Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #141 Kevin Quackenbush

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #141.
• Player Name, position, team: Kevin Quackenbush, pitcher, Lake Elsinore Storm.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: A-California League, San Diego Padres.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 18 G, 57.2 IP, 3-2, 9 R, 6 ER, 70 SO, 22 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 27 SV, 1.110 WHIP, 0.94 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Padres #8th, June 2011. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: San Diego Padres #29 prospect after the 2012 season.
• Blurb on the back: "The Padres unearthed a relief ace in the eighth round out of the U. of South Florida. Quackenbush divided his first season almost equally between Eugene and Fort Wayne, combining to allow only three runs and 25 hits while striking out 71 in 43 innings."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: n/a.
• Commentary: I had thought that the cards from these minor league sets featured players with their teams from the season before. Not the case with Kevin Quackenbush's Pro Debut card. Why? Becuase he played for both the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League and the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Midwest League. So ideally, Quackenbush should have been pictured wearing the jersey of either team. It seems that Topps was able to get a 2012 picture into their 2012 set (figures, they do this all the time with their major league cards). The difference here is that I'm honestly not sure that Topps would have taken the time to Photoshop a Storm uniform on Kevin for his 2012 card. Anyway, it's not a matter of if Kevin Quackenbush gets to the majors, it's when. And when he gets his first major league card that includes his minor league statistics, I will guarantee that you're going to think that Topps fell asleep at the switch when you see his ERA numbers and his WHIP. But unless Topps really screws this up, his numbers are the stuff of shock and awe. Even as of right now in 2013, his ERA has never reached above 1.00. Let me share with you his ERA totals by team: Eugene: 0.44 (1 ER in 20.2 IP); Fort Wayne: 0.84 (2 in 21.1); Lake Elsinore: 0.94 (6 in 57.2); San Antonio: 0.39 (1 ER in 23.0). In two plus seasons, he's given up a grand total of 16 runs, 10 earned, in 122.2 innings of work. That leads to a mind-blowing 0.73 ERA. His WHIP in case you're wondering? In 122.2 innings of work, he has allowed 76 hits and walked 43 batters. That's a combined 119 hits and walks. His minor league career WHIP thus far is just under 1 (0.970). For the Missions, the Padres' AA-Texas League team, Quackenbush is 1-0. has appeared in 22 games, saved 9 of them, and has a WHIP of 0.783. Kevin is making the quick climb up the Padres' minor league ladder, and if not this year, by next for sure, this guy will be closing out games for San Diego.

Next week's featured card will be: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #227. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama