James Michael Marvel...Is a 2012 graduate of Campolindo High School in Moraga, CA...Hit .433 with 26 RBI during his senior season...Pitched, and won, section finals at Oakland Coliseum...Lettered three years in football as a wide receiver/ safety...Was a two-time first-place finisher in Fiction Long Prose of the Joaquin Moraga Creative Writing Contest as a youth...His mother, Julie, played golf at the University of Minnesota and was a four-time state amateur and junior champion...She won the 1979 North and South Amateur at Pinehurst (NC)...His father, John, is an executive producer for NFL Media, formerly of ESPN...Pitched two years (2013-14) at Duke University...Made four starts in 2014 before having Tommy John surgery in May...Earned a double major in English and History...Signed by Pirates scout Sean Heffernan.
2019
Was named Pittsburgh's Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year after going 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA (162.1ip/53er) in 28 total starts between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis...Led all of minor league baseball in wins...Also led all Pirates farmhands in wins, strikeouts and ERA (minimum 100.0ip)...Began season with Altoona, where he was named to the Eastern League's mid-season AllStar team...Went 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA (29.2ip/5er) in his five starts during the month of April; finished the month making back-to-back scoreless outings (14.0ip)...Gave up a seasonhigh eight runs in 5.1ip on 5/12 vs. Erie...His start on 5/30 at Trenton (2.0ip/0r) was suspended due to rain...Went 5-0 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts during the month of June and 6-1 with a 2.11 ERA (55.1ip/13er) in his final nine Double-A starts...Was promoted to Indianapolis on 7/1 and pitched 7.0 scoreless innings for the win in his first Triple-A start on 7/5 vs. Toledo... Went 7-0 with a 2.67 ERA in 11 starts with Indianapolis; the seven wins in that time (7/5 thru 9/2) led all International League pitchers...Was selected from Indianapolis on 9/8... Made Major League debut on 9/8 vs. St. Louis and suffered a 2-0 loss to Jack Flaherty (5.0+ip/2er); did not allow a hit until the fourth inning...Surrendered seven runs, including four in the second inning, while losing his second start on 9/14 at Chicago...Tossed 3.1 innings and gave up five runs while losing third straight big league start on 9/21 at Milwaukee... Made his fourth and final start with the Pirates on 9/28 vs. Cincinnati and gave up two run in 5.0ip...Went hitless in four big league at bats.
2018
Spent majority of 2018 season with Bradenton, where he tied for the Florida State League lead in complete games...Also ranked third in innings pitched, fourth in WHIP (1.21) and seventh in ERA...Went 12-7 with a 3.55 in 27 total games (26 starts) between Bradenton and Altoona in 2018...Tied for third among Pittsburgh minor leaguers in wins and fourth in strikeouts (122) in 2018...Also posted three complete games in 2018 while pitching a minor league careerhigh 167.1 innings...Made his only career "relief" appearance on 4/18/18 vs. Palm Beach; pitched 5.0 innings after A.J. Schugel made a 1.0-inning rehab start with Bradenton.
