Jon Lester

[stocker323]

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/images/johnlester.jpg

 

#31 Jon Lester- Starting Pitcher

 

Age: 20

Born: January 7, 1984

Puyallup, WA

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Drafted: 2nd Round, 2002

How Acquired: Draft

High School: Bellarmine College Prepatory (San Jose, CA)

ETA: late 2006

 

Scouting Report: Very athletic lefty - fastball reaches low 90's, with an above-average change-up, along with a curveball that is slowly improving. Has an easy delivery motion which has helped him to a fantastic sophomore season. While he may be one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, he still only currently projects as a third starter.

 

This year he's 4-3 with a 4.12 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

[Zenny]

Lester's ERA as a starter is actually 2.17. He pitched in relief in one of BK Kim's rehab outings and gave up 10 runs without getting an out, so he's really only given up 11 earned runs in 45.2 innings. Since he's not a reliever, that can basically be thrown out. Glad to see he's healthy again as he was just activated off the DL two days ago.

[YanksHater213]

haha, BK gave him some bad karma lol

[stocker323]

In his first rehab start he pitched a scoreless inning on Friday. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday.

[stocker323]

Jon Lester was hit by a line drive in his first game coming back to Sarasota and was forced to leave the game.

[elsrbueno]

Lester was almost sent to Texas in teh A-Rod deal.

 

Glad to see he's still around, and hope he does well!

 

Please update on his injury situation whenever there are updates!

[stocker323]

Hey, I'm back. The latest update I've had on Lester is that he's been back from his injury and that he had 6 K's on July 5th sorry I don't have any more recent or detailed updates. His next start is scheduled for Friday.

[elsrbueno]

Jon Lester may be interesting to watch throughout July. With the Red Sox in persuit of 2004 upgrades, Lester may be a casualty.

[stocker323]

Here's some more stuff I found about Lester from the Sarasota website. Just some interesting tidbits.

 

Jon's favorite player growing up was Ken Griffey Jr. He like Iranian food and the color blue. His most memorable moment was in high school when he threw a 19K no-hitter. Jon's biggest accomplishment was being named WA's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002. He likes to fish, hunt, golf, play cards, and play computer games. If he wasn't playing professional baseball, he would be attending a university.

 

 

 

Jon is 4-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) and has 54 strikeouts in 48.2 innings this year.

[stocker323]

Jon pitched 4 innings tonight against Lakeland. He gave up 4 hits, 3 runs and 2 walks and struck out 5. He picked up his 5th loss of the season.

[stocker323]

Jon pitched against Palm Beach on Thursday. He gave up 2 runs in the 1st and shut them out the rest of the way. He went 5 innings with 3 hits and 2 walks, while giving up 2 runs and striking out 5. He had a no decision.

[stocker323]

Jon pitched Wednesday against Lakeland. He went 5 innings and gave up 4 hits 2 runs 2 walks and had 4 strikeouts. He picked up his 5th win of the season.

[Zenny]

Lester has been hitting 96 on the gun this year. If he stays away from major arm injuries, he's Eddie Guardado at worst. He could be something special if his arm holds up.

[CrespoBlows]

What's with Theo Epstein and his refusal to promote pitchers, I think Papelpon, and Lester should be in Portland by this year. We don't really have prospects in Double and Triple A. (Shoppach, Ramriez, and Alvarez are it) we need these guys in Double A.

[yeszir]

To be honest with you, I'd rather have slow progression and full development than having players rushed through the minors before they can "blossom" so to speak. It would be a shame to spoil possibly wonderful careers by thrusting kids (I say kids, even though they're older than I am) aren't ready for higher level action yet, or are borderline ready.

[Zenny]

I was just thinking about this for some reason. On April 15th, 2004, Jon Lester had a bad game in his only appearance as a reliever. In 0 IP (he didn't get an out), he gave up 6 hits, 9 ER, 3 BB and 0 K's.

 

Here's his final line as a starter: 90.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.85 K/BB, 9.66 K/9, 3.39 BB/9, 7.57 H/9

 

Pretty damn good considering he was only 20 last year. I expect big things if he keeps it up and remains healthy. That health has been a bit of a concern, as it is with most high school pitchers.

[stocker323]

Lester pitched fairly well in his 2005 debut for the Sea Dogs yesterday. 4 IP 5 H 3 ER 1 BB 7 K.

[Zenny]

Lester's been extremely excellent thus far. 10 starts, 57.1 IP, 50 H (4 HR), 59/19 K/BB and a 2.98 ERA. Also consider that he's just 21 years old and in a tough pitcher's league and park and that makes what he's done so far even better. He's had some arm trouble in the past, which is moderately worrying, but he's establishing himself as the best left-handed pitching prospect we've had in a long time.

[CrespoBlows]

Call up Lester

 

7 IP's 10 K 2 hits allowed

[stocker323]

14 K's, and a CG 1 hitter for Lester tonight.

[soxie thefangirl]

Nice.

[ORS]

Sounds like he's ready for 3A ball.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

How hard does he throw??

[ORS]

On redsox.com they have story about the performance. In it they list his stuff as mid-90's FB, cutter, curve, change.

[elsrbueno]

On redsox.com they have story about the performance. In it they list his stuff as mid-90's FB, cutter, curve, change.

 

mid-90s heater from a lefty... that really is nice... and rare.

 

Seems like the Sox are pushing the prized arms pretty quickly. Declarman and Papelbon have already been promoted. Is Lester next?

 

Just think we almost dealt this guy for A-Rod in the Ramirez deal.

[riverside sluggers]

theo would be assinine to give him up, this is in the trade buzz section of boston.com

 

Lester's been lights out

Sox prospect Jon Lester threw a complete game one-hit shutout Monday night in the Portland Sea Dogs' (Double A) victory. Lester, a left-handed pitcher, struck out 14 in the dominating performance, and has struck out 25 batters in his last 14 innings. Epstein has said that he will not trade Lester in a deadline deal, but the pitcher remains one of the team’s most attractive assets and could fetch a proven major leaguer in a deal.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

If you had to compare this guy to someone in the majors who would it be, for anyone who has seen or heard things??? Buehrle, Bedard, Zito, Santana??? or not close to the potential of those guys???

[yankeessuck013]

LESTER GOES THE DISTANCE IN PORTLAND'S 4-2 WIN OVER NEW BRITAIN

Lester's First Career Nine-Inning Complete Game Gives Dogs Fifth Straight Win

08/01/2005

 

Jon Lester tossed his first career nine-inning complete game, a 104-pitch nine-hitter with six strikeouts, as the Portland Sea Dogs won their fifth consecutive game with a 4-2 win over the New Britain Rock Cats before a sellout crowd at Hadlock Field on Monday night.

 

Jeremy West and David Murphy added home runs for the Sea Dogs, who beat New Britain at home for the sixth time in seven games.

 

Lester allowed a runner in every inning, but was economical with his pitch count. Lester threw fewer than 10 pitches in five of his nine innings. The lefty fired 104 pitches, including 65 for strikes. He fanned six, walked three and hit two batters.

 

West hit a solo homer off Glen Perkins in the second inning to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead. After Denard Span tied it with an RBI single in the third, Murphy went deep over the wall in right field following a Chris Durbin double to put the Dogs ahead for good.

 

West added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to close the scoring.

 

Lester earned the Allied Home Mortgage Big Dog of the Game award for the ninth time this season.

 

Notes: Lester is the first Eastern League pitcher this season with three complete games this season -- the first two were seven-inning games...Murphy extended his hit streak to 10 games -- he has nine extra base hits, eight RBI and nine runs scored during the streak...Sheldon Fulse doubled to extend his hit streak to a season-high eight games...Anibal Sanchez (2-1) looks for his third straight win Tuesday night at 7:00 against Nick Blackburn (1-2).

[ORS]

Last night:

 

7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K

 

in an 8-0 victory over the Fisher Cats.

[ksushi]

he is un real

 

him and sanchez