The Phillies minor league system has had a busy week with the addition of new blood to Clearwater, Reading and Lehigh Valley. Shortly after Double-A catcher Andrew Knapp was announced as the Eastern League Player of the Week by MiLB.com, newly-acquired pitcher Jerad Eickhoff was named as the International League Pitcher of the Week.
Eickhoff, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Phillies 17th best prospect in the organization, wasn't really a highly regarded part of the deal that sent Cole Hamels to Texas. The three top tier prospects, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro, were the names mentioned the most, but both Eickhoff and Alec Asher have fared well in their transition to the Phillies organization.
"Having a guy I can go to, knowing we're going through the transition together, is good," Eickhoff said. "We can talk about things we're adjusting to. I think it's a positive."
Asher agreed, adding, "I don't know what it would have been like to go through this myself. I'm sure it would have been a little harder. It definitely makes it easier to have someone you can talk to." [MiLB.com]
A former 15th round pick, the 25-year-old Eickhoff debuted for the Ironpigs on August 4th against Toledo, Detriot's Triple-A affiliate. In six-innings, the righty allowed just one run on six hits while striking out seven. He followed that performance up with eight shutout innings on Sunday against Columbus, Triple-A affiliate of the Indians. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four. Here's part of MLB.com's scouting report on Eickhoff.
Strong and physical, Eickhoff has a 91-95 mph fastball that touches 97. He complements it with a hard curveball that gives him a second plus pitch at times, as well as a slider that can be a solid offering. He throws strikes and uses his 6-foot-4 frame to pitch on a downhill plane.
Eickhoff is now 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA since joining the Phillies organization. Before coming over to the Phils, Eickoff was 9-4 with a 4.25 ERA with the Rangers Triple-A club. He ranked in the top five in WHIP (1.26), batting average against (.249), wins (9) and strikeouts (93) in the Pacific Coast League prior to the trade.
Eickhoff's teammate from the Rangers, Alec Asher, rebounded in his second start after giving up four runs over six innings in his Ironpigs debut last week. On Saturday night against Columbus, Asher toss seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out and walking a pair. Through his first two starts, Asher is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA.
