With all the buzz surrounding 2014 first-rounder Aaron Nola, and the offseason acquisitions of Zach Eflin, Tom Windle and Ben Lively, Jesse Biddle has kind of become the forgotten man among Phillies pitching prospects.
The 23-year-old lefty was the Phils' first-round pick in the 2010 draft out of Germantown Friends High School, and as a local kid with tremendous raw stuff, he faced high expectations.
Biddle ran into a rough patch in 2013 and 2014, struggling with health and command and finishing the two seasons a combined 10-24 with a 4.03 ERA. Most worrisome were the 133 walks in 232 1/3 innings.
Biddle has rebounded this season, decreasing his walk rate from 5.2 per nine innings to 3.4. In six starts at Double A Reading this season, Biddle is 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA. He's had only one truly poor start and has otherwise allowed no more than three earned runs in any outing.
On Thursday, Biddle joined Lunch Break to discuss his development with the Breakfast on Broad crew.
"I think pure stuff, I think I'm throwing harder, my curveball's better, my slider's coming along really well, my changeup is becoming a really, really good pitch," Biddle said. "So to be able to have all four pitches ... that means the hitter doesn't know what's coming. If I have all four pitches working, it's gonna be a good day."
Biddle also discussed the difference between his first big-league camp in 2014 and his second spring training invite in 2015.
MLB
"It was really nice to be able to come into spring training, play against big-leaguers and hold my own and know 'Hey look, this is an attainable goal,'" Biddle said.
"Last year at spring training, I think I was a little bit overwhelmed. It was my first time and it was kind of a different feeling seeing Ryan Howard at first, Chase Utley at second, Jimmy Rollins at shortstop."
For more from Biddle, including his thoughts on the talented Fightin' Phils' roster, watch the video above.
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