Jered Weaver: Angels New Number One
Before this past offseason, John Lackey was the man in Anaheim. The Los Angeles Angels’ ace had been leading the way until his departure to the Boston Red Sox. The move has left room for Jered Weaver to become the number one pitcher for the Angels and he has come out smelling like a rose.
Weaver will play in the MLB All-Star game due to an injury to C.C Sabathia. He is having a great season for the Angels after years of being number two behind Lackey.
Weaver has built a reputation for delivering pitches that are really hard to read. As he winds up, he hides the ball from the batter, making it difficult to determine his release point. His pitches include a two-seam fastball and a four-seam fastball in which he can throw up to 92 mph. He can also throw some devastating breaking balls including a change up, slider and curveball.
Weaver played at California State in his collegiate career, winning the d**k Howser Trophy in 2004 as the player of the year in collegiate baseball. He also won the Roger Clemons Award as the pitcher of the year.
In his senior year, Weaver was projected to be a top pick in the MLB draft. He finished his collegiate career with a 37-9 record. He was 15-1 in his senior year with 213 strikeouts and only 21 walks in 144 innings.
Weaver would have been a top three pick in 2004, but his agent Scott Boras was demanding too much for teams to show interest. Weaver dropped down to th overall where he was selected by the Angels. Scouting director Eddie Bane said he’d take Weaver in a heartbeat if he was available: “We did our homework. We started when Jered first got to Long Beach. I watched him in intra-squad games back in January. All our guys had seen him. We didn't back off because of reports in the paper. We do our stuff privately. We were prepared if he was there at 12 to take him.”
The pitcher made his debut in 2006 against the Baltimore Orioles. He didn’t disappoint as he shut out the Orioles through seven innings, struck out five and picked up the victory.
Weaver was shortly sent down to the minors due to injuries healing, but he was quickly called back up and won his first nine starts. He finished the season with an 11-2 record and a 2.56 ERA.
Weaver’s first relief action came in game 3 of the 2008 ALDS when the Angels were trying to stave off elimination against the Boston Red Sox. Weaver came in as a reliever and helped extend the series.
The young pitcher has been a force with the Angels his whole career. Last year, he helped the Angels reach the ALCS before they were eliminated by the New York Yankees.
This past offseason, Weaver re-signed with the Angels and once Lackey left for Boston, there were questions of who would take over the number one job. Many felt Weaver was up to it. "Sure, I'd love to have that role. But I really don't like to think about it. I just try to improve every year, and this year is no exception."
The Angels currently sit below the Texas Rangers as they head into the All Star break. Weaver will now get to pitch in front of the home crowd in Anaheim for the All Star Game. He is enjoying his spot as the Angels’ top man in the rotation, and after the All-Star break, he will be looking to lead his team to another division title.
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