Pitcher Zac Curtis Makes MLB Debut for Arizona
May 1, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
VISALIA, CA- The Visalia Rawhide announce today that LHP Zac Curtis has been selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks and made his MLB debut last night in 5-2 loss by Arizona to the Colorado Rockies.
Curtis entered in the top of the ninth inning with runners on first and second and only one out and the D-Backs trailing 5-2. Facing Gerardo Parra of the Rockies, Curtis induced an inning ending double play, needing just three pitches to do so. The Castalian Springs, TN, native made his Major League debut in just his third professional season in the Diamondbacks organization after making the rare jump directly from Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide to the major leagues.
While in a Rawhide uniform the 23-year old lefty made eight appearances for Visalia this season going 1-0 with two saves and an ERA of 5.23. He allowed eight runs (six earned) in 10.1 innings on the mound on 12 hits, walking five and striking out 22 hitters. His 22 punch outs in just 10.1 innings pitched placed him atop the California League leaderboard for SO/9 IP Ratio at 19.16.
It has been a bit of a meteoric rise for the 5'9", 192-pound pitcher. In 2015 he pitched in the Midwest League with Single-A Kane County and earned both a Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star nod after finishing 4-4 with a 1.33 ERA and 33 saves in 36 chances. He was stingy on the mound allowing only 33 hits and nine runs (eight earned) in 54.0 innings with 75 strikeouts in a Cougars uniform while issuing just 12 free passes and holding opposing hitters to a .176 batting average. His season also netted him an Arizona Organizational All-Star Award at season's end.
The former Middle Tennessee State University hurler is 7-5 in with a 1.68 ERA spanning 85 games and 91.1 innings on the mound. He is 49 for 54 in saves in his young career and has allowed 22 runs (17 earned) on 63 hits, 29 walks and he has accumulated 139 strikeouts while allowing just two home runs and opposing hitters swing at a clip of .193 against him.
Curtis was originally a 6th round draft choice in 2014 by Arizona and he becomes the first member of the Visalia Rawhide to jump directly from Visalia to Major League Baseball since 1B Kent Hrbek did it in 1981 and he becomes the 271st Visalia franchise Alumnus to make his Major League debut and the 43rd Rawhide Alumnus to do so.
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