MANCHESTER, N.H. — If you don’t know the name Kyle Drabek, learn it. He’ll be coming soon to a major league ballpark near you.

Drabek was taken in the first round (18th pick overall) in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Phillies. He has baseball lineage in his veins, as he is the son of Doug Drabek, who had a 155-134 record and a 3.73 E.R.A. in 13 seasons with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. Doug Drabek’s finest season came in 1990 with the Pirates, when he had a 22-6 record with a 2.76 E.R.A.

Sea Dogs pitching coach Bob Kipper was a teammate of Doug Drabek in 1987 with the Pirates, at the same time Kyle Drabek was born, and remembers the times when he was younger, visiting the Pirates clubhouse.

“I remember when his dad signed a three-year contract, for, back then, really good money,” Kipper said. “Doug went out and bought a silver Porsche. My wife and I were walking out to the parking lot, and Doug’s two boys, Justin and Kyle, were sliding down the hood the of the Porsche like it was a jungle gym.”

A highly touted prospect out of The Woodlands (TX.) High School, Kyle Drabek struggled early in his professional career, going 6-4 with a 6.07 E.R.A. in his first two professional seasons before needing to undergo Tommy John Surgery during the 2007 season.

After missing much of the 2008 season, Drabek came back strong in the 2009 season with the Reading Phillies, posting a 12-3 record, a 3.13 E.R.A., with 150 strikeouts in 158 innings.

Drabek, the ace pitcher for the Manchester Fisher Cats, took the mound against the Portland Sea Dogs on Saturday at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium.

Showing no ill effects from his surgery, Drabek pitched five innings, striking out four and walking four. His fastball averaged at 95 miles per hour, topping out at 98. He also featured a curveball and a changeup.

However, when Drabek had his surgery, he wasn’t sure if he would get the heat back on his fastball.

“Early on, yes,” Drabek said. “I wasn’t sure what 100 percent was, until last year, around the middle of the season it started feeling really good, it was pretty much back to normal. This year, it hasn’t been a lot different. I don’t even think about the surgery [on the mound]. The rehab went real well, it’s good that I can’t even feel[any shoulder pain].”

Drabek, in his first season in the Toronto Blue Jays organization after being a part of the Roy Halladay trade with the Philadelphia Phillies on Dec. 14, entered the contest with a 14-9 record with a 2.98 E.R.A., striking out 123 batters in 154 innings of work. Drabek also added a no-hitter to his success this season against the New Britain Rock Cats on July 4.

His body of work was good enough to capture the 2010 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year award.

Drabek’s work on Saturday night impressed Sea Dogs catcher Luis Exposito.

“We saw what he can do,” Exposito said. “He might have walked a couple more guys than he wanted to. But overall I think he’s a great pitcher. He’s got a real bright upside, that kid.”

Kipper said the trait that both Doug and Kyle Drabek share is they are both good athletes on the mound.

“He moves very well off the mound and fields his position well, he’s got a good move to first base,” Kipper said. “He moves easy. He’s got athletic ability, and you can’t teach that.”

Kipper said all Drabek needs at this point is to deliver consistent performances on the mound before heading up to Toronto.

“It’s certainly not stuff,” Kipper said. “I think it comes down to being able to refine and polish stuff and be able to go out there and deliver a consistency in performance. I think at this level, this is what these guys are shooting to do, even at the big league level. That’s what separates the guys that are great from the guys that are good. Looking at that what, what I saw from him was pretty good.”

In the meantime, Drabek will take the mound every fifth day and keep firing away. And in the process, he’ll still get a few pointers every now and a again from his dad.

“Every fifth day, I’ll talk to him,” Drabek said. “I’ll talk to him in between starts and talk about getting ready for the next start, and stuff like that.”

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318