A Look at Chinooks in the Minor Leagues

Chris Cotton – Houston Astros – Lancaster JetHawks (A)

Chris Cotton’s baseball career was on life-support coming out of Byrd High School in Shreveport, LA when he turned down the only college baseball offer he had to pitch at a junior college in Florida. Following in the footsteps of his parents and other family members, Cotton enrolled at LSU in 2009 with no baseball plans, but after hearing of the team’s plan to hold walk-on tryouts, figured he might as well give it a shot. Despite not having a spot, Cotton gave it a shot every day for the next few months and was finally rewarded with a roster spot on the defending National Championship team just one week before the start of the Tigers’ season. That opportunity would lead Cotton on a four year journey, including a brief stint with the Lakeshore Chinooks in the summer of 2012, that would culminate with All-American honors and eventually, being selected by the Houston Astros in the 14^th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

Cotton started three games for the Chinooks, pitching 16 innings and recording two wins with a stellar 0.56 ERA. At the time, Cotton was earning more and more trust from LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. Used as a situational lefty to face left-handed hitters as a freshman and then in middle relief, Cotton proved in his short time with the Chinooks that he could get talented hitters out when he struck out 16 hitters with a change-up that falls off the table. That pitch helped Cotton finish out his career with the Tigers as a set-up man and closer as he recorded a 1.29 ERA and tied the LSU single-season saves record with 16 in 2013 and helped earn him the Most Outstanding Player award in the 2013 SEC Tournament. When Houston drafted Cotton, he had made the journey from walk-on to draft pick with a major league franchise expecting big things from the undersized 170-pound closer. At the time, Astros Director of scouting Mike Elias said, “We loved Chris Cotton. He’s from a big league factory at LSU and it’s a steal to get a lefty with that pedigree in the 14^th. Cotton’s bulldog mentality and deception on pitches are huge pluses.”

Cotton’s minor league career began with a Short Season Class A assignment with the Tri-City Valley Cats in the NY-Penn League where he was named a mid-season all-star. As evidenced by this video for milb.com, Cotton enjoyed the experience. Cotton had returned to the role of starter and went 3-3 with a 1.74 ERA in eight games, but over the winter, a return to the bullpen was presented to Cotton. “I told the Astros, whatever they need from me, I’m going to do,” says Cotton. “I’ve done it all; long relief, short relief, situational, closer, starter, and there’s little difference.” With an agreeable attitude, Cotton spent most the 2014 season pitching out of the bullpen for the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Midwest League where he was one of the team’s most consistent relief arms as he struck out 43 hitters in 51.2 innings of work. Despite not having a high velocity arm, Cotton is learning that the art of pitching begins with knowing one’s self, saying, “I don’t throw the hardest, so I’ve got to place it, keep it low and hit my spots. I have to get ahead in the count and throw strikes as much as I can.” And as part of knowing himself, Cotton knows his changeup is always there when he needs it. “I throw mid-to-upper 80’s, but when I throw it off my change-up to a righty, it looks a little harder.=

Cotton’s journey continued into September as he made three more appearances for Houston’s Advanced Class A team, the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. As he learned from his early days at LSU, Cotton knows that the journey can take many twists and turns, but he needs to enjoy the ride. "It's crazy, really," Cotton told milb.com. "You just have to sit back and look at it, and maybe once, whenever my baseball career ends, whenever that may be, I'll realize how crazy it actually was. Going from high school, thinking you're done, to fortunately getting drafted by the Astros and playing minor league ball right now, I never would've thought it and it's been a great journey.” Later this month, Cotton will head to spring training in Florida for what he hopes will be one more step in his career. From his track record and armed with that change-up, Cotton may continue to prove the old adage, “There’s always room for left-handed pitchers in professional baseball.”