DeMark Promoted to Portland

In a move that I encouraged just a few days ago, Mike DeMark has been promoted from Double-A San Antonio to Triple-A Portland.

DeMark, 27, threw four shutout innings for the Beavers last season and threw one scoreless inning yesterday.

The short righthander posted a 0.60 ERA across 15 innings and 12 relief appearances for San Antonio this year. He struck out 15, walked three, and allowed just nine hits (one homer).

A hard thrower with a deceptive delivery, DeMark has the potential to be a solid middle reliever in the majors. His fastball is in the low 90’s and features late sink thanks to a low-to-mid-three-quarters arm slot. He complements the fastball with a slider that serves as his out pitch.

When DeMark is throwing strikes, he’s a very solid pitcher, and the K/BB ratio (up from 55/33 last year) shows he’s made progress in that regard. It’s good to see DeMark getting the opportunity to take his talent to the next level.

Now, we just need Brandon Gomes in Triple-A as well.