Kurt Yacko

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2008
R+:  1-1-11, 4.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 26.1 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 14.7 K/9

Yacko posted mostly good numbers in his debut, including an exception K rate, but he allowed a HR every five innings.

2009
A:  2-2-4, 3.52 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 69.0 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 11.2 K/9

In low A, Yacko continued to fan a lot of hitters without walking many.  He also got his HR rate down to one every 14 innings, but he gave up slightly more than a hit per inning.

2010
A+:  6-5-5, 3.50 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 64.0 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 9.8 K/9

Yacko had a very similar season to the previous one, and did it in the high-offense California League.

2011
A+:  1-6-3, 1.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 72.2 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

The Rockies sent Yacko back to the California League and he put up similar numbers again, except he allowed only one HR, which helped cut his ERA roughly in half, and his K rate dropped.

2012
A+:  6-4-1, 3.64 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 59.1 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 7.6 K/9
AA:  0-1-0, 15.43 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 7.7 BB/9, 15.4 K/9

Yacko went back to the Cal League yet again, except for a two-game stint in AA.  He got hit harder and allowed seven HRs this time.

2013
A-:  2-1-0, 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 1.6 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 18.56 ERA, 3.38 WHIP, 5.1 IP, 11.8 BB/9, 3.4 K/9

The Pirates signed Yacko after their two class A teams had very rough first weeks, including serious bullpen problems.  He went to Bradenton for three games in May, but that obviously didn’t go well at all.  Once Jamestown’s season started, the Pirates assigned Yacko there.  He pitched out of the bullpen and did reasonably well.

The Rockies seem to have concluded that Yacko was maxed out at high A.  He’s 26 now, but the normal considerations don’t apply with knuckleballers.  The Pirates will probably try him somewhere in class A in 2014 and it’s anybody’s guess what will happen.