Josh Zeid: Player Profile

With Spring Training right around the corner it’s time for our final player profile. We’ve taken it all the way from A to Z , finishing up with reliever Josh Zeid.

A throw-in by the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade, Josh was one of eight Astros hurlers to make his big league debut last season. The 26-year old worked in 25 games down the stretch for the Astros, posting a 1.373 WHIP and holding opposing hitters to a .248 batting average.

The 6′ 4″, 220 pound right-hander is a hard thrower. His fastball usually sits in the mid-nineties and his breaking pitches are often clocked in the mid-eighties. That combination has been good enough to achieve some pretty high strikeout numbers in the minors over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, his walk totals have also been on the high side.

Originally a starter out of Tulane University, Zeid has settled into a bullpen role since joining the Astros’ organization. With a heavy emphasis put on improving the bullpen this offseason, the Astros have brought in a number of new relievers. How Josh performs this spring should have an affect on his short term role with the team. Zeid will need a solid effort inKissimmee to beat out some of the more experienced hurlers and break camp with the big club.

Never considered a top prospect, Zeid still has minor league options remaining. A trip to AAA to work on developing a better offspeed pitch could be in order for the former tenth round pick. Such a stint at Oklahoma City last season seemed to work wonders for Brad Peacock. I’m keeping hope alive that Zeid will have a similar experience.