The list of childhood career aspirations is filled with everything from being an astronaut to a rock star. Now tell your inner child that you have what it takes to pursue two of these fantasy jobs.
Life is good when you’re named Jeff Samardzija.
There’s no question that Samardzija, 22, was one of the best pure talents to enter the 2006 draft. The only concern about the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder was his ability to snag Brady Quinn’s passes with ease as a standout wide receiver for Notre Dame.
The Valparaiso, Ind. native was a sure-fire first round talent for the NFL edition of the amateur selection process, leaving serious doubts about Samadzija’s potential to sign a baseball contract.
Baseball America had Notre Dame’s favorite wide out ranked as the 20th best prospect in the 2006 MLB Draft, but Samardzija fell to 149th overall because of his two-sport commitment.
Think that the Chicago Cubs are happy with the fifth-round flyer they took on the hard throwing starting pitcher?
Samardzija signed his professional baseball deal to the tune of a 5-year, $ 10 million contract on Jan. 19, 2007, officially forgoing crossing routes over the middle and the NFL Draft for a chance to take the hill at Wrigley Field.
Over his last two seasons on the gridiron, Samardzija grabbed an impressive 155 balls for 2,266 yards and 27 touchdowns, far outweighing the statistical appeal of his numbers on the mound for the Irish. In three years of service for the Notre Dame pitching staff, the righty put up a solid 21-6 record to go along with a 3.82 ERA, but posted a WHIP over 1.40 in each of his final two seasons.
Time to throw out the college statistics.
The former high-end NFL prospect has never had the opportunity to focus on a potential baseball-only career. Samardzija’s 30-inning stint at Low-A Boise and Single-A Peoria was impressive. He posted an ERA of 2.70 while giving up just 24 hits on his way to a 1.20 WHIP.
Jeff Samardzija’s arsenal of a strong fastball in the low to mid 90’s with a good deal of movement, a rapidly advancing slider, and an improving changeup far outweigh what any numbers could say about the potential of the Cubs’ farmhand. The raw talents of the hurler on the hill paired with a new one-sport focus ensures that the future of Samardzija will involve rocking out in front of many a sold out venue in an arena near you shortly.
Farm Feed will highlight a new prospect every Sunday morning. Have a player you would like to see profiled? Simply email Adam Loberstein at adamloberstein@gmail.com with the player(s) of your choice.