Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Jackson Ferris delivered the best start of his professional career on Wednesday.
Jackson Ferris saved his best performance of the season for one of the biggest games of the year.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ No. 17 prospect turned in the strongest outing of his professional career Wednesday, striking out a career-high 13 batters over 7.2 innings as Triple-A Oklahoma City defeated El Paso 12-0 at Southwest University Park.
The performance helped Oklahoma City secure the Pacific Coast League’s second-half title and a spot in the Triple-A postseason, while providing another significant indication of Ferris’ development during the final weeks of the regular season.
The 22-year-old left-hander was nearly untouchable from the beginning.
Ferris retired the first 19 batters he faced before El Paso finally recorded its first hit with one out in the seventh inning. He ultimately surrendered just one hit and one walk while throwing 102 pitches, with 73 going for strikes.
It was a remarkable conclusion to a season that has taken a major turn for Ferris over the past month.
Since Aug. 16, Ferris has posted a 1.00 ERA across six Triple-A appearances while recording 48 strikeouts in 36 innings. His 0.92 WHIP during that stretch has also ranked among the best marks in the Minors’ highest level.
That recent run is particularly notable considering where Ferris stood earlier in the season.
Before Aug. 16, the lefty had a 7.15 ERA through 73 innings. His season ERA has since dropped to 5.12, reflecting just how dramatically his performance has changed during the second half.
Ferris had already shown signs of the turnaround in his previous appearance. He worked six innings in relief against Sugar Land on Sept. 9, earning a save while holding the opposing lineup hitless through his first four innings.
Wednesday represented another step forward.
Ferris generated much of his success with his breaking pitches, particularly his slider. El Paso struggled to make consistent contact against the pitch, allowing Ferris to keep hitters off balance throughout his outing.
His fastball development has also been an important part of his recent success.
Ferris averaged 94.4 mph with his sinker and 94.7 mph with his four-seam fastball Wednesday, with both pitches reaching 96 mph. Those numbers are representative of the velocity increase he has displayed throughout September.
Ferris averaged 94.6 mph on his fastballs this month, a noticeable improvement from the 92.0 mph average he recorded during March and April and the 92.5 mph mark from May.
That added velocity gives Ferris another weapon to pair with his breaking stuff as he continues adjusting to Triple-A competition.
The Chicago Cubs selected Ferris in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft. His latest performance provided another glimpse of the potential that made him such a highly regarded prospect.
Ferris should have another opportunity to build on that momentum in the postseason.
Oklahoma City is scheduled to face Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series, with the best-of-three series beginning Tuesday. The winner will advance to the Triple-A National Championship on Sept. 26 in Las Vegas.
After a difficult start to his Triple-A season, Ferris now enters the postseason coming off the best outing of his professional career.
