Jon Lester
| IP | 2740 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.659 |
| WHIP | 1.278 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 |
| SO/9 | 8.172 |
- Full name Jonathan Tyler Lester
- Born 01/07/1984 in Tacoma, WA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 249 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Bellarmine Prep
- Debut 06/10/2006
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Drafted in the 2nd round (57th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2002 (signed for $1,000,000).
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At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Lester looks like a big leaguer. He is athletic, swings the bat well and runs well enough to be considered a top position prospect, but scouts see him first as a pitcher. He has one of the best lefthanded power arms in the country. His velocity has been up and down this spring, ranging from 88 mph on the day he threw a perfect game to a high of 93; he is aggressive with the pitch and holds his velocity well. He could add another 2-3 mph on his fastball because he is projectable. His curve is below-average now but has a chance to be a solid pitch. Committed to Arizona State, Lester could be a prime target for the Mariners, who have the 28th overall selection.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Lester's long-awaited breakout finally came in 2005, when he was Boston's minor league pitcher of the year. He won the same award in the Double-A Eastern League, which he led in ERA, complete games and strikeouts. He was part of the failed Alex Rodriguez trade talks in 2003, but the Red Sox refused to part with him in the Josh Beckett deal. Lester is a big, physical lefthander with a chance for three plus pitches. His fastball has late life and has risen from 87-88 mph in 2003 to 90-91 in 2004 to 92-93 last year, when he topped out at 95. He has turned his cut fastball into a true slider that's now his No. 2 pitch. He can get both swings and misses and called strikes with his changeup. Once Lester gets a little more consistent with his secondary pitches and his command, he'll be ready for the big leagues. He'll keep batters off balance by throwing an occasional curveball, but it lags behind his other offerings. Boston doesn't have an opening in its rotation, so Lester will head to Triple-A. He should be ready if needed by the second half, and he has the stuff to become a frontline starter. -
Lester gets asked about in trade talks more than any Red Sox prospect, and he would have gone to the Rangers had Boston been able to finalize a deal for Alex Rodriguez last offseason. The top pick in the Red Sox' last draft before they adopted a strong college emphasis, he signed for $1 million as a second-rounder. Lester has a stronger arm than most lefthanders, as he pitches at 92-93 mph and hits 96. He's very athletic and has a smooth delivery, which bodes well for his long-term control. He does an excellent job of keeping the ball down in the zone, yielding just nine homers in 197 pro innings. He picked up an effective cut fastball at midseason. He's far from a finished product. Lester's curveball and changeup have the potential to be average or better pitches, but they're not there yet. He missed most of June with shoulder tightness, but it's not a long-term concern. How well Lester refines his secondary pitches will determine when he reaches Boston and where he'll slot into the rotation. He'll open 2005 in Double-A and could surface in the majors as early as mid-2006. -
If the Red Sox had pulled off the Alex Rodriguez trade, Lester would have been headed to Texas. And if they adopted their college emphasis a year earlier, it's unlikely they would have spent their first pick (second round) in 2002 on him. Signability concerns knocked him out of the first round, but he turned pro for $1 million. A former basketball standout and a legitimate prospect as a first baseman, Lester has good athletic ability. That allows him to repeat his delivery, locate pitches on both sides of the plate and keep the ball down in the zone. He has an 88-92 mph fastball and the makings of an average curveball, average-to-plus changeup and plus command. His feel, presence and cerebral approach are impressive for his age. Lester needs time to develop his stuff and strength. He missed a start in May with shoulder tightness and was kept on a 70-80 pitch count down the stretch. Ready for high Class A, Lester is at least 2 1⁄2 years away from the majors. -
Lacking a first-round pick in 2002 because they signed free agent Johnny Damon, the Red Sox landed a first-round talent in Lester with their first choice, 57th overall. He signed for $1 million, the only seven-figure bonus outside the first round. He was a legitimate prospect as a first baseman, though pro teams preferred him as a pitcher. He also was a standout basketball player in high school. Lester is an athletic lefthander along the lines of Mark Langston, which allows him to repeat his delivery with ease and bodes well for his command. Lester throws 88-93 mph, and his fastball has room to grow because he has a projectable body and easy arm action. His changeup is his second-best pitch, and his curveball showed promise in instructional league. Lester's curve needs the most work. He also threw a slider in high school, but Boston prefers that its young pitchers focus initially on curveballs. Though he's talented, he's also raw at this point. The Red Sox will proceed slowly with Lester. He'll probably begin 2003 in extended spring training before joining the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League team in June.
Minor League Top Prospects
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When Ramirez and double-play partner Dustin Pedroia weren't captivating Sea Dogs fans, the Portland pitching staff dazzled them. Lester led the EL in both ERA and strikeouts, and Papelbon would have challenged him in the former category and Sanchez in the latter had they spent the entire year in the league. Lester ranked ahead of them on this list because he delivers his quality stuff from the left side. His low-90s fastball has late life and tailing action, and he throws it from a high arm angle that allows him to pitch downhill. Lester made strides in improving his secondary stuff. His cut fastball, which he picked up in 2004, at times graded as a 65 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. He uses good arm speed on his changeup, which, like his curveball, has the potential to be an above-average offering but remains inconsistent. -
Like his Sarasota teammate Papelbon, Lester has a big arm, a study frame and a plus fastball. The bonus is that he's lefthanded. Lester's fastball has good late life, and he usually pitches at 92 mph and tops out at 96. When he's on, he can blow batters away. His secondary pitches are less advanced than Papelbon's. Lester throws a slurvy curveball and a below-average changeup. Some managers believe he'll have trouble refining his curve and change because his delivery, while clean, is slow and mechanical.
