Chris Tillman Impressing in Norfolk

With the 49th pick in the 2006 MLB first-year player draft, the Seattle Mariners selected the right handed starting pitcher Chris Tillman.

Before he knew it, Tillman was shipped to Baltimore in the deal that sent Adam Jones and George Sherrill there, too.  Seattle received southpaw pitcher Erik Bedard in return. 

Tillman quickly won over the fans' hearts, pitching his way through the minors and being named to Baseball America's Double-A All-Star team last season.

Tillman posted an 11-4 record with a 3.18 earned run average and 154 strikeouts after making 28 starts with the Bowie Baysox.  Miraculously, Tillman wasn't even the top pitching prospect in the Orioles organization and remains in the minors after seeing several pitchers come up to the majors this year for the O's.

David Hernandez, Jason Berken, and Brad Bergesen have all made their major league debuts with the Orioles this year, having gone back and forth from the majors to the minors throughout the season.  All this while Tillman rips his way through team after team with the Norfolk Tides, Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate.

In 17 starts this season, Tillman has posted an 8-5 record with a 2.42 ERA and 95 strikeouts.  These numbers dazzled personnel and scouts enough to send him an invite to play in the MLB Futures game during the All-Star break in St. Louis, a game in which minor leaguers compete against one another, mainly in an attempt to catch the fans' and scouts' attention.

Tillman joined his teammate, Brian Matusz, also a top pitching prospect in Baltimore's organization, on the USA pitching staff.

In his last three outings, Tillman has combined for just one earned run in 20.2 innings pitched, allowing 17 hits and posting a 20/1 strikeout to walk ratio.  In July, he has posted a 3-0 record.

If Tillman can keep this pace up, he will be joining his peers (Hernandez, Berken, and Bergesen) in Baltimore by September.

Don't forget that name: Chris Tillman.