Jason Hirsh

Jason Michael Hirsh

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 8", Weight 250 lb.
• School California Lutheran University
• High School St. Francis High School (La Canada)
• Debut August 12, 2006
• Final Game September 26, 2008
• Born February 20, 1982 in Santa Monica, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Pitcher Jason Hirsh spent part of three seasons in the majors.

He was 9-1 with a 3.68 ERA with 126 strikeouts, 22 walks and 97 hits allowed in 100 innings in his last collegiate season. Hirsh was selected by the Houston Astros in the second round of the 2003 amateur draft. He was Houston's first pick, as they lost their first-round choice due to their signing of Jeff Kent. He was signed by scout Mel Nelson and made his pro debut that summer.

Hirsh debuted with the 2003 Tri-City ValleyCats, going 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, 33 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings and a .189 opponent batting average. In 2004, Jason was 11-7, 4.01 for the Salem Avalanche. Playing for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2005, he went 13-8 with a 2.87 ERA and a league-best 165 strikeouts and was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.

In 2006, Hirsh was 13-2 with a 2.10 ERA for the Round Rock Express and was allowing just a .193 average when Houston called him up to the majors in August. He had the 7th-lowest ERA in the US-based minors and was rated by Baseball America as having the best breaking pitch in the PCL and being the #9 prospect int he Pacific Coast League, between Adam Jones and Carlos Quentin. Hirsh led the PCL in ERA, .41 ahead of Chris Sampson. Hirsh made the league All-Star team and was named Pitcher of the Year. He also tied for the league lead in wins. He was less successful (3-4, 6.04) for the 2006 Astros in his MLB debut.

After the 2006 season, Hirsh, along with Willy Taveras and Taylor Buchholz, was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio. He only pitched three games in the minors for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (1-2) in 2007, going 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA as a regular member of the 2007 Rockies rotation. In 2008, though, he gave up 15 hits and 10 runs in 8 2/3 IP for the Rockies and was not particularly sharp with the Sky Sox either (4-4, 5.80, 52 BB in 99 1/3 IP).

The former prospect opened 2009 even worse with Colorado Springs (6-7, 6.66) and was sold to the New York Yankees. With the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, he was sharper (4-0, 1.35) to end the year. In 2010, he had a 9-7, 3.90 record for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was the team's #2 starter after Ivan Nova. He did not pitch in the regular season in 2011 then did poorly in winter ball with the Melbourne Aces (2-2, 6.90). After not pitching 2012, he signed with the Amarillo Sox for 2013.

His brother, Matt Hirsh, pitched in the minor leagues in 2005 and 2007.

Notable Achievements

• 2005 Pitcher of the Year Texas League Corpus Christi Hooks
• 2006 Pitcher of the Year Pacific Coast League Round Rock Express