What’s Wrong with Atlanta Braves Closer Craig Kimbrel?

Search

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
34,770
Tokens
http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2013/05/08/whats-wrong-with-atlanta-braves-closer-craig-kimbrel/

[h=1]5/8/13

What’s Wrong with Atlanta Braves Closer Craig Kimbrel?[/h]12 hours ago by Daniel Kock


Kim Klement-USA Today Sports

The Atlanta Braves were poised to take game two and clinch a series win against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. The Braves had two outs and a 4-3 lead with closer Craig Kimbrel on the mound. Then, disaster struck.
Devin Mesoraco hit a two-strike pitch for a solo home run to tie it, and Shin-Soo Choo followed with one of his own to give the Reds an improbable 5-4 victory.
For Kimbrel, the last five outings have been rocky. He has blown three saves, which is as many as the entire 2012 season, allowed five earned runs and given up three home runs. For comparison, he allowed just three home runs and seven earned runs the entire season in 2012.
Kimbrel still features excellent velocity on his fastball and sharp bite on his slider. So, why the change in results?
According to advanced statistics from FanGraphs, the way Kimbrel approaches hitters this season has changed. In 2012, Kimbrel threw his fastball 67.6 percent of his pitches for an average velocity of 96.8 mph. Meanwhile, he has thrown his fastball 77.8 percent of the time in 2013 for an average velocity of 96.2.
The velocity is fine, but this looks to be an example of relying too heavily on his fastball. Kimbrel is basically a two-pitch pitcher, meaning he’s throwing his slider way less. The two home runs hit off Kimbrel on Tuesday night were both 96 mph fastballs. MLB hitters can catch up to the best fastballs when sitting on it.
Thus far, Kimbrel has relied too heavily on it and hitters are looking for it.
Kimbrel may not be as comfortable with his slider in the early portion of the season. If that’s the case, he needs to work out the kinks in his side sessions. If he is comfortable with it, he simply needs to throw it more and the catchers need to call it more. At the very least, it needs to be in the back of the hitter’s mind at the plate.
The closer’s stuff is too electric for him to continue to struggle. Like any pitcher, he can’t have success using just one pitch. Get back to throwing the slider, and the dominant results will return.



Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2013/...ves-closer-craig-kimbrel/?thjfLb4A5TklJJfy.99
 

Rx God
Joined
Nov 1, 2002
Messages
39,226
Tokens
What's wrong is that he grossly overvalues his worth to a ballclub, same for that Keuchel guy.

Guys OK you are good solid major league pitchers, but you are over 30. Don't expect Verlander, Chapman sort of contracts !

Teams no longer pay for past performanc, it's about expected future performance. Very few players Excel beyond age 35, don't expect a 7 year contract for huge money when you're 32 or so !

Especially in the case of Kilel, you have Scott Boras as your agent, the greediest guy ever, and tells you to sign Dallas, yet you want even more !

Kimbrel, closers are overvalued you only pitch 60 innings a year, you're not as valuable as you think you are, there are a new breed of bean counters evaluating you now using metrics that place a pretty precise value on your worth
 

Official Rx music critic and beer snob
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
25,128
Tokens
The role of bullpens are changing, but Kimbrel only wants to start the 9th so he can he a save.
 

Rx God
Joined
Nov 1, 2002
Messages
39,226
Tokens
That's BS the way they pad their stats by only pitching the 9th or whatever inning you get assigned to, use the best relief pitcher for whatever the situation is, bring in that closer in the 7th if that what it takes to kill a rally.
 

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
3,639
Tokens
They're only paying him $10 million for a couple of months worth of losses. If Theo Epstein didn't have millions upon millions of dollars to shell out when he was on the Red Sox and now Cubs, he'd be nothing. Like to see him run the Rays or Tigers. Brewers have $90 million less to spend each season and they step on the Cubs on their way to the playoffs the past two years.
 

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
34,770
Tokens
From a Cub Fan;

If I were the powers that be for the Cubs I would never let Kimbrel throw another pitch
for the Cubs. Swallow the contract and trade this has been. What a waste of money.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 24, 2012
Messages
20,483
Tokens
I have said for years on this forum. Most overrated player in baseball
 

Banned
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
2,045
Tokens
Trade him lol. They wouldn’t get a bag of peanuts even if they ate his entire contract
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,787
Messages
13,438,995
Members
99,339
Latest member
billcunninghamhomeloans
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com