Former Hokie Jesse Hahn will make his MLB Debut
By Tim Thomas
Feb 21, 2014; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Jesse Hahn (72) poses for a photo during photo day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jesse Hahn was one of nine Virginia Tech players to be selected in the 2010 MLB Draft and was seen as a guy that definitely had a chance to be a pitcher in the majors a few years down the road. Of course, there is no guarantee that he would end up being a starting pitcher or arrive in the majors by the 2014 season but Hahn was definitely seen as a guy with upside. Now, Jesse Hahn has arrived in the majors and will make his debut for the San Diego Padres tonight.
Over the course of his three-year career at Virginia Tech, Jesse Hahn was not always the top starting pitcher on the staff but Hahn was one of the many talented pitchers that current manager Patrick Mason played a huge role in developing when he was the Hokies’ pitching coach. Hahn had some really good starts in his final year in Blacksburg including a 7 scoreless inning start against West Virginia in front of many MLB scouts. Hahn would have a very good final season in Blacksburg to end a strong Virginia Tech career before being selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth round.
Before Jesse Hahn took the mound in professional baseball, Hahn would get Tommy John surgery and not make his professional debut until 2012. Jesse Hahn would be dominant in the 2012 and 2013 seasons as he really started to make his climb up the ladder to the Double-A level. Hahn kept hitters under a .230 batting average in his first two minor league seasons and showed a lot of promise that he could get to the major leagues.
Then, Hahn would make a move in a 7-player trade that sent him and Tampa Bay reliever Alex Torres to the San Diego Padres with Logan Forsythe and four others going to the Tampa Bay Rays. Entering this season, Jesse Hahn was seen as the 13th best prospect in the San Diego Padres’ organization by MLB.com. Hahn was also projected by MLB.com as a guy that wouldn’t reach the majors till 2015 but Hahn has proved that prediction wrong.
Jesse Hahn would continue to dominate at Double-A San Antonio with a 2.20 ERA and a batting average of .242 against him. Jesse has made 10 appearances at the Double-A level this past year with 7 starts and despite only having 1 start of 5 innings, Hahn has proven in the past that he can handle a maor league workload for a starter. Hahn’s dominant overall performance at the Double-A level in 2014 led to him being called up to the big leagues to make his major league debut.
Tonight, Jesse Hahn will make his major league debut as the San Diego Padres’ starting pitcher against the defending 2013 NL Wild Card Game champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Hahn will face some tough hitters including 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, slugger Pedro Alvarez, and young outfielder Starling Marte. The Pirates will give Hahn a challenge but he will look to get a win in the first major league start of his career. Hahn is going to be tested tonight but he definitely deserves this opportunity and hopefully will do quite well tonight.
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