After being called up to the Washington Nationals for a spot start on Saturday, here’s what can we expect from young right-hander Austin Voth this afternoon.
It’s going to be a big day for Austin Voth on Saturday, as he makes his Washington Nationals debut. He’s already been on the active roster twice in 2018, but this time, he will actually pitch.
Although less heralded in prospect standings than other starters who have come up this year, such as Erick Fedde and Jefry Rodriguez, he’s arguably the more complete pitcher right now.
So far this season in Triple-A with the Syracuse Chiefs, Voth is 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA. He even has a 3.16 FIP so far in 2018 and seemingly has little left to prove in Syracuse now.
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The right-hander has been incredibly locked in of late. In his last five starts, he has a 1.62 ERA, with 27 strikeouts to just seven walks, showcasing his great control.
Voth has a deceptive over-the-top type delivery, that allows his stuff to play up a bit. He replicates this delivery well that has kept hitters guessing at times in Triple-A.
Voth has a fastball that sits around 92 mph, which is a couple of ticks up from last season when he dipped into the high 80s. He pairs it with an above-average changeup, a nice slider, and a curveball.
You may remember Voth’s name from when he was lighting up Triple-A before in 2016. In his first 14 starts that year, he compiled a 2.99 ERA, walking 19 and striking out 75.
He was on the verge of breaking through to the major leagues that year. However, instead of going with Voth, the Nats gave Lucas Giolito, A.J. Cole, and Reynaldo Lopez the promotions to fill the rotation holes.
After a down year in 2017 that even saw him get demoted to Double-A for a time, he seems back to his old self. The call-up took longer than he would’ve liked, but he’s here now, and ready to open some eyes in his big league debut.
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With Stephen Strasburg due back from the DL next week, this stint with the Washington Nationals may be short for Austin Voth. But he could influence the team’s opinion of him with a solid outing against the New York Mets.