Jesse Biddle

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2010
R:  3-1-0, 4.32 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 33.1 IP, 2.4 BB/9, 11.1 K/9
A-:  1-0-0, 2.61 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 9.6 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

Biddle mostly pitched very well in his Gulf Coast League debut, striking out over 11 batters per nine innings.  Out of nine starts, he struggled in three, giving up 19 of the 23 total runs he allowed.  He finished with three starts in the New York-Pennsylvania League, where he struggled to throw strikes.

2011
A:  7-8-0, 2.98 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 133.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 8.4 K/9

The Phillies moved Biddle up to full season ball, where he pitched well apart from a high walk rate.  He held hitters to a 218/316/292 line.

2012
A+:  10-6-0, 3.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 142.2 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

Biddle was the Florida State League’s second-youngest ERA qualifier after Jameson Taillon.  He made good progress with his walk rate while also improving his K rate.

2013
AA:  5-14-0, 3.64 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 138.1 IP, 5.3 BB/9, 10.0 K/9

In AA, Biddle was very hard to hit.  Opponents batted only .210 against him and his K rate went higher still, but he had trouble throwing strikes.

2014
R:  0-0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
A+:  2-0-0, 0.90 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 8.1 K/9
AA:  3-10-0, 5.05 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 82.0 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

The Phillies sent Biddle back to AA and he had a rough season.  He suffered a freakish concussion in a hailstorm early in the season and may still have had concussion symptoms as he continued to pitch.  He struggled off and on, with control remaining a problem.  The Phillies sat him down following a 10-run outing in late June.  He worked his way back through a rehab assignment and made one last start in AA.  The Phillies added him to their 40-man roster after the season.

2015
AA:  7-2-0, 4.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 80.2 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 6.4 K/9
AAA:  2-4-0, 6.25 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

Biddle left winter ball prior to the 2015 season with elbow soreness.  In retrospect, it seems likely he wasn’t healthy all year.  He opened in AA for the third straight year and made progress with his walk issues, but he was uncharacteristically easy to hit.  The Phillies promoted him to AAA in July anyway and he struggled through nine rough starts there.  After the season he had Tommy John surgery.

Biddle obviously is a long-term project for the Pirates.  Hopefully, he’ll be ready to go at the beginning of the 2017 season.  The Pirates designated him for assignment, however, during spring training when they signed David Freese.  They’re no doubt hoping that he’ll clear waivers.