Kyle Bloom
| IP | 636 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.217 |
| WHIP | 1.42 |
| BB/9 | 4.571 |
| SO/9 | 7.019 |
- Full name Kyle J. Bloom
- Born 02/21/1983 in Schaumburg, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: L
- School Illinois State
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Drafted in the 5th round (142nd overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004 (signed for $200,000).
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When Bloom has all three of his pitches working and keeps them down, he profiles better as a starter than any of the Illinois lefties. The problem is that he's rarely in sync, which explains why he hasn't had a winning record for the Redbirds and owns a career 12-16, 5.63 mark. His 86-90 mph fastball is fairly straight but is effective when he uses his 6-foot-3 frame to generate leverage down in the zone. His curveball has added 4-5 mph in velocity this spring, and his changeup usually is a solid-average pitch.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Bloom has yet to pitch above Double-A in five pro seasons, but he intrigued the Tigers enough that they took him in the major league Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings. Now he has to stick on their big league roster in 2009, or else they have to put him on waivers and offer him back to the Pirates for half of the $50,000 draft price. Bloom's strengths are that he's lefthanded and has learned how to command his 88-91 mph fastball to all four quadrants of the strike zone with decent movement. He throws his changeup with good arm action, making it hard to distinguish from his fastball, and also has a serviceable slider. Though he commands his fastball, he often gets himself into trouble with walks. Bloom primarily has been a starter during his career, though he did see some relief action last season and seems better suited to that role at the major league level.
