Tanner Scheppers
From BR Bullpen
Tanner Ross Scheppers
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 4", Weight 200 lb.
- School Fresno State University
- High School Dana Hills High School
- Born January 17, 1987 in Mission Viejo, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Tanner Scheppers was a top-50 draft pick twice.
Scheppers hit .460 as a high school senior and fanned 72 batters. He was picked in the 29th round of the 2005 amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles but opted for college. As a freshman, he had a 9.00 ERA and won one game. In 2007, the sophomore was 7-6 with a 4.74 ERA and 94 K in 93 IP, with his fastball reaching 95 mph. He made first-team All-Western Athletic Conference.
Scheppers had a strong junior year, going 9-2 with a save and a 2.93 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 71 innings. He led the WAC in ERA and strikeouts and was one win behind teammate Justin Wilson, the leader. He won conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Tanner was then sidelined by a shoulder injury that left him out of action as Fresno State won the 2008 College World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates chose him 48th overall in the 2008 amateur draft, the second pick of the second round, but failed to come to terms with him.
Scheppers then signed with the St. Paul Saints. He had a 1-1, 3.32 record for them in 2009, with 20 strikeouts in 19 innings. The Texas Rangers picked him 44th overall in the 2009 amateur draft, a compensation pick for the loss of Milton Bradley to free agency. He was Texas's second selection, after Matt Purke, who did not sign. Scheppers was inked to a deal with a $1.25 million bonus by scout Derek Lee, the highest bonus between picks 30 and 90.
Scheppers made his Organized Baseball debut in 2010. He was unhittable with the Frisco RoughRiders (3 H, 19 K, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 saves in 11 IP) and was quickly promoted to the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks. He was picked for Team USA in the 2010 Futures Game. He entered in the 9th inning with a 9-1 lead, replacing Christian Friedrich with one away. Tanner allowed a leadoff single to Eury Perez on a 98-mph fastball, then got Chun-Hsiu Chen to line to Desmond Jennings. Scheppers walked Gorkys Hernandez on nine pitchers (eight of them between 97 and 99 mph). He then retired Luis Jimenez to wrap up the US win.
