Justin Ennis

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2010
A-:  2-2-2, 5.53 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 7.2 K/9
A:  1-1-0, 6.35 ERA, 2.29 ERA, 5.2 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

Pitched in relief for State College after signing, with a few fill-in appearances for West Virginia.  With the Spikes, Ennis had a 3.62 groundout to air out ratio, with a good walk and decent K rate, but he got hit very hard, as opponents batted .316 against him.

2011
A-:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 3.9 BB/9, 3.9 K/9
A:  5-2-2, 4.03 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 5.8 K/9

Ennis spent the first 2+ months in extended spring training, pitched twice at State College, then went to West Virginia, where he pitched out of the bullpen the rest of the season.  The results were similar to 2010, but sightly better.  For one thing, he got his opponents’ average down to .282, although that’s still not good.  His ERA improved as the season went along, from 6.59 in July to 3.00 in August and September, but his peripheral numbers improved only a little.  He was more effective against left-handed batters, with a .250 BA and 14:2 K:BB, compared to .297 and 15:12 against right-handed batters.

2012
A-:  0-0-0, 6.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 6.0 K/9
A:  0-0-0, 5.79 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Ennis opened the season in West Virginia and pitched poorly.  The Pirates sent him to extended spring training, where he picked up a knuckleball.  He went to State College for eight games and struggled with the new pitch, then got hurt.

It remains to be seen whether the knuckleball will help Ennis get out of the low levels of the system.  Where he opens next year will probably depend on how much progress the Pirates believe he’s made with the pitch.