Kid closer Craig Kimbrel: Best Braves’ rookie I’ve ever seen
He's just a bit better than Bob Wickman, wouldn't you say? (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
Someone noted that, in the ninth inning of the Braves’ hairbreadth victory over Arizona last Sunday, Craig Kimbrel had hit 100 mph on the Turner Field radar gun. Said Kimbrel, all but snorting: “You mean the pitch that I don’t know how Mac caught?”
Well, yes. The intent was to throw a high hard one and make Chris Young chase it. Kimbrel threw it so hard and high that Brian McCann had to spring from his crouch to keep it from clattering against the backstop, which would have been a revolting development seeing as how the tying run occupied third base. But enough play by play.
The greater points here: Craig Kimbrel isn’t overly impressed with how hard he throws, which is a key consideration for somehow who throws as hard as he throws. He has clambered past the point where velocity is the be-all/end-all and has ascended to a more mature plane. More than just a thrower, he’s becoming a pitcher. More than just a pitcher, he’s becoming the absolute best at what he does.
Kimbrel tied the record held by Texas’ Neftali Feliz — given that the latter was once a Braves prospect himself, imagine those two in the same bullpen — for saves by a rookie. Kimbrel’s 40th save came in the Braves’ 130th game, which he’s in position to obliterate the benchmark. Forget 40 saves. He might get 50 before he’s done.
The Braves’ record for saves in a season is 55, set by John Smoltz in 2002. (Fifty-five also remains the National League standard, matched by Eric Gagne in 2003.) Smoltz was 35 and long since established as an elite pitcher when he hit 55. Kimbrel is 23, two years removed from Class A.
We recall Kimbrel being lights-out (to borrow Brad Lidge’s handle) as a set-up man down the stretch last season, but there was no way to know how he’d react to being named the closer at such a tender age. Closing games is more an issue of temperament than stuff. Trevor Hoffman became dominant on the strength of his change-up. Mariano Rivera became the best ever on the strength of one pitch, the legendary cut fastball.
We knew Kimbrel could throw really hard. What we didn’t know was whether his big heat could be harnessed. In 2009 he walked 45 batters in 60 minor-league innings, a ratio unacceptable in a big-league closer. Last year he walked 51 in 76 1/3 minor-and-major innings — still too high.
After a February workout at Turner Field, Kimbrel said: “From right now until the season, [working on control] becomes my focus. I want to improve it.”
Done. In 2011, Kimbrel has walked 25 in 63 2/3 innings. His WHIP (walks-and-hits-per-innings-pitched) is 1.01, which is fabulous. (Roy Halladay’s WHIP is 1.05; Rivera’s is 0.92.) And Kimbrel is, best of all, still striking guys out.
Kimbrel leads relievers in strikeouts, averaging 1.6 an inning. And here again we’re thinking: Got to be the heat, huh? Not entirely. According to ESPN’s Inside Edge, Kimbrel throws his slider about one-fourth of the time, and it’s darned effective. Opposing batters are hitting .113 against his breaking pitch, .192 against his fastball. Either way, they aren’t hitting much.
He had five blown saves in his first 23 chances. He has had none since, the last coming June 7. He has become what only the best closers become — all but automatic. (This isn’t to say he’ll never blow another save. Even the greats are human. Rivera blew Game 7 of a World Series.) And watching Kimbrel at work, peering plateward from that hermit-crab stance and then loosing his lightning, has become a treat in a season that has yielded several.
I’ve been here since 1984. I’ve seen some pretty stellar rookies, Gant and Justice and the Joneses and Furcal and Francoeur and Heyward and Freeman and all those Young Gun starting pitchers. Craig Kimbrel is the most impressive Braves rookie these eyes have yet beheld.
By Mark Bradley
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131 comments Add your comment
TD Mike
August 26th, 2011
11:23 am
First! Great Article, Mark!
Mark Bradley
August 26th, 2011
11:24 am
Thanks, TD Mike. Obliged, I am. And kudo’ed, you are.
foutip
August 26th, 2011
11:26 am
Is this noted as the kiss of confidence before blown saves. Love the way he keeps his slider low to the plate.
cadilac
August 26th, 2011
11:27 am
i agree
CW
August 26th, 2011
11:28 am
First?
CW
August 26th, 2011
11:28 am
Dang, 2nd again.
mountain_jim
August 26th, 2011
11:29 am
Any other year Freeman would be the Rookie of the Year. He is, both offensively and defensively, pretty amazing!
cantondawg
August 26th, 2011
11:33 am
Mark,
I’m just curious. You gave a list of names but whom would you consider 2nd best. I also noticed you didn’t include Francoeur on your impressive rookie list. I always thought that he was the rookie that came out the hottest.
Bandswagin fan
August 26th, 2011
11:35 am
He’s been unreal lately! I was one at the beginning of the season saying that I didn’t think he was ready for the job with 5 early blown saves. He has sure proved me wrong!!
Joey
August 26th, 2011
11:35 am
Mark, have you ever seen 2 rookies on the same team as good as Kimbrel and Freddie?
Ease
August 26th, 2011
11:36 am
Bradley’s on a one game winning streak.
JoshTown
August 26th, 2011
11:37 am
Great article. He’s absolutely spectacular. Between him, Freeman, Venters, Heyward, Beachy, Minor, Vizcaino, Teheran, and Delgado, I’d say age is on our side?
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2011
11:37 am
Still have to give the nod to the everyday guy for ROY. Fred Freeman!!
Remember when Chipper was screwed by a journeyman pitcher Nomo?
Joey
August 26th, 2011
11:37 am
Mark, have you ever seen a pair of rookies teammates as good as Kimbrel and Freeman?
Sonny Clusters
August 26th, 2011
11:38 am
You should have seen us when we was a Rookie.
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2011
11:40 am
Got to go with the position player for ROY, Freeman.
Sonny Clusters
August 26th, 2011
11:40 am
Pitching in a hurricane he may hit 200 mph.
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2011
11:41 am
How could a Clusters be a rookie? I thought you fellas was born with a bat in one hand and a Blizzard in the other.
wardo
August 26th, 2011
11:41 am
The future looks very bright. Go Braves!
Dr. Phil
August 26th, 2011
11:42 am
You have to give Fredi and McDowell credit. The Braves are in a great position going into the post season. That is pretty amazing for a first-year manager. Kimbrel and Venters have certainly done their part. Chipper is also essential to playoff success.
Delbert D.
August 26th, 2011
11:42 am
KO Kimbrell
Mark Bradley
August 26th, 2011
11:44 am
You’re right. Francoeur should have been on the list. He is now.
Chi Town
August 26th, 2011
11:44 am
Kimbrel is a Bama fan too.
Makes me like him even more.
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2011
11:44 am
Don’t you think it’s about time for D-Lowe to break out that new pitch he’s been featuring on that commercial?
Bubba Gump
August 26th, 2011
11:45 am
I recall playing against Clusters down in Vidalia. If they couldn’t beat you on the mound, they would get you after the game. Those boys made Jordan Jefferson look like a regular Sunday-school teacher.
Hankie Aron
August 26th, 2011
11:46 am
Mark-I remember Kimbrel battling Giants hitter last year in the playoffs after Wagner went down and thought wow this kid is absolutely electric and downright nasty. He was mowing guys down and I believed that the transition to full time closer would be no problem for this kid. I would concur he might be the best rookie the Braves have had
Hankie Aron
August 26th, 2011
11:49 am
I still agree though with Cyclops that Freddie Freeman should be ROY
Joey
August 26th, 2011
11:49 am
Well, Mark, other than the Cluster rookies . . .
Mark Bradley
August 26th, 2011
11:50 am
Clusters have a category unto themselves.
Karl Hungus
August 26th, 2011
11:57 am
Wow, pulling out the WHIP stat. Careful that your readers don’t label you a statgeek.
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2011
11:58 am
Thanks Mr. Hankie.
Rick Springfield
August 26th, 2011
12:02 pm
Kimbrel is great, don’t get me wrong, and I hope the Rivera comparisons are warranted long term. Further, I think his rookie numbers warrant a rookie of the year award.
HOWEVER, Freddie Freeman is truly something special. We will be talking about this guy in 2030 as a potential Hall of Famer. His swing is so sweet, he’s got pop, can hit for average and plays the best first base I’ve seen in Atlanta. His rookie numbers are just the beginning.
Ted DiBiase
August 26th, 2011
12:02 pm
Why is there no buzz about Craig Kimbrel?
DetroitBraves
August 26th, 2011
12:02 pm
He is amazing, particularly because of the strikeouts. But given the inherent variability the comes with the relief pitcher’s role, and the relatively few innings, I can’t elevate him to the top of the Atlanta rookie list. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had an amazing season, one that both my real life and fantasy team’s are enjoying (he’s got strikeout totals similar to some starting pitchers).
richie_rich1986
August 26th, 2011
12:04 pm
Great Article! Kimbrel is so dang impressive I enjoy watching him pitch so much. Him and Venters are going to be fun to watch for awhile. Hopefully we can lock both of them up long-term!
iago's yoda
August 26th, 2011
12:08 pm
So Bradley, you’re saying those Clusters should be lumped together?
Clay
August 26th, 2011
12:09 pm
Kimbrel is having a wonderful season; but, Freeman is out there every day and looking very impressive. His over the shoulder catch and then fire home for the double play the other day saved that game for the Braves. He has also had many clutch hits and can jack the ball to deep center at any time. I like Kimbrel a lot; but, Freeman has to be ROY.
DetroitBraves
August 26th, 2011
12:17 pm
Clay, intuitively I agree with you. But I see that Kimbrel has a WAR of 3.1 and Freeman 1.6. That’s decent separation. For the record, Heyward was at 5.1 last year.
Karl Hungus
August 26th, 2011
12:20 pm
Yeah, Kimbrel leads the Braves pitching staff in WAR. Second on the team only to Mac. Leads all MLB relievers by a significant amount.
Coach Ralph Fontaine
August 26th, 2011
12:24 pm
As a former HS baseball coach, NAHSC, PLBA certified, you give me 3 Kimbrels’, 5 Freddie Freeman’s and 1 Mark Bradley, I’ll getcha to the semi’s
Mark Bradley
August 26th, 2011
12:25 pm
In a four-team league, Coach Ralph?
DetroitBraves
August 26th, 2011
12:27 pm
For the stat geeks out there, Chipper was at 3.0 WAR, Andruw 3.9, Furcal at 3.5, Francouer 3.2 (in only 70 games) and Justice 3.5. So Kimbrel is right there and we’ll see where he ends up with a month left. It also shows how truly remarkable Heyward’s 5.1 season was last year. I don’t live in the Atlanta area anymore but from afar it’s just mind-boggling how many people have seemingly given up on the guy so quickly given how young he is and how much talent he has. Feels like there is more to that story than just his May-August, 2011 statistics.
Coach Ralph Fontaine
August 26th, 2011
12:27 pm
Hell, Freddie Freeman’s best friend was a pitching machine until he was 18.
Ebenezer Scrooge
August 26th, 2011
12:28 pm
Mr Bradley, hope you post an article later this year stating either Freeman or Kimbrel is the World Series MVP also.
The Blue Indian
August 26th, 2011
12:31 pm
Great article, Mark. Gonna have to go with Freeman for the ROY award though.
Bob in SF
August 26th, 2011
12:31 pm
IMHO Mark Wohlers’ stuff was comparable to Kimbrel’s but Kimbrel’s mental toughness and focus is light years ahead of anything Mark ever hoped for much less possessed.
Jon l
August 26th, 2011
12:35 pm
Agreed. As much as I love Freeman, there is nothing better than watching kimbrel come on in the 9th and throw straight heat. If we get to the 6th with a lead in the playoffs, it’s game over. Probably the only team that will be in it that can say that.
mike lum
August 26th, 2011
12:36 pm
Like the posters above, ROY voters will split votes between Kimbrel and Freeman. Along with the Braves-hating national media, this foretells another year where the ROY is handed to someone else. A few weeks ago the Nationals Espinosa was hitting below .230. Freeman’s stats have him beat in every category, but an ESPN.com writer said Espinosa was he hands-down ROY despite his stats. A Brave ROY? I’ll believe it when I see it.
Bryan G.
August 26th, 2011
12:37 pm
You’re dead on Mark. The other rookies you noted were good (or even great)…for rookies. Kimbrel has been the best at his position in the majors. Kimbrel would be having a great year whether it was his 1st or 10th year in the league. He’s been amazing this summer
Coach Ralph Fontaine
August 26th, 2011
12:37 pm
You wanna talk about mental toughness, toughest kid i coached was Billy Haynes. Played a double header while his daddy was trapped in a coal mine, went 7-8.