Rob Kaminsky: An Indians Prospect Bounces Back

Rob Kaminsky got off to a rocky start in 2016. His delivery compromised by a balky back, he put up plenty of clunkers. Over his first 10 outings for Double-A Akron, the Cleveland pitching prospect allowed 30 runs in 45 innings of work. He also spent time on the disabled list. All in all, Kaminsky was a wreck.

Then things turned around. Buoyed by mechanical fine-tuning that accompanied his rehab sessions, the young southpaw was a stud from mid-June onward. In his last 17 starts, Kaminsky allowed two-or-fewer runs 14 times. Over that span, which included the Eastern League playoffs, he hurled 103 frames and saw just 30 runners cross the plate.

Despite his rebound — and having pitched the entire season as a 21-year-old in Double-A — Kaminsky is going in the wrong direction with regard to prospect rankings. He’s plummeted all the way to 26th on Baseball America’s Indians list after coming in at No. 9 a year ago. Our own prospect guru, Eric Longenhagen, has Kaminsky 14th, which is six spots lower than he was 12 months ago.

How did the 5-foot-11 left-hander’s season unfold, and what looms in his future? Here are answers to those questions, courtesy of Kaminsky himself, and Dave Wallace, who was his manager in Akron.

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Wallace: “If I had to pick one story from this year — pick a specific player — [Kaminsky] would be it. He was absolutely our bulldog down the stretch, and in the second half in general. But in the first half, there were some games that weren’t pretty. He had some significant delivery adjustments that needed to be made. And they weren’t easy.”

Kaminsky: “I would have benched myself, with the first half I had. Everything that could have went wrong, went wrong. I was pitching terrible, and I was pitching hurt. But there were some days I actually felt alright and still got hit around, so it’s not something I can completely blame on the injury. I need to take some ownership of my performance.”

Wallace: “It was about alignment. He’s always been a little across his body. There are successful pitchers who do that — it works for them — but he just wasn’t able to repeat his delivery, his release point, like he needed to. It was about getting more in line, being more efficient, and maximizing his lower half. That was the main focus.”

Kaminsky: “To be honest, even before I hurt my back, my mechanics weren’t great. But you lose athleticism when you hurt your back, and that affected my delivery. As a shorter guy, my arm needs to be up to get sink, and I was throwing across my body and leaving the ball flat.”

Wallace: “There were some physical issues he was going through, which helped lead to his delivery getting a little out of whack. Along with the delivery work, he had to do some physical training to strengthen and stretch himself out. He had to get more mobile to where he can get into those good delivery positions.”

Kaminsky: “My stride got eight inches shorter, and six inches more closed. I was putting stress on my back, and I lost hip mobility. There was a point in the season where I was throwing 85-86 and not getting outs. Along with hurting myself, I was hurting the team. I decided it was time to speak up.”

Wallace: “There were conversations [within the organization] during the season that he would go to Arizona to work on them. But with the kind of competitor he is, we didn’t do that. He was able to work through those delivery adjustments while competing in Double-A as a 21-year-old.”

Kaminsky: “I wouldn’t have blamed them for sending me to Arizona. I had the lower back strain — kind of where my hip meets my lower back — and while it was nothing serious, I couldn’t figure things out. I’d actually been dealing with it since the end of 2015, but as a stubborn athlete, I just wanted to compete, no matter what. Looking back, I would have handled it differently. But you don’t have a time machine, right?”

Wallace: “It was really cool to watch. Tony Arnold, our pitching coach, got really creative with some of the drills. Our trainers, as well. They did an excellent job of getting him healthy and back into a good delivery.”

Kaminsky: “After a three-week stint on the DL, they let me stay in Cleveland and rehab there. That was the time I really figured my stuff out. I watched a lot of tape and we did drills, working on my posture and not having that arch in my back. The pain subsided and my stuff started to come back.”

Wallace: “His curveball has always been his calling card, and in the second half, being able to repeat his delivery, he was able to throw it for a strike when he needed to, and out of the zone when he wanted to. His changeup has also come a long way. And with the way he works, he’s only going to get better. His stuff will get better, and so will his command.”

Kaminsky: “I couldn’t care less [about prospect rankings]. There are just a few people I need to impress, and that’s the Indians front office and my coaches. Even when I had more prospect status, I didn’t put too much focus on that.”

Wallace: “I can kind of understand the rankings from outside sources, but inside the organization, we couldn’t be more excited about him. We’re really proud of him for the adjustments he made. He will pitch in the big leagues. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Kaminsky: “I’d never dealt with failure like that in my life. Coming from New Jersey, and being at the low levels of the minors, I’d always had success. This was one of those shake-you-back-to-reality type of things. I learned how to cope with failure, and I needed that, big time. I’m full go now, and counting the days to spring training.”





David Laurila grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and now writes about baseball from his home in Cambridge, Mass. He authored the Prospectus Q&A series at Baseball Prospectus from December 2006-May 2011 before being claimed off waivers by FanGraphs. He can be followed on Twitter @DavidLaurilaQA.

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asreitzmember
7 years ago

With those K rates, he should get used to failure. He was never a 1st Round talent despite the Cardinals taking him there. I think he’s likely a bullpen piece, long term.

Neils-Henning Orsted Joc Pederson
7 years ago
Reply to  asreitz

Counterpoint:
Lefties need neither the velocity nor the strikeouts of their right-handed brethren in order to enjoy conspicuous MLB success — especially a severe groundballer like Kaminsky.
If Rob can maintain his late season 88-90 heater, while slightly sharpening his change & curve, the Indians will have a fine 2-3 WAR starter by 2019.