3 issues to learn about new Crimson Sox depth arm Logan Gillaspie

With just some quick weeks left within the 2023 MLB season, the Boston Crimson Sox made a transfer to spice up their pitching depth.

On Monday, the Crimson Sox claimed aid pitcher Logan Gillaspie off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. They positioned outfielder Jarren Duran on the 60-day injured listing to make room for Gillaspie on the 40-man roster.

In 28 video games spent in two seasons as an Oriole, Gillaspie put collectively a 4.10 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in 26.1 innings pitched. The best-hander has struggled this season with a 6.00 ERA in 9 IP and has spent most of his 2023 with Triple-A Norfolk, however his 3.12 ERA in 17.1 IP final season suggests promise and instruments the Crimson Sox can work with.

It’s unclear as as to whether or not we are going to see Gillaspie within the main leagues this season. But when he does pitch at Fenway Park, listed here are three issues to learn about him.

He has had a troublesome journey to get to the main leagues.

Upon graduating in 2015 from Frontier Excessive College in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., Gillaspie didn’t hear his title known as in that yr’s MLB Draft. He then enrolled at Oxnard School, a neighborhood faculty positioned a number of hours away from Bakersfield, and performed pitcher and a few infield for its baseball crew. After leaving Oxnard, he as soon as once more went undrafted within the 2017 MLB Draft.

However Gillaspie wasn’t prepared to surrender baseball. After going undrafted for the second time, he stayed in California and signed with the Pecos League’s Monterey Amberjacks. From there, he moved all throughout the nation, taking part in in Salina, Kan. (Salina Stockade), Sonoma County, Calif. (Sonoma Stompers) and Metro Detroit, Mich. (Eastside Diamond Hoppers) earlier than signing a minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. He made it to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Milwaukee’s Single-A affiliate, with a 3.69 ERA earlier than the Brewers launched him in 2019 because of a torn ACL.

In a function with Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, Gillaspie revealed that he made most of his residing digging swimming pools within the time he spent away from baseball. groups would name him a couple of potential return to baseball, however they might finish these discussions and refused to observe up after studying of his torn ACL. 

However Orioles director of Professional Scouting Mike Snyder saved calling Gillaspie again. Gillaspie would check out for Snyder’s group in Feb. 2020, who would signal him to a minor league contract in June 2021. He began that yr in Excessive-A earlier than transferring as much as Double-A earlier than that season’s finish, and he made his main league debut on Could 17, 2022 after simply six video games spent in Triple-A. 

He depends on 4 pitches, together with a 95 mph fastball.

Gillaspie’s most frequent pitch is his four-seam fastball that travels at 95.6 miles per hour, a velocity Baseball Savant locations on the eightieth percentile amongst all main leaguers. Forty 4 % of all of his pitches this season have been this four-seamer, and it has seen as many plate appearances (23) as each one among his different pitches mixed.

However Gillaspie has three different pitches he likes to make use of, a uncommon quantity for a reliever. Every of those pitches have seen constant use as effectively. In line with Baseball Savant, 25.7 % of Gillaspie’s pitches are sliders, 16.8 % are changeups, and 13.6 % are curveballs. His slider has a 25 % whiff price this season, and his curveball has given him extra strikeouts than hits this yr.

He’s given Crimson Sox gamers hassle previously.

Gillaspie has confronted Boston, his former crew’s division rival, six occasions in his MLB profession. It hasn’t all the time been simple for the Crimson Sox in these video games.