All Hail King Cosart

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All Hail The King!

Jarred Cosart has made Houston Baseball history. Not only has he lived up to his billing as one of the Astros' top pitching prospects, he has done so in a manner that has only been done once before in 100 years. 100 years ago, it was 1913, and in 1913, prizes were first put in Crackerjack boxes, Federal Income Tax took effect, Houston had a population of 80,000, and the British House of Commons rejected Women's right to vote.

Cosart is only the second man in 100 years to toss 6+ innings, with one or fewer runs in his first four big league starts. Let that sink in for a second. This isn't a fluke, either. Throughout his minor league tenure, he doesn't have as high of a K/9 (7.8) ratio as you would imagine from a pitcher with his arsenal, but his insane ability to keep the ball in the park, and on the ground, have and should continue to generate positive results. Through his first four big league starts, his ground-ball percentage is 57.1%, and judging by his minor league track record, that number is sustainable. Cosart's ability to stay low in the strike-zone not only heavily influences his high ground-ball percentage, but it also is the main contributing factor to his astronomically low HR/9 of .4...yes, ZERO POINT FOUR. Although his walk percentage is a tad higher than desired, by keeping the ball in the park and producing ground-outs at a steady rate, he's been able to mitigate damage done by the extra traffic on the basepaths. Cosart has surrendered an outstanding .189 avg against in the bigs thus far, and although there will be some regression, his low H/9 ratio of 7.8 in the minors alludes to continued success at the big league level.

Year	Lev	W	L	%	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9
2011	A+	9	8	.529	3.92	20	19	108.0	98	47	7	43	79	1.306	0.6	3.6	6.6
2011	AA	1	2	.333	4.71	7	7	36.1	33	19	4	13	22	1.266	1.0	3.2	5.4
2012	AA	5	5	.500	3.52	15	15	87.0	83	34	3	38	68	1.391	0.3	3.9	7.0
2012	AAA	1	2	.333	2.60	6	5	27.2	26	8	0	13	24	1.410	0.0	4.2	7.8
2013	AAA	7	4	.636	3.29	18	17	93.0	74	34	5	50	93	1.333	0.5	4.8	9.0

Brought over to The Good Guys in the Hunter Pence trade of 2011, along with our favorite future First Base stud, Jon Singleton, Cosart has proven himself on the field in Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City, but there have been questions about his "makeup" off the field by many in the baseball writer establishment. They question his maturity and humility, but this is grossly blown out of proportion. The mentality that Jarred Cosart carries and brings with him into a very young Astros clubhouse is exactly what will bring him, and the team, success in the near and distant future. These young Astros have been brought up with a winning mentality through the minor leagues, and a little cockyness and confidence will fuel their aggressive approach in the box, on the mound, and on the basepaths.

Jarred Cosart's homecoming into the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park, the jewel of the Houston Skyline and the Sistine Chapel of Bagwell-Biggiolicism, signals an Astros changing of the guard not seen in over a decade. His big league debut symbolizes the beginning of the end of one of the most painful, and powerful, rebuilds in baseball history. We are ecstatic, and you should be as well, because help is on the way, the cavalry is coming...from Lancaster, Quad Cities, Corpus, and OKC. They're good, they belong, and they know it...just ask Morgan Ensberg. All hail King Cosart.

God Bless #5 & #7