Kurt Ainsworth
| IP | 126 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.214 |
| WHIP | 1.563 |
| BB/9 | 4.357 |
| SO/9 | 6.429 |
- Full name Kurt Harold Ainsworth
- Born 09/09/1978 in Baton Rouge, LA
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Louisiana State
- Debut 09/05/2001
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Drafted in the 1st round (24th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 1999 (signed for $1,300,000).
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Six-foot-4, 185-pound RHP Kurt Ainsworth is among the growing number of top pitching prospects who have had Tommy John surgery and are actually better for the experience. He missed his freshman year and worked in only eight innings last season while rehabbing his arm. He more than made up for it this spring. His arm held up fine under a heavy workload. He displayed good whip action and threw loose and easy while clocking in at 92-93 mph, occasionally touching 95. He has a nice breaking ball and his change continues to evolve. Ainsworth is a borderline first-rounder, and if he goes any lower he could be a tough sign because he is a good student with two years of college eligibility remaining.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Ainsworth recovered from Tommy John surgery at Louisiana State to become a first-round pick in 1999, and he won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team a year later. He sailed through his first two stops in the system before having a difficult time adjusting to Triple-A in the first half of 2001, but he has recovered nicely. He pitched well during two callups last year. Ainsworth is a complete pitcher with a solid five-pitch repertoire. He throws a 92-94 mph four-seam fastball, an 88-90 mph sinker, a slider, a curve and a changeup. He also developed a much better feel for setting up hitters his second time through Fresno. He missed a month last year with a pulled back muscle, but has otherwise been healthy since his elbow was rebuilt. While he's not overpowering, Ainsworth has the stuff and command to win. He needs to believe that, however, and go after hitters rather than trying to make the perfect pitch. The Giants believe Ainsworth has nothing left to gain in the minors. Unless he has a horrible spring, look for him to displace Ryan Jensen or possibly Livan Hernandez in the San Francisco rotation. -
Ainsworth had Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda at his wedding in January 2001, and Lasorda called to boost Ainsworth's confidence when he struggled out of the gate in Triple-A. Ainsworth pitched for Lasorda on the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, winning both his starts. He throws a 92-93 mph two-seam fastball, circle changeup, curve and slider. He keeps the ball down and lets his defense work for him. After struggling early in the season, he learned to trust his breaking stuff more and adjusted well to his first adversity as a pro. Ainsworth nibbled too much for his own good, putting himself in hitter's counts and leading to his early struggles. After recovering with a strong August (3-0, 2.73), he fell into the same trap in his brief big league debut. He also had some blister problems from throwing his curveball. Ainsworth won't have a spot in the rotation handed to him. But his fast finish in Fresno encouraged the Giants, who will give Ainsworth and Ryan Jensen a chance to take over as the No. 5 starter after Shawn Estes was traded. -
As the 24th overall pick in the 1999 draft, Ainsworth became the first player drafted that high after major arm surgery. He missed a year in college after Tommy John surgery in 1997 and had pitched just eight innings for Louisiana State before a workhorse 1999 season that ended with first-team All-America honors. He won both of his starts for Team USA in the Olympics. Ainsworth throws a 92-94 mph fastball with good movement, and supplements it with a tight slider and good curveball. The Giants love his makeup. He pitches well under pressure and is intelligent, on and off the mound. Sometimes he can be a little too fine, overestimating hitters and underestimating his own stuff. San Francisco would like to see him pitch more aggressively inside. He answered any questions about his durability by ending a long season with a strong Olympic performance. Ainsworth was the top prospect in the organization last year and didn't slide because of anything he did wrong. Jerome Williams just showed a slightly higher ceiling. The Giants' depth in the big league rotation has the organization hoping it can bring its duo of potential frontline starters along at their own pace, with Ainsworth ticketed for Triple-A in 2001.
Minor League Top Prospects
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While Foppert clearly was the top choice among Grizzlies pitchers, there was a close split on whether Ainsworth or Williams was second-best. Ainsworth, who won both his starts for the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, earned the edge because his stuff and competitiveness are slightly better. He went 1-1, 1.69 in three April starts for the Giants but was sent to Fresno when Jason Schmidt came off the disabled list. Ainsworth, who missed a month with a pulled lat muscle in his back, showed five solid pitches when healthy. His 88-90 mph sinker, 92-94 mph four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup all can be plus offerings at times. Ainsworth knows how to set up hitters. Now he just needs to trust his stuff. He tries to make perfect pitches and nibbles more than he should. With his repertoire, he doesn't have to be so fine. -
Ainsworth recovered from a disastrous start to make his big league debut by season's end and put himself in contention for a rotation spot in San Francisco next year. His ERA was 6.51 going into June, but he righted things and posted a 2.73 ERA in August. When Ainsworth was off it was because of his command, which resulted in a few brutal starts, and because he relied too much on his fastball. He also battled blister problems. When he was on, he showed up to four quality pitches: a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, a curveball, slider and changeup. "What stands out is he has three major league pitches or maybe even four," Sacramento manager Bob Geren said. "When you're looking for big league starters, you have to look very seriously at him." -
After winning the first-half title in the Eastern Division, Shreveport set a league record for losses in a half-season with 49. One of the few constants was Ainsworth, who teamed up with Oswalt in the U.S. Olympic rotation. He was inconsistent but didn’t look overmatched when he was sent to Double-A for his first full pro season. Ainsworth threw in the low 90s and showed potential with his slider and curveball. He projects as a frontline starter once he refines his control. "It's just a matter of time before he gets command of his pitches," one scout said, "and when that happens he'll move up very quickly." -
Ainsworth was on a short leash this summer coming off Tommy John surgery in 1998, well over 100 innings this spring and a nagging blister problem after signing. If anything, it just put an extra edge on his stuff. Ainsworth missed qualifying for the ERA title by 16 innings, but had an ERA more than half a run lower than the league leader. Ainsworth's fastball sits solidly around 93 mph, and he complements his heat with a plus curveball and developing changeup. Despite having little mound experience coming into 1999 due to his injury history, Ainsworth's ability to work hitters is excellent. That will help him adjust as the Giants will undoubtedly move him quickly.
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Pacific Coast League in 2001
Scouting Reports
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After winning the first-half title in the Eastern Division, Shreveport set a league record for losses in a half-season with 49. One of the few constants was Ainsworth, who teamed up with Oswalt in the U.S. Olympic rotation. He was inconsistent but didn’t look overmatched when he was sent to Double-A for his first full pro season. Ainsworth threw in the low 90s and showed potential with his slider and curveball. He projects as a frontline starter once he refines his control. "It's just a matter of time before he gets command of his pitches," one scout said, "and when that happens he'll move up very quickly."
