Jokisch No-Hitter

Smokie's Smoker throws no-no

By Tony Rusch

source

Cubs' southpaw Eric Jokisch put his talents on exhibit Tuesday night when he pitched his first no-hitter for Chicago's Double-A Tennessee Smokies in a 10-0 victory. Jokisch's performance was coupled with four walks, eight strikeouts, and a season-high 108 pitches, marking the first no-no for Tennessee in six years.

Jokisch, 24, was the 11th round draft pick for the Cubs in 2011 out of Northwestern University. Despite his struggles this season (5.53 ERA in July), he has been reliable for Chicago's farm system since signing with the club (3.52 ERA in four seasons) and may be turning the corner as a top prospect after Tuesday's showing.

Jokisch scouting report is impressive. He is 6-foot-2, 176-pounds and bats right-handed. He has a good four and two-seam fastball that sit around the mid-90's and has recently added a cutter to his arsenal, which he uses regularly as an out-pitch. His go-to pitch is a circle change-up and he uses it liberally to strikeout batters when he gets ahead of the count.

If Jokisch is going to make it in the big leagues, he's going to have to get his walk-rate under control and work on his command, which has been plagued by inconsistency. The two issues go hand-in-hand though, so if Jokisch can smooth out some of his mechanical problems, he should continue to move up in the minor league system.