Ryan Jensen has shaved his earned run average nearly two runs a game since returning from a rehab assignment to the rotation for the Chicago Cubs Double A team in Tennessee.
A former Salinas High hurler and the Cubs 2019 No. 1 draft choice, the right-hander has lowered his ERA to 3.70 for the Smokies.
Blessed with a fastball that approaches triple digits, the 6-foot Jensen has made eight starts for Tennessee, striking out 24 in 24 ⅓ innings. Opponents are hitting just .205 off him.
Jensen earned second team All-American honors at Fresno State in 2019, posting a 12-1 record with 107 strikeouts in 100 innings. He was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year.
The 23-year-old was the 27th overall pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, the highest selection of a county athlete since Xavier Nady was the 49th player taken in 2000.
Contributed by local news sources
