Surkamp is a 6'4 190-pound left-hander, drafted by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. Since then, he's succeeded at every level of the minors where he's spent considerable time. In Augusta, at age 21, he made 23 starts, posting a 3.30 ERA with a 4.33 K/BB ratio. Last year, he made 17 starts in High-A San Jose, posting a 3.11 ERA and a WHIP below 1.00 before incurring a hip injury -- as he dislocated it while fielding a groundball. He underwent hip surgery soon after, and has recovered well since then.
In February, I ranked Eric Surkamp higher than most others on my prospects list, saying that he "should have success in the pitcher-friendly AA Eastern League in 2011." Surkamp has gone on to validate that comment, absolutely dominating Double-A Richmond this season. Through 108 innings (17 starts), he's upped his strikeout rate to a clip of 10.7 hitters per nine innings while maintaining the excellent command he's flashed throughout the minors (2.8 BB/9, 3.76 K/BB on the season). His ERA currently sits at 2.00, backed by a 2.39 FIP.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 20 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A--Rk | 5.71 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 | 1.615 | 11.9 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 11.9 | 4.60 |
| 2008 | 20 | Giants | ARIZ | Rk | 2.70 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 | 0.900 | 8.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.9 | |
| 2008 | 20 | Salem-Keizer | NORW | A- | 6.43 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 1.786 | 12.9 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 10.3 | 3.20 |
| 2009 | 21 | Augusta | SALL | A | 3.30 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 131.0 | 1.282 | 8.9 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 11.6 | 4.33 |
| 2010 | 22 | San Jose | CALL | A+ | 3.11 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 101.1 | 0.997 | 7.0 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 9.6 | 4.91 |
| 2011 | 23 | Richmond | EL | AA | 2.00 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 108.0 | 1.120 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 2.8 | 10.7 | 3.76 |
| 4 Seasons | 2.97 | 65 | 61 | 4 | 1 | 357.2 | 1.169 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 10.8 | 4.28 | ||||
The big knock on Surkamp is his fastball velocity, which sits in the high-80s according to Baseball America's scouting report from earlier this year, though according to friend of the blog Dave Gershman, it's now in the lower 90s. Coaches had said that given his frame, they thought he'd be able to improve his fastball velocity. Anyway, though it's a pretty average fastball, Surkamp throws it with enough deception for it to be an effective pitch. Surkamp's best pitches are his secondary ones, a curve and a change, both of which are plus offerings. Earlier this year, Baseball America wrote that Surkamp had the best curve and best change in the Giants' organization (as well as best control).
He's consistently displayed an ability to succeed without overpowering fastball velocity, and should be ready to make an impact in the majors in mid-2012. The mere fact that there's speculation he could start in the majors on Sunday should be a testament to just how impressive he's been this season.
