IP | 12.1 |
---|---|
ERA | 4.38 |
WHIP | 1.3 |
BB/9 | 2.19 |
SO/9 | 10.95 |
- Full name Jimmy Matthew Herget
- Born 09/09/1993 in Tampa, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School South Florida
- Debut 07/07/2019
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Drafted in the 6th round (175th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 (signed for $276,600).
View Draft Report
Herget is unconventional on the mound, but has gotten results throughout his college career as a member of South Florida's rotation. He has a good feel for pitching and throws from multiple arm slots throughout the course of the game, primarily working from a very low three-quarters slot that is nearly true sidearm. From that angle, he throws his fastball 88-91 mph, adding a tick more velocity when he goes over the top. He throws a slider from the low arm slot and also employs an overhand curveball. He has a changeup, but it lags behind his other offerings and he rarely uses it. While he's proven that he can be an effective college starter, questions remain about his ability to remain in the rotation as a professional. Though he holds his velocity well, he's averaged about six innings per start in college and his arm slot and below-average changeup may be exposed by lefthanded hitters in the minor leagues. Even if he does end up in the bullpen, Herget offers teams an intriguing overall package.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Herget brings the funk as much as George Clinton. He is never a comfortable at-bat, especially for righthanded hitters, but after making it to the Futures Game in 2017, he struggled more in 2018 as too often Triple-A hitters found him catching too much of the plate with his fastball and slider.
Scouting Report: Herget mixes arm slots, but he generally throws from a true sidearm slot with an almost whippy arm action. Few sidearmers throw as hard as Herget, as he'll sit 92-94 and touch 96. His arm slot means his fastball generaly runs in on righthanded hitters and away from lefthanded hitters, but he's shown that he can also work in on lefties' hands at times. He mixes in a plus slider that sits in the low 80s with good tilt. His third pitch is a below-average changeup that is only a change of pace for lefties. Herget's control wasn't as good as it has been in 2018, but he projects to have average control and command.
The Future: Herget should be a bullpen option in 2019 for Cincinnati. His two-pitch mix and deception against righthanders should help him get work as a middle reliever. -
Cincinnati hasn't produced anyone with this much funk since Parliament Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. A starter out of South Florida, the Reds have had Herget in the bullpen from Day 1 and he's generally dominated, posting a lot of strikeouts while hitters rarely square him up. Herget comes at batters from several different angles, with elbows and knees flying and a mid-90s fastball, power sinker and a tight, sweeping slider. His mix of velocity, command and deception makes him death on righthanded hitters. He throws with no fear of using any pitch in any count. Herget does a good job of changing velocities and arm angles and he tries to mess with hitters timing as well, but his fringy changeup needs to improve to get lefties out. Against lefthanders, he tends to throw more from a three-quarters arm slot than a true sidearm. Herget had 25 saves between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville, holding hitters to a .226 batting average against. Herget was the only reliever on the U.S. roster for the Futures Game, throwing a scoreless inning in Miami. He should debut in the majors in 2018 and has a good shot at the Opening Day roster. -
Herget worked as a starter at South Florida but blossomed with a move to the bullpen as a pro. He spent all of 2016 at high Class A Daytona, but many of the scouts and managers who saw him in the Florida State League believe he could jump to the big leagues quickly. Herget's average stuff as a starter turned into plus stuff in shorter outings, but it's his rare combination of funkiness and above-average command that baffles hitters. He fires above-average 94-96 mph fastballs with armside run and occasional sink from a high three-quarters delivery, but every now and then he drops down to sidearm to run a 92-94 mph fastball in on a hitter from a release point he doesn't expect. Herget also quick-pitches at times and does whatever he needs to do to make the hitter uncomfortable. He will back-foot his plus slider with solid late tilt against lefthanded batters or even more effectively use it to get righthanders to roll over in pitcher's counts. Herget is a future setup man who could leap from Double-A Pensacola to Cincinnati by the end of 2017.
Draft Prospects
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Herget is unconventional on the mound, but has gotten results throughout his college career as a member of South Florida's rotation. He has a good feel for pitching and throws from multiple arm slots throughout the course of the game, primarily working from a very low three-quarters slot that is nearly true sidearm. From that angle, he throws his fastball 88-91 mph, adding a tick more velocity when he goes over the top. He throws a slider from the low arm slot and also employs an overhand curveball. He has a changeup, but it lags behind his other offerings and he rarely uses it. While he's proven that he can be an effective college starter, questions remain about his ability to remain in the rotation as a professional. Though he holds his velocity well, he's averaged about six innings per start in college and his arm slot and below-average changeup may be exposed by lefthanded hitters in the minor leagues. Even if he does end up in the bullpen, Herget offers teams an intriguing overall package.
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Slider in the Cincinnati Reds in 2018