Cincinnati Reds (Finally) Call Up Former USF Baseball Star Jimmy Herget

The Cincinnati Reds announced the promotion of former USF pitcher Jimmy Herget from Triple-A Lousiville on Monday afternoon.

Herget, a Jefferson High alumnus, joins Seattle’s Austin Adams and Cleveland’s Dan Otero as one of three former Bulls currently in the majors.

The 25-year old will join Cincinnati as it begins a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers in a tightly contested NL Central. The Reds sit 5.5 GB of first and 4.5 GB of the second wild card.

Herget posted a 1-4 record with a 3.58 ERA in 37.2 IP with Triple-A Louisville before being called up. He struck out 44 batters and held opponents to a .214 BAA. In 111 total games at the AAA level, he held a 3.40 ERA and struck out 137 in 129.2 innings of work.

The right-hander was invited to the 2017 MLB Futures Game, where he recorded a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 40th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft before electing to attend USF for three years. He was drafted by Cincinnati after his junior season of 2015 in the sixth round.

At USF, Herget was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2014 and 2015 as the Bulls’ ace. He finished his time at USF with a 25-11 record, a 1.96 ERA and 263 strikeouts in 303 IP.

“Jimmy was the ultimate competitor,” USF baseball coach Billy Mohl said. “He had this aura about him that was unique and that you don’t see every day. He deserves it.”

Herget joins a Cincinnati pitching staff that ranks third in the Majors in staff ERA at 3.69 after 81 games. The bullpen has been particularly good, sitting with the best bullpen ERA in the NL at 3.73.

It is likely that Herget could be used within the next day or two as the Reds have used six different bullpen arms in the final two games in their last series against the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs.

“You knew he was special,” Mohl said. “I’m quite honestly surprised it took the Reds this long to call him up.”