Jeff Samardzija 2009

Jeff Samardzija will go into the 2009 season as the Chicago Cubs number six starting pitcher, and will be part of their Triple A rotation. That's exactly where he belongs as he doesn't yet appear to be ready to be successful in the majors. His 25 strikeouts and 15 walks in a 27.2 inning major league trial last year is about the best the Cubs could have hoped for based on his minor league numbers, and his 2.28 ERA was a fluke that was largely to due his not allowing any home runs. In the minor leagues prior to last year, Samardzija not only had control problems but also had a very mediocre strikeout rate. He just turned 24, so there's plenty of time for him to improve, and he may yet become a star, but he's got a ways to go before he turns 'great stuff' into 'great performance'.