Fresh start works wonders for Myrtle Beach’s Thompson

The “illness” that plagued Jacob Thompson during his junior year at Virginia wasn’t an illness at all, at least in the traditional sense. But it was the easiest way to explain why the right-handed pitcher lost 25 pounds and went from sure-fire first-round draft pick to fifth-round flier.

The truth? The anxiety got to the former Tunstall High School standout. Thompson’s stunning 2006 season at UVa suddenly thrust the 6-foot-6 pitcher into the national spotlight. He went 11-0 that year with a 1.50 ERA, struck out 101 batters in 114 innings and held opponents to a .198 batting average. With such gaudy numbers comes recognition, and Thompson was one of three finalists, along with Vanderbilt’s David Price and Charlotte’s Adam Mills, for the Roger Clemens Award, the college equivalent of the Cy Young.

Heading into his junior year, the weight of expectations began to wear on Thompson. He worried himself sick before every outing. There were no indications of problems during his first three starts, when he went 2-0, allowed two earned runs in 18 1/3 innings and struck out 24. Then came an ugly turn at Duke, when he allowed six earned runs in three innings. From there on out, he was inconsistent at best, bad at worst. Eventually, the UVa coaching staff moved Thompson out of the weekend rotation in attempt straighten out the head of the talented pitcher.

“I was just worried about the stuff that didn’t matter — the velocity, the mechanics, where I was going to be taken in the draft. I made a big mistake doing that,” said Thompson, who pitched brilliantly Friday night at City Stadium in Myrtle Beach’s 11-1 victory over Lynchburg. Thompson, making his fourth Advanced-A start and his first in a stadium that he’s been playing in since he was 15, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings.

Thompson worried himself to the point that he struggled to concentrate on the mound. He gathered himself enough to make productive starts against Florida State in the ACC tournament and UCLA in the NCAA regionals. But his draft stock indeed took a hit, so much so that Thompson waited until August before making a decision on whether to take the Braves’ $190,000 offer or return to Virginia for his senior year. He chose the former.

“It kind of wiped the slate clean,” Thompson said. “All of my stats were gone. I had an opportunity to work with one of the best pitching coordinators in baseball. Fresh start. New career. New team. And I just wanted to build off that.”

It helped that Thompson was able to begin his career in his hometown, making two appearances for the Appalachian League’s Danville Braves before heading south to Rome, Ga., for one start at the Braves’ Low-A affiliate. He spent six weeks working with Braves’ instructional league team in Florida in the fall, began to refine his mechanics and regained his confidence. He opened 2009 in Rome, and though the success wasn’t evident in his numbers (2-5, 5.20 ERA), the Braves saw enough to advance Thompson to Myrtle Beach.

In Rome, he never struck out more than six batters in a game. Now, he’s struck out eight in back-to-back starts. His biggest weapon is a filthy curveball with a nasty break, and he opened Friday’s game by fooling Hillcats shortstop Chase d’Arnaud into going after a hard-biting curve for strike three.

Many pitchers use their fastball to set up their off-speed pitches. It’s just the opposite with Thompson, who has a plus curve and a sinking changeup. His key for continued improvement?

“Consistency of fastball location,” Pelicans pitching coach Guy Hansen said. “His breaking ball and changeup command are at a caliber that you’ll see in Double-A and Triple-A. It’s about him understanding that a ball delivered on a good angle, whether it’s at 85 or 95, will work.

“If he stays true to his delivery and doesn’t try to do too much, not jumping off the mound or flying open, he’s fine. K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid. If he does that, he can be pretty damn good.”

The fastball doesn’t need to be blazing fast because his lanky frame creates deception in his delivery. Batters struggle to pick up the spin of the ball out of his hand, and when a pitcher has as strong of an off-speed repertoire as Thompson does, that can be a major problem for hitters.

Thompson said he’s nervous before just about every start, but Friday night’s start gave him a little extra nervous energy. He manages that just fine now. Unless the ’Cats and Pelicans meet in the playoffs in September, or Thompson’s development stalls and he starts next season in Myrtle Beach, Thompson probably won’t make another start this close to home. He said about 50 family and friends made the trip north to see him pitch, and he didn’t disappoint.

“It’s always nice to know that you’ve got friends and family that love and support you like mine do,” Thompson said. “I love pitching here. It was definitely neat.”