New York Yankee Pitcher Ian Kennedy Has a Positive Outlook on 2010
October 14, 2009 · Greg Fertel · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
I don’t know what to do right now, as we still have two more days until Yankee baseball.
This should help you kill some time (it certainly helped me).
I’m a big Ian Kennedy fan. He absolutely tore up the minor leagues in his first full professional season, something that very few pitchers do. No, Kennedy doesn’t have the front-line potential that Hughes and Joba have, but he still is a valuable asset. Check this out, his numbers speak for themselves:
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
While Kennedy’s minor league resume stands out, there’s no secret that he struggled mightily in the majors in 2008. He made nine starts and had an ERA above eight, which doesn’t fit in with his minor league numbers at all.
After missing most of the season recovering from surgery after an aneurysm was found in his right arm, Kennedy is back on track, pitching as if nothing ever happened. He is currently pitching for the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League, and I’m happy to say we are getting Pitch F/X data from certain Arizona parks this fall.
Kennedy started the first game of the AFL season, and pitched very well. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at his Pitch F/X and see if he’s doing anything differently.
To start, Kennedy’s velocity is up a little bit.
It’s a small sample of just 52 pitches, but I just figured it’s worth noting that Kennedy threw less fastballs, more sliders, and more curveballs in this outing. If that trend continues, I suspect that Yankees prefer that he works a little more on those pitches.
Here are Kennedy’s release points in 2008 (4/19/08 start) versus 2009 (10/14/09 start):
Next, we have a top view of Kennedy’s pitches:
His curveball has much less horizontal movement than last year, and the velocity on it has also increased. It looks like he’s throwing a tighter curve now, as opposed to a loopier one. His slider cut a little but more, but he only threw it four times.
Again, ignore the orange lines. Here is a side view of IPK’s pitches:
As I suggested above, the vertical movement on Kennedy’s curveball suggests that he is throwing a tighter pitch now. It has added velocity and less horizontal and vertical movement.
Now, I’m admittedly not a Pitch F/X expert, but it’s always interesting to look at. There are definitely some differences in Kennedy’s repertoire, but it barely changes my outlook for him. If he can build up more arm strength, I expect Kennedy to play a big role for the Yankees in 2010. Kennedy profiles as a league-average starter, which is a valuable piece, especially when he is being paid the league minimum.
I don’t see a spot for Kennedy in the rotation next season, so I expect him to start out in Scranton. When the inevitable injury occurs, he should be first in line for a call up.
If the starting staff stays healthy, I would not be surprised at all to see Kennedy in a Hughes-like relief role. In the bullpen, he should excel; a good starter will always make an even better reliever.
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