Jeffrey Karstens

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**Jeff Karstens**
Major League Baseball debut
New York Yankees — No. 58
Starting Pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
August 22, 2006 for the New York Yankees
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Record	2-1
ERA	3.80
Strikeouts	16

Jeffrey Wayne Karstens (born September 24, 1982 in San Diego, California) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the New York Yankees baseball team.

He attended Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, California. In his Senior Season, he was the team's Most Valuable Player, a First-Team All-Conference Honors selection, and a Second-Team All-San Diego selection. In his senior year, he posted an 8-2 record with a 2.99 ERA.

Karstens was drafted in the 19th round of the 2003 Amateur Draft by the New York Yankees.

He played the 2005 season with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, posting a 4.15 ERA with 147 strikeouts. He led his team in wins with 12 (3rd most in the league), in Games started with 27 (2nd in the league), and in innings pitched with 169 (4th in the league).

Karstens started the 2006 season with the Yankees AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. He struggled, posting an 0-5 record with a 9.85 ERA. This resulted in his demotion to AA Trenton.

At Trenton, he went 6-0 with a 2.31 ERA. His success was rewarded with a trip back to Columbus, and he never looked back, compiling a 5-0 record with a 1.85 ERA. Then, he got his big break.

Karstens was recalled from AAA Columbus on August 19, 2006. Three days later, he made his Major League debut for the Yankees on August 22, 2006 against the Seattle Mariners. He went 5⅔ innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks for a no-decision in a 6-5 loss. He struck out two and gave up two home runs^[1].

On August 27, 2006, he went 6.0 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 Earned Runs in an 11-8 win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In that outing Karstens walked 2, struck out 1, and earned his first career Major League victory.

In Spring Training prior to the 2007 season, Jeffrey has had an outstanding performance. The first nine innings he pitched where the equivilant of a nine inning shutout. Following that he had a poor four run outing yet is still considered a darkhorse to make the rotation. The most probable situation would be in which he starts the season off as the long-reliever with an occasional spot start. There is a high chance he may be bumped into the rotation at any time provided one of the end of the rotation starters (Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa) falters.