Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Alex Young certainly was an improbable candidate to make his MLB debut this past Thursday. The team elevated Young from AAA-Reno. The 25-year-old Young, who was ranked as high as third on the Diamondbacks prospect by MLB.com back in 2016, had fallen off the rankings. He was needed in an emergency start due to injuries to the other Diamondbacks starters. The Diamondback prevailed 5-1, making Young a winner in his Major League debut at Oracle Park.
He looked poised and comfortable, his relaxation apparent as he limited the San Francisco Giants to one run and three hits in five innings. Young was calm and under control and he threw strikes. Although he was not overpowering, he mixed his pitches and changed speeds to keep the hitters guessing.
Not the Diamondbacks First Choice
Young was not the Diamondbacks first choice to fill a rotation spot. He wasn’t even someone the club had thought of as a future starter entering the year. However, the injuries and the inconsistency to the starting rotation created his opportunity and he might find himself getting the ball again. This team is looking for somebody to step up, and he did that. He did everything he needed to in order to get another opportunity to pitch for the Diamondbacks at the big-league level.
His Arrival to MLB
Young was drafted in the second round of the 2015 out of TCU. He made his professional debut in the Rookie AZL league with the Arizona League Diamondbacks. He was then promoted to the Hillsboro Hops, finishing the season while posting a 1.50 ERA in six innings.
In 2016, he played for both the Kane County Cougars and Visalia Rawhide. He ended up pitching to a combined 5-8 record and a 3.56 ERA between the teams. In 2017 he played for the Jackson Generals, going 9-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 games. He then split 2018 with Jackson and the Reno Aces, pitching to a combined 10-5 record with a 5.17 ERA in 29 games between both teams. This season, he opened back with Reno, known as the top “launching-pad” in the PCL. Before being called up, Young was 4-3 with a high ERA of 6.09.
Move to the Bullpen
When Young did not live up to billing as a starter late last season, the Diamondbacks decided to shift him to the bullpen, telling him they saw more big-league opportunity for him as a long reliever or set-up pitcher. He had pitched eight games out of the bullpen in the minors and looked good. He began 2019 in the bullpen until a need arose in the Reno starting rotation and he moved up.
Pitching Style
Young’s pitching style is three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, a slider/curveball, and a changeup. He possesses an ability to throw all of them for strikes. His fastball is average, thrown around 91-92 MPH. When he entered pro ball, his slider has changed into more of a curveball and is considered Major League “average.” He has worked on improving and strengthening his changeup every year. Though this gives him some flexibility—rather than any one true pitch he has three—his “bread and butter” pitch how-ever is his curveball.
Future for Him
Young’s future remains unclear, but manager Torey Lovullo was considering Young to start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. That has been pushed back as two days off this week make a fifth starter unnecessary until after the All-Star break. He certainly gives the team an option when the need comes up again for an emergency start.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
