Jake Esch

Jacob Otto Esch...spent three years at Georgia Tech as a pitcher and infielder…posted a 4.13 ERA (24.0 ip/11 er) with two saves in 20 career appearances…had a career .304 (144x474) batting average with 29 doubles, nine home runs and 79 RBI…named to the 2010 NCAA Atlanta All-Regional Team as a sophomore… graduated in 2008 from Cretin-Derham Hall High School (St. Paul, MN), the same school Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer attended, and led the baseball team to the 2007 state title.

2016

Combined on 12-11 record with one shutout and 4.41 ERA (155.0 ip/76 er) in sixth professional season, seeing time at Double-A Jacksonville, Triple-A New Orleans and Miami...Established professional highs in starts (29), innings pitched and strikeouts (106)...Began campaign with Jacksonville, compiling a 10-9 record and 4.03 ERA (118.1/53) over 22 starts...Received decision in each of first 10 starts, going 6-4 in that span...Earned win in season opener, April 7 vs. Birmingham, surrendering one run and three hits while walking one, hitting one batter and striking out seven over 6.0 innings... Tossed season-high 7.0 innings on May 14 vs. Montgomery. Allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in loss. Equaled inning total in back-to-back starts on July 3 vs. Tennessee and July 8 at Biloxi... Pitched considerably better at home than on road, going 7-3 with 3.14 ERA (63.0/22) in 11 starts at home and 3-6 with 5.04 ERA (55.1/31) in 11 outings on road... Promoted to New Orleans on August 9 and made first start that night in second game of doubleheader against Memphis. Earned win after holding Redbirds scoreless in 7.0 inning shutout, allowing five hits and a walk with two strikeouts... Also reached 7.0 innings on Aug. 20 vs. Oklahoma City. Limited Dodgers to two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven in second win with Zephyrs... Recalled by Miami on Aug. 31 and made Major League debut that night at Citi Field against Mets. In first career start, surrendered two runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two over 4.1 innings... In second start, Sept. 5 vs. Philadelphia, allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 5.0 innings... In final start, Sept. 13 at Atlanta, recorded first career hit with infield single to shortstop off Matt Wisler in third inning. 

2015

Pitched for Rookie-level GCL Marlins (two starts), Double-A Jacksonville (15) and Triple-A New Orleans (six), going 8-8 with a 3.72 ERA (123.1 ip/51 er) in 23 combined starts...Tied for third among Marlins Minor Leaguers in wins and ranked fifth in ERA...Named a Southern League Midseason All-Star after he went 5-4 with a 3.65 ERA (69.0/28) in his first 12 starts with Jacksonville...Had two stints with both Jacksonville (April 3-14, April 23-August 9) and New Orleans (April 15-22, August 20-September 6)...Held opponents scoreless in three of his first four starts with Jacksonville while posting a 3-1 record and 1.93 ERA (23.1/5)...Lasted 6.0 innings or longer in nine of 15 starts for Jacksonville (seven quality starts)...Struck out a season-high eight batters across 7.0 scoreless innings on May 6 in a win at Mobile... Was on Jacksonville's seven-day disabled list with left oblique strain from July 15-August 20...Went 1-0 and did not allow a run in two rehab starts (8.0 ip) for GCL Marlins...Combined to go 5-3 with a 2.14 ERA (59.0/14) in 10 home starts compared to 3-5 with a 5.18 ERA (64.1/37) in 13 road starts...After season, made six starts for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League, going 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA (19.2/10).