Putting the “Art” in Stewart
Zach Stewart is a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher who was the prized asset of the Scott Rolen trade to the Cincinnati Reds in July 2009. He was acquired by the Blue Jays along with Josh Roenicke and Edwin Encarnacion. As the former 3rd rounder (84th overall) in the 2008 MLB draft, Stewart is vying for a spot on the upcoming 2011 rotation. With the potential that has been observed recently, there is proof that with a good spring he deserves a shot at the show.
Stewart is a 4-pitch pitcher who has the stuff to be a solid No. 3-4 starter: Some scouts believe that Stewart will never be more than a bullpen guy. However, Keith Law of ESPN, believes that Stewart has the foundation to become a solid starter with time. I tend to agree with Law as his delivery is smooth and there are no obvious red flags stating he would not be fit as a starting pitcher. He also has a solid repertoire, which consists of a sinker, slider, curve-ball, and change-up. He is often referred to as your prototypical ground-ball pitcher because of his tremendous sink on his fastball. His fastball sits at 91-93 MPH regularly, and can touch 96 MPH with a ton of sink. Law said Stewart’s fastball is one of the best moving fastballs in his top 100 prospect ratings. His slider is referred to as a knock out pitch, or what is commonly referred to as a “swing and miss” pitch in the majors – a quality that the Blue Jays organization should look forward to seeing this season.
Now ranked 44th on Keith Law’s top 100 Prospect List, many have faith in the young right-hander, not only as a reliever, but as a bona fide starter. His second season as a Blue Jay and first season as a starter was filled with nothing but promise. At the young age of 23, Stewart exceeded all expectations, finishing the 2010 season with an 8-3 record with a 3.63 ERA in 136.1 innings of work. He also finished with 7K/9 and 3.56BB/9, which is equivalent to a very respectable 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio.
He has already proven how well he can pitch in tough situations. On September 9, 2010, in the second game of the Fisher Cats’ playoff series against the Trenton Thunder, Yankees AA affiliate, Stewart merely out-duelled recently-retired Andy Pettite. Stewart showed that he will not back down when facing a tough team or strong pitching opponent, tossing a 7 inning gem. He finished his performance by striking out 10 batters, only walking 1, while giving up only 3 hits in 7 innings of work. It was situations much like this that enabled the Blue Jays to realize the young pitcher’s potential.
The future: What can Blue Jays fans expect from him this year? It should be reinforced that Stewart is entering only his second full year as a starting pitcher, and will likely have his innings limited this year. With a strong spring, he has a high potential of cracking the rotation as a number 5 starter. That being said, it is likely he will return to the minors out of spring training, but don’t expect him to be down there too long.
