What To Expect: Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty (Getty Images)

For Jack Flaherty, the timing couldn’t be better. Former Harvard-Westlake High teammate Lucas Giolito just got his first big league win, Max Fried has spent time in the majors this season with Atlanta and Nik Turley, a 50th-round pick in 2008, got to the bigs with the Twins.

Flaherty, who as a sophomore was teammates with Giolito and Fried—he played third base, naturally—joins those two as big leaguers, officially on Friday when he makes his first start for the Cardinals against the Giants.

St. Louis cleared the way for Flaherty, the 34th overall pick in 2014, with the trade Wednesday of Mike Leake to Seattle.

Flaherty, 21, began the year at Double-A Springfield and dominated, striking out 25 percent of batters he faced and walking just 4.5 percent, a career low as a pro. He has been almost as good through 15 starts at Triple-A, with a 2.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 85/24 strikeout-walk ratio in 85.1 innings. He has, however, given up 10 homers in Triple-A, more than he gave up all of 2016 in 127 innings.

SCOUTING REPORT

As a teenager, Flaherty showed uncommon poise and pitchability, with a feel for four pitches. His fastball sat 90-92 mph but he was a strike-throwing machine and still got swings and misses despite average velocity because of his command of his heater. This season, Flaherty’s fastball has gotten firmer, as the Cardinals expected with maturity and better training and nutrition, and he now sits 93-94 and touches 96 mph.

Additionally, his changeup has started to become more of a usable pitch and he’s gotten more comfortable throwing it, especially ahead in the count, and he’ll throw his slider in any count. He also uses a curveball on occasion. But for Flaherty the key is his fastball and command of it. He’ll add and subtract velocity, and goes in-out and up-down with it for strikes.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Despite a .500 record, the Cardinals still find themselves on the periphery of the NL Central race and wild-card race as well. But clearly the trade of Leake and promotion of Flaherty portends more of a look toward 2018. With Alex Reyes recovering from Tommy John surgery, Flaherty represents the top righthanded pitching prospect in the organization and along with Luke Weaver and Reyes spearheads a trio the Cardinals hope can carry them back to prominence.

With about a month left in the season, Flaherty could get six starts and shouldn’t be intimidated by the bigger ballparks and louder lineups. His advanced command and increased velocity should play well in the major leagues.