Jeff Gerbe
| IP | 153 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.235 |
| WHIP | 1.412 |
| BB/9 | 2.824 |
| SO/9 | 5.588 |
- Full name Jeffrey John Gerbe
- Born 07/04/1984 in Shelby Township, MI
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Michigan State
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Drafted in the 16th round (472nd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
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Righthander Jeff Gerbe received the Major League Scouting Bureau's highest grade in Michigan (a 48 on the 20-80 scouting scale, with 50 being an average major league player) but didn't fool too many hitters. Opponents batted .337 against him and he had just 32 strikeouts in 79 innings. A former walk-on, Gerbe has a lean 6-foot-3, 177-pound frame and a fresh arm after pitching sparingly in the three seasons before this one. His best pitch is a sinker that was clocked at 90-92 mph early in the spring but was down to 86-88 by season's end. He doesn't have much of a feel for his secondary pitches, including a changeup that he throws too hard. His younger brother Matt, a righthander at Eisenhower High (Shelby Township), is one of the state's better high school pitching prospects. But his fastball currently sits at 84-86 mph and he'll likely attend Michigan.
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The Tigers appear to have found a late-round gem in Gerbe, who had a local-boy-does-good season. He grew up in suburban Detroit, was a senior sign from Michigan State in 2006 and excelled while pitching for the club's lone in-state affiliate last year. Shoulder tendinitis had limited him to eight starts in his pro debut, but he was quickly noticed. Gerbe commands a sinking fastball that tops out around 94 mph and features plus movement. He gets a lot of ground balls and also can miss bats with his slider. His changeup has also improved. He's a competitor who showed tremendous makeup by pitching well in two spot starts at Double-A Erie and was one of the most reliable pitchers on a West Michigan team that won the Midwest League title. Gerbe spent some time on the disabled list with more shoulder inflammation, but the Tigers believe they have resolved the issue. They were confident enough in his health that they sent him to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, where he mixed in four scoreless outings with five putrid ones, posting a 9.42 ERA overall. He projects as a middle reliever and could return to Double-A in that role this year.
