Baseball America recently predicted pitcher Kyle Zimmer, a 2009 graduate of La Jolla High School, will be a first-round draft pick for this year’s Major League Baseball draft after the upcoming collegiate season. “Kyle Zimmer was a very versatile athlete in high school, which is always a plus,” said Jim Dixon, associate scout with the Toronto Blue Jays, responsible for San Diego County. Dixon went on to say that Zimmer was a “great pitcher and hitter for La Jolla High School.” After graduating from La Jolla High, Zimmer went on to play for the University of San Francisco. He said he chose USF because he was “more attracted to the location, the academics and the coaching staff,” which he described as a “great group of guys.” After his first year at USF, he received a scholarship to continue playing. Last season, Zimmer went 6-4 with a 3.73 earned run average and a team-high 89 strikeouts at USF. He currently has a fastball, curveball, slider and a change-up in his arsenal of pitches with his fastball hitting anywhere from 92-95 mph. “He has very smooth mechanics,” Dixon said. Asked about his personal career highlights have been thus far, he cited last year’s West Coast Conference win against Gonzaga, in which he started and pitched seven innings — going on to a close out with a win in the final game. His complete game shutout for the regional NCAA tournament against UCLA’s Gerrit Cole — last year’s No. 1 draft pick — was also a very big moment for him, he said. Cole signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates with an $8 million signing bonus. Over the summer, Zimmer played in the collegiate summer Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Kettleers. The league, Dixon said, was “the most prestigious in the country for upcoming potential draft picks.” “I can see him going anywhere from the first to the 10th round, depending on how this season goes,” he said. All 30 major league teams have contacted him, Zimmer said. He said he was always a big fan of the Padres growing up but he would feel “blessed and lucky to be drafted by anyone in the MLB.” “Zimmer has a feel for all his pitches,” Dixon said, “meaning he’s a true pitcher, not just a thrower.” His goals for the major leagues, Zimmer said, would be to win a World Series and to go to the All-Star Game. Zimmer will be the opening pitcher in the Aztec Invitational on March 1 at SDSU against the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Zimmer’s younger brother, Bradley — also a La Jolla alum, from 2011 — has started playing in USF’s outfield. “We always assumed my senior year of high school would be the last time we played together, but it’s been a lot of fun playing with him in the outfield,” Zimmer said.
