Mike Kickham Stats & Scouting Report

IP	46
ERA	10.174
WHIP	2.109
BB/9	3.326
SO/9	9.587

Full name Michael Joseph Kickham
Born 12/12/1988 in St. Louis, MO
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Missouri State
Debut 05/28/2013
Drafted in the 6th round (198th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2010 (signed for $410,000).

View Draft Report

Missouri State has produced six big league pitchers (Ross Detwiler, Jeff Gray, Shaun Marcum, Matt Palmer, John Rheinecker, Brad Ziegler) and two first-round arms (Detwiler, Brett Sinkbeil) in the last decade. The Bears have another quality pitching prospect--it's just not who scouts expected. Aaron Meade was coming off a strong sophomore season and summer in the Cape Cod League, but fellow lefthander Kickham has surpassed him. Missouri State didn't recruit him out of a local Springfield, Mo., high school, and he didn't turn any heads while going 3-3, 5.62 at Crowder (Mo.) JC in 2009. When his velocity increased to the high 80s in the MINK League last summer, the Bears offered him the opportunity to transfer. Kickham's fastball has continued to improve, sitting at 90-92 mph and touching 94 consistently throughout the spring. A strong 6-foot-4, 210-pounder, he backs up his fastball with a true slider that has good depth. He also throws a solid changeup and an overhand curveball. Scouts like his size, stuff and command, but also wonder why that hasn't translated into more success, as he went 4-9, 5.25 in 15 starts. Though he's a draft-eligible sophomore, he's expected to go high enough in the draft to sign. Kickham's twin brother Dan, a righthander who helped pitch Crowder to the Junior College World Series, also has seen his velocity spike this spring and should get drafted in the later rounds.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Kickham should be better than he currently is, according to at least one scout. A lefthander with enough stuff to have big league success, he now has two fruitless trips to the big leagues. He was pummeled in three spot starts in 2013, though he pitched a little better in September work out of the bullpen. Brought back up in September 2014 to work in relief, he proved unusable as he fell apart in two short outings. The Giants hoped Kickham could prove to be a spot starter, but so far he hasn't shown enough control or command to handle that role. After losing velocity, Kickham has a pair of fringe-average pitches in his 87-92 mph fastball and hard, 80-85 mph slider. Both would play better coming out of the bullpen. His below-average changeup has never really developed. His extreme crossfire delivery and short stride often leave his arm trailing behind his body, leading to control issues. Kickham has well below-average control that won't play in a big league rotation.
When they won the World Series in 2012, the Giants had five pitchers start 160 of their 162 regular-season games. They weren't blessed with the same health or effectiveness last year, but they figured that Kickham would provide a solid alternative. It didn't turn out that way, as he got hit hard in three starts and ended up with a 10.16 ERA. The block appeared to be more mental than anything, because Kickham's stuff has few peers in the system. He has a plus fastball that touches 95 mph, and he has shown a knack for making his breaking ball harder or tighter as the situation warrants. But he is not pitch-efficient. His walk totals have been higher than desired at every minor league stop, and he'll find it tougher to be "effectively wild" against big league hitters. In each of his three big league starts, Kickham turned in a perfect first inning before struggling--perhaps a clue that he could be more effective in relief. He isn't expected to compete for a big league rotation spot at the outset of 2014, but the Giants hope he'll be ready the next time they need to call upon him.
A recurring blister issue contributed to an underwhelming 2011 full-season debut, but Kickham re-established himself as one of the most talented arms in the system following an aggressive assignment to Double-A. The recipient of an above-slot $410,000 bonus as a draft-eligible sophomore, he had stretches when he dominated Eastern League hitters and ranked second in the circuit in strikeouts (137) and opponent average (.219). Kickham's raw stuff easily is the best among lefthanders in the system. He works off a two-seam fastball that he throws in the low 90s with sinking and tailing action. His slider and changeup both arrive in the low 80s and are solid offerings. He'll also mix in a curveball that has its moments. His ability to vary his breaking ball reminds Giants coaches of Jeremy Affeldt and has them convinced Kickham could move quickly. The key for him is throwing strikes. He can be effectively wild but will need to be more efficient as he progresses. He has trouble hiding his displeasure when he doesn't get calls behind the plate, but he pitched with more maturity as the season went on. Kickham is expected to receive an invite to major league camp this spring and could establish himself as a viable major league option, though he's expected to begin the season in Triple-A. If he puts everything together, he could be a No. 3 starter.
There's a lot to like about Kickham, but his first full pro season was an unsatisfying experience. The Giants had high hopes for the physical lefty, who received an above-slot $410,000 as a drafteligible sophomore in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. He's a product of a Missouri State program that has pumped out big league pitchers Ross Detweiler, Jeff Gray, Shaun Marcum, Matt Palmer, John Rheinecker, Brett Sinkbeil and Brad Ziegler in the last decade. His twin brother Dan also pitched for the Bears and signed with the Tigers as a 33rd-rounder last summer. Kickham pitches in the low 90s and can touch 94 mph with fastball, giving him more velocity than most lefty starters. He also shows good feel for a true four-pitch blend that includes a plus slider, solid curveball and emerging changeup. All those attributes pointed Kickham toward the fast track, and he was ticketed to begin 2011 in high Class A. But Kickham dealt with a recurring blister issue, so the Giants started him at low Class A in mid-May and he didn't exactly dominate the league. At least he finished strong, with a 2.23 ERA in the final month of the regular season and a strong playoff start. Kickham has no right to complain about pitcher's fielding practice this spring after making six errors in just 23 chances last year. If he can put the blisters behind him, he should get back on track at San Jose and has the ceiling of a No. 3 starter.
Kickham was a draft-eligible sophomore from a Missouri State program that has produced several well-regarded pitching prospects in recent years, as well as several big leaguers such as Shaun Marcum and Brad Ziegler. The Giants gave him an above-slot $410,000 to sign as a sixth-rounder and believe they might have gotten one of the steals of the 2010 draft. Pitching coordinator Bert Bradley already knew Kickham's repertoire, having watched him compete against his son at Southern Illinois. He's a physical lefty who throws his fastball consistently in the 90s, touching 94 mph, and commands a plus slider that has good, sweeping action. He further confounds lefty hitters with a hard breaking ball that he can drop under their hands. Kickham will change arm angles and showed a good feel for setting up hitters during instructional league--all traits that indicate he could move quickly. He also can throw a decent changeup, giving him a starter's repertoire. Kickham had thrown from a slide step in college and didn't fully load, so coaches worked with him to see if he could boost his velocity. Although he could be murder on lefties as a reliever, San Francisco doesn't have much lefthanded inventory among their starters and so he's likely to get stretched out. Kickham has a twin brother, Dan, who was taken by the Rockies in the 27th round but didn't sign.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Giants expected big things from Kickham in 2011, but when a blister issue held him back in spring training they chose to slow down his timetable and kept him in low Class A all season. Kickham said he benefitted from spending a year with Augusta pitching coach Steve Kline, learning lessons on throwing the breaking ball and pitch sequencing. Kickham survived and often thrived after making the two-level jump to Richmond this season, though lapses in control led to the occasional big inning. He counterbalanced ranking third in the EL with 75 walks by finishing second with 137 strikeouts and a .219 opponent average. His control improved once he shortened his arm stroke by lowering his hands to his waist when he comes to a set position. Kickham attacks the lower part of the strike zone with a low-90s sinker that features plenty of tailing action. He throws a deceptive low-80s changeup with plus arm speed. He still needs to improve the consistency of his primary breaking ball, a low-80s slider that flashes plus potential, and he'll also mix in a show-me curveball.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Slider in the San Francisco Giants in 2013

Scouting Reports

Background: A recurring blister issue contributed to an underwhelming 2011 pro debut, but Kickham re-established himself as one of the most talented arms in the system following an aggressive assignment to Double-A. The recipient of an above-slot $410,000 bonus as a draft-eligible sophomore, he had stretches when he dominated Eastern League hitters and ranked second in the circuit in strikeouts (137) and opponent average (.219). Scouting Report: Kickham's raw stuff easily is the best among lefthanders in the system. He works off a two-seam fastball that he throws in the low 90s with sinking and tailing action. His slider and changeup both arrive in the low 80s and are solid offerings. He'll also mix in a curveball that has its moments. His ability to vary his breaking ball reminds Giants coaches of Jeremy Affeldt and has them convinced Kickham could move quickly. The key for him is throwing strikes. He can be effectively wild but will need to be more efficient as he progresses. He has trouble hiding his displeasure when he doesn't get calls behind the plate, but he pitched with more maturity as the season went on. The Future: Kickham is expected to receive an invite to major league camp this spring and could establish himself as a viable major league option, though he's expected to begin the season in Triple-A. If he puts everything together, he could be a No. 3 starter.