relief role and helped the Seminoles reach the College World Series as a freshman, and flashed his best stuff again early in his junior season, but he wore down as the spring went on and slid to the sixth round. He came back strong after signing with the Cardinals for $140,000 as a sixth-round pick, going 6-0, 1.54 for Batavia. Gast has poise on the mound and a mature delivery with deception that adds to his 92-93 mph fastball. He plays off that with a hard curveball that can generate swings and misses, and a changeup that shows flashes of being a plus pitch. He showed great control in Batavia, in contrast to his college career, and command will remain a focus for him. In postseason meetings, several minor league coaches listed Gast alongside Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller as the top arms in the organization. With his level of experience, Gast will get a shot to jump to the Palm Beach rotation