Alec Asher Stats & Scouting Report

IP	119
ERA	5.445
WHIP	1.387
BB/9	2.874
SO/9	5.899

Full name Alec Edward Asher
Born 10/04/1991 in Lakeland, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Polk State CC
Debut 08/30/2015
Drafted in the 4th round (156th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2012 (signed for $150,000).

View Draft Report

Asher was a 23rd-round pick of the Giants out of high school in 2010, and was set to sign for $80,000 when his contract was voided due to a bone chip in his elbow. Asher, who had Tommy John surgery when he was 14, pitched at Santa Fe (Fla.) JC in 2011, then moved on to Polk County this spring, helping the school to its first Junior College World Series berth. He was named top pitcher of the state juco tournament after throwing 7 2/3 innings on three days' rest in the championship game. He has dominated juco competition (12-1, 1.39, 113-24 SO-BB ratio in 104 IP) working off a hard 89-94 mph fastball that consistently reaches 95 and has touched 97. He locates the pitch well and has shown an ability to pitch to both sides of the plate with it. Asher has gotten leaner since high school, and his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame helps him maintain his velocity deep into games. None of his secondary pitches excites scouts. His curveball is more of an early-count pitch, and he doesn't regularly throw his decent slider for strikes. He hasn't needed much of a changeup. Asher's medical history pushes him down some boards, but the Division-II Tampa commitment is considered signable.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Asher signed with the Giants as a 23rd-round pick out of high school in 2010, but San Francisco voided the contract when the club found a bone chip in his elbow. Two years later, he signed with the Rangers for $150,000 as a fourth-round pick. Despite the elbow issue out of high school, Asher has been a durable innings-eater with a big-bodied frame. He repeats his delivery and commands his fastball, which parks in the low 90s and reaches 95 mph. Asher attacks hitters with downhill plane from his high arm angle, moving his fastball to all quadrants of the zone. It can flatten out at times, but his heater is his best pitch. Asher's strikeout rate has declined as he's moved up because he doesn't have a dominant secondary offering. His low-80s slider and changeup can both be average at times, with the slider occasionally a tick better, but it's a matter of refining them so they're more consistent. A potential No. 4 starter, Asher should open 2015 at Triple-A Round Rock, with a chance to make his major league debut during the season.
The Giants selected Asher out of high school in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft and had him signed for $80,000 before voiding his contract due to a bone chip in his elbow. So he went to Santa Fe (Fla.) JC in 2011 and transferred in-state to Polk County JC in 2012, where he helped the school to its first Junior College World Series appearance before signing with the Rangers for $150,000 as a fourth-round pick. Asher's full-season debut at high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2013 was a success, as he led the Carolina League in strikeouts (139) and ranked fourth in ERA (2.90). He has the repertoire of a starter, with a 90-96 mph fastball he throws for strikes and can drive downhill to both sides of the plate. His secondary pitches coming out of college were a work in progress, but his mid-80s slider has developed into an out-pitch and he's shown feel for an average changeup with solid sink. Asher has a fair delivery, a big, durable frame and is equally effective against righties and lefties, but his medical history, which includes Tommy John surgery when he was 14, is a concern. He has a ceiling as a No. 4 starter and will move up to Double-A Frisco in 2014.

Draft Prospects

Asher was a 23rd-round pick of the Giants out of high school in 2010, and was set to sign for $80,000 when his contract was voided due to a bone chip in his elbow. Asher, who had Tommy John surgery when he was 14, pitched at Santa Fe (Fla.) JC in 2011, then moved on to Polk County this spring, helping the school to its first Junior College World Series berth. He was named top pitcher of the state juco tournament after throwing 7 2/3 innings on three days' rest in the championship game. He has dominated juco competition (12-1, 1.39, 113-24 SO-BB ratio in 104 IP) working off a hard 89-94 mph fastball that consistently reaches 95 and has touched 97. He locates the pitch well and has shown an ability to pitch to both sides of the plate with it. Asher has gotten leaner since high school, and his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame helps him maintain his velocity deep into games. None of his secondary pitches excites scouts. His curveball is more of an early-count pitch, and he doesn't regularly throw his decent slider for strikes. He hasn't needed much of a changeup. Asher's medical history pushes him down some boards, but the Division-II Tampa commitment is considered signable.

Minor League Top Prospects

Asher is an innings-eating workhorse who topped the TL in starts (28) and ranked among the leaders in innings with 154. Asher comes at hitters with a true 92-94 mph fastball that plays up because it jumps as it nears the plate and appears faster coming out his slow-tempo delivery. He gets good downward plane on the pitch and can control and command it within the strike zone. Asher complements his fastball with a mid-80s slider that induces swings and misses and an improving changeup that he throws with good arm action. He's a strike-thrower whom league managers tabbed as the best control pitcher in the TL, but he gets in trouble by being around the plate too much. Asher ranked fifth in the TL with 122 strikeouts--one year after leading the Carolina League in the category--but also second in home runs allowed with 18.