Vital Statistics:
Born: March 19, 1988
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Family: Wife, Ellen.
Primary position: Starting pitcher
Before The Bigs:
- Pitched an all-strikeout perfect game in high school, and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in his senior year at Highland Park High.
- Drafted No. 7 overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006, after originally committing to Texas A&M. He signed for a reported $2.3 million.
- Went 8-7 with a 2.95 ERA in his first full pro season, splitting between Great Lakes (high A) and Jacksonville (Double-A).
- Started the 2008 season at Jacksonville, where he was 2-3 with a 1.91 ERA. He skipped Triple-A and went directly to the majors in June 2008, and to the majors for good a month later.
Career Highlights:
- Was the youngest player in the majors in 2008 at age 20, and went 8-5-5 with a 4.26 ERA. He pitched in two games in relief in the National League Championship Series against the Phillies.
- Went 8-8 in 31 starts in 2009, allowing just 119 hits in 171 innings and striking out 185. Started two games in the 2009 playoffs, going 0-1.
- Improved to 13-10 with a 2.91 ERA in 2010.
- Emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2011, making his first All-Star team. As of Sept. 1, he was 17-5 with a 2.45 ERA and leading the league in strikeouts.
