Jeremy Kivel
| IP | 202 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.812 |
| WHIP | 1.703 |
| BB/9 | 5.837 |
| SO/9 | 10.114 |
- Full name Jeremy Brian Kivel
- Born 10/16/1993 in Spring, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Spring
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Drafted in the 10th round (322nd overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 (signed for $500,000).
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Kivel had the raw arm strength to pitch himself into the early rounds of the 2012 draft, but that chance ended when he blew out the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing the outfield. He previously had surgery on the ACL in his right knee. A 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, Kivel is all about power. His quick arm delivers fastballs up to 95 mph and hard curveballs as well. He still needs a lot of polish. Assuming he doesn't turn pro, he'll attend Houston.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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When the Reds selected Kivel in the 10th round of the 2012 draft, they knew they were getting a big arm they could dream on. But that dream always carried a lot of risk, and so far Kivel's control issues have kept him from tapping into his potential. The Reds decided to shift him to the bullpen, giving up the idea of developing him as a starter. Out of the pen, Kivel's fastball jumped back up to the 94-96 mph he showed early in his pro debut. His delivery and mentality never seemed to fit as a starter. He's an aggressive power pitcher with below-average control. The Reds hope that the move to the bullpen will help him throw more strikes as he simplifies to a power approach with his plus fastball and fringe-average slider. -
Hitters need to think twice before rushing the mound against Kivel. A mixed-martial arts aficionado in high school, he had much more mat time than mound time when the Reds went well above slot to sign him for $500,000 in 2012, using money they had saved by signing first-rounder Nick Travieso to a discounted deal. Kivel blew out his knee as a high school senior, his first year playing baseball, so he had just six innings of experience when he signed. Not surprisingly, the Reds had plenty of work to do to refine his delivery. He had a tendency to drop his arm slot, but he's now throwing more consistently from a three-quarters delivery. Kivel's stuff ranks among the best in the organization. His fastball sits at 93-94 mph and touches 99. His 80-82 mph slider projects as an average pitch. His changeup has improved, but it's still a long way from being even average. An intriguing lottery ticket, Kivel has the arm to be a front-end starter or a late-inning power reliever. He could begin 2014 in extended spring training or possibly jump to low Class A Dayton.
