Garett Claypool is a name that folks all around the South Atlantic League are being forced to take notice of. The Phillies’ 11th round draft pick from last season has been excellent thus far in 2011, pitching in multiple roles and holding opposing hitters to a .188 batting average through 12 games for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws.
The 6-foot-2-inch 175-pound UCLA grad began the season in the Lakewood bullpen, but after breaking into the rotation, when the club was forced to play multiple double headers brought on by rain outs, Claypool proved himself worthy of sticking as a starter going forward.
Armed with a fastball that is regularly clocked at 91-92 MPH, Claypool has posted a 1-2 record and leads the South Atlantic League with a 2.00 ERA. Additionally, the 22-year-old California native’s 66 strike outs, in 54 innings pitched, rank second in the league.
After signing with the Phillies and making his professional debut with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters last year, Claypool went 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 NY-Penn League games.
Recently, Claypool was named the SAL Pitcher of the Week. I spoke with Garett about that, his pitch repertoire, his draft experience and plenty more. Check out the media player below to listen to the full interview.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. For more great content, check out Jay’s site, PhoulBallz.com.
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