PHILLIP IRWIN

2/25/87; '09 21st; Univ. of Mississippi
R/R; 6-3, 220

Level	W-L-Sv	G	GS	IP	H	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP	OAVG	ERA
2007 NCAA	2-0-0	9	1	14.2	15	1	10	11	6.1	6.8	1.71	.273	3.07
2008 NCAA	2-1-0	9	7	33.1	51	4	8	31	2.2	8.4	1.77	.357	5.40
2009 NCAA	8-3-0	15	14	86.2	106	5	20	73	2.1	7.6	1.45	.300	3.84
2009 A-	1-2-0	10	7	29.2	27	1	6	32	1.8	9.7	1.11	.243	2.12

Irwin and Pirates' 5th round selection Nate Baker were key pitchers for Ole Miss' in 2009 as some of the school's more highly regarded pitchers ran into trouble.  Irwin throws three average pitches but doesn't dominate, as the high opponents' BAs show.  He primarily succeeded by not allowing walks and HRs; it's not often a pitcher allows a .300 OBA and still has an ERA below 4.00.  Irwin has more of the look of an organizational pitcher, although Baseball America ranked him as the 8th best prospect, just three places behind Baker, in a state that has a lot of baseball talent relative to its population.  It's possible that the Pirates think he can upgrade his stuff, as he had Tommy John surgery in 2006.  That may account for the limited innings in 2007-08.  Irwin signed soon after the draft and was probably the best pitcher for State College.  If you exclude one late start in which he failed to get out of the first inning, his ERA was 0.93.  Irwin figures to be in the West Virginia rotation in 2010.

Return to Right-Handed Pitchers