Brody Jessee
Anchorage’s Brody Jessee returned to the field Wednesday, and it didn’t take him long to ring up something.
The 22-year-old rocket right-handed pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system was back on the mound after a two-month DL stint and struck out the first batter he faced.
Jessee fanned former eighth-round draft pick Drew Swift on three pitches in the fifth inning during his scoreless inning of relief in a 6-3 win over the A’s in the Arizona Complex League.
Armed with a 98-mph fastball, Jessee recorded a second strikeout when he sat down Joseph Rodriguez on three pitches to end the inning with runners on the corners.
The Alaskan hadn’t pitched since April 7, when he threw 1.1 scoreless frames and earned a hold for the Daytona Tortugas in a 7-6 win over the St. Lucie Mets at Single-A.
Three days later he was added to the DL with an injury. Once he was cleared to throw again, he was sent down to the Arizona Complex League, which is essentially rookie ball.
Jessee, of South High fame, owns a 2.25 career ERA in four appearances, with four strikeouts in four innings.
In 2022, he was drafted by the Reds in the 10th round – the ninth-highest Alaskan selected by a MLB team – after a strong season at Gonzaga University.
Anchorage’s Brody Jessee. Photo courtesy of Phrake Photography.