Cincinnati Reds: If you haven’t heard of Jimmy Herget, you will

Jimmy Herget, a relief pitcher for the Louisville Bats, was on fire last night. He struck out three of the four batters he faced. The young prospect for the Cincinnati Reds may find his way to the Majors sooner than later.

Jimmy Herget was a fifth-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds in 2015. A three-year starter at South Florida, Herget has yet to start a game in the minor leagues. That statistic is not likely to change, as the young right-hander is showing off his dominant stuff at Triple-A Louisville.

Herget pitched last night for the Bats in their 6-3 loss to the Columbus Clippers. Herget came in during the top of the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. He threw three, all for strikes and ended Clippers’ scoring chances.

Herget trotted back out to finish things off in the ninth inning. The crafty right-hander needed more than just a few pitches to take care of Columbus in the top of the inning, but he kept the Clippers off the base paths. He didn’t allow a walk or a hit during the ninth inning and struck out two of the three batters he faced.

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Last night was the fourth game in a row that Herget has not allowed a hit. Over his last 5 appearances, Herget’s worked 6 innings, gave up only 2 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 6 and hasn’t allowed a single run.

Herget was dominant in his first minor-league assignment. During his first full season, with the Daytona Tortugas, Herget carried a 1.78 ERA. He played in 50 games and locked down 24 of his 27 save opportunities. He struck out 83 batters through 60.2 innings during his stint in Advanced-A ball.

Throughout his minor league career, Herget has maintained a 2.64 ERA in 158 games played. He’s pitched a total of 187.2 innings and has amassed 225 strikeouts.

Herget has a unique throwing style. He has a very slow wind-up, but his release is lightning quick and it comes from varying angles. He can throw sidearm, or he can release the ball with a three-quarters arm angle. Regardless of which way he decides to release the ball, it’s coming out fast. His fastball tops out in the mid-to-upper 90’s.

If Austin Brice, who the Reds just called up to replace the demoted Tanner Rainey, struggles at the Major League-level, I’d love to see the Reds’ front office give Herget a shot. At the very least, a September call-up should be in order.

Next: What keeping Gennett means for the Reds' prospects

Herget is only 24-years old and looks to be in great position to lock down a role as a late-inning setup man or closer for the Cincinnati Reds in the future. This young man’s stuff is electric, and the Ricky Vaughn ‘Wild Thing’ glasses are a nice touch too. If you haven’t yet heard of Jimmy Herget, you will.

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