Justin Masterson, Starting Pitcher, Cleveland Indians
Justin Masterson, starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, first signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2006. At that time, he agreed to a minor league contract as a relief pitcher. In 2007, his second season in Boston's minor league system, he became a starting pitcher. The following season, he joined the Red Sox as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher, pitching 88.1 innings in 36 games with them. [read more...]
Kyle Lohse, Starting Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers
Kyle Lohse, starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, was first drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1996. He played in the Cubs' minor league system from 1997 until 1999, when they traded him to the Minnesota Twins. He continued to pitch in the minor leagues until he was called up to the Twins in 2001 to play in 19 games with them. [read more...]
Matt Cain, Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants
Matt Cain, starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was drafted by the Giants in 2002. He played in the minor leagues from 2002 through most of 2005, finishing his minor league career with a 27-15 win-loss record and a 3.33 ERA. He joined the Giants for seven games in 2005. [read more...]
Scott Feldman, Starting Pitcher, Houston Astros
Scott Feldman, starting pitcher for the Houston Astros, was a star pitcher in college when the Astros drafted him in 2002. However, he didn't sign with them. A year later, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers. In October, 2003, he had Tommy John surgery and he played in just four minor league games in 2004. From 2005 through 2007, Feldman was a relief pitcher, playing primarily in the minor leagues. He played in 8 games with the Rangers in 2005 and in 36 games in 2006. [read more...]
Scott Kazmir, Starting Pitcher, Oakland Athletics
Scott Kazmir, starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, was a star pitcher and football player in high school. The Mets drafted him in 2002 but he only played in their minor league system before they traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2004. That season, he played in 8 games with the Rays. [read more...]
Stephen Strasburg, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals
Stephen Strasburg, starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals, was an outstanding player in high school and college. He pitched in the 2008 Olympics, helping the US team win a bronze medal. He was selected by the Nationals as the number one pick in the 2009 draft. In August, 2009, he signed a four-year, $15.1 million contract with the Nationals. [read more...]
Ubaldo Jimenez, Starting Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles
Ubaldo Jimenez, starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, started his professional baseball career in the Colorado Rockies' minor league system in 2002. He spent five years in the minors before being called up to the Rockies in 2006 for 2 games. The following season, he pitched 82.0 innings in 15 games with the Rockies, finishing with a 4.28 ERA. [read more...]
Yu Darvish, Starting Pitcher, Texas Rangers
Yu Darvish, starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers, was a top player in Japan from 2005 through 2011. He started playing baseball as a child and he was already an accomplished player by the time he was in junior high school. He was a star player in high school and was wanted by US teams but he opted to play in Japan. [read more...]
Bartolo Colon, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets
Bartolo Colon, starting pitcher for the New York Mets, has played for eight different teams over a 16-year career in the major leagues. He was first signed in 1993 by the Cleveland Indians. He played in their minor league system from 1994 until he was called up to the Indians in 1997 for 19 games. [read more...]
Chris Sale, Starting Pitcher, Chicago White Sox
Chris Sale, starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, was first drafted in 2007 by the Colorado Rockies but he opted for college instead. He proved to be an outstanding player in college, ending his 2010 season with an 11-0 win-loss record and a 2.01 ERA. He won the National NCAA Pitcher of the Year award in 2010. It was also the year he was drafted by the White Sox. [read more...]