#22 2020 Prospect: Kyle Bradish - RHP

[Tony-OH]

https://www.orioleshangout.com/2020/10/25/20-2020-prospect-kyle-bradish-rhp/

[Frobby]

I am really interested to see what this guy does.    Matt Blood really hyped him up in his interview about the alternate camp site, mentioning him as right up there with Rodriguez, Hall and Baumann.      If that proves correct, then he’s going to move way up in the rankings next year.   But I can’t blame Tony for taking Blood’s comments with a grain of salt, either.    Definitely a player to watch in 2021.    

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

I am really interested to see what this guy does.    Matt Blood really hyped him up in his interview about the alternate camp site, mentioning him as right up there with Rodriguez, Hall and Baumann.      If that proves correct, then he’s going to move way up in the rankings next year.   But I can’t blame Tony for taking Blood’s comments with a grain of salt, either.    Definitely a player to watch in 2021.    

I heard that he threw the ball well at the camp as well, which actually moved him up my list more to this spot. His delivery though is so unorthodox that its hard to see him pick up a changeup from that angle and I'm not sure the two pitch mix is going to be enough to keep him as a starter. Now, saying that, if he uses the cutter as a 3rd pitch off his 4-seamer and curve, then maybe, assuming he can keep his stuff. The other thing is he needs to improve the command of that power curveball. His walk rate was a bit high last year in High-A ball so that will need to improve for him to stick as a starter.

I just don't have enough information on him to place him higher honestly, but with a lack of video and stats this year, we have take a lot of these new guys inclusion on the list with a grain of salt.

[Just Regular]

I am guessing he's so beloved by Blood in part because he executes the very high arm slot thing that made even Verlander say uncle after a couple years.  I have never seen him pitch, but am kind of visualizing our mini-Glasnow.  Third pitch, schmird pitch.

Smoltz last night on Glasnow kind of gave the viewpoint it's unsurprising he's bad at anything feel as all that he has gets put into high fastballs and low curves on every pitch.  Taking anything off to hit a spot is contrary to the essence of who he is.

I'll be curious to hear Palmer on these guys as the Orioles work toward today's assembly line.  Palmer's a bit of a blindspot for me repertoire wise - I've heard him self-describe as a high fastball pitcher, and I think the curve his primary secondary, but don't have a real clear idea how he fleshed out his arsenal.  I'm pretty sure he was more than today's Glasnow though.

 

[Frobby]

3 hours ago, OrioleDog said:

I am guessing he's so beloved by Blood in part because he executes the very high arm slot thing that made even Verlander say uncle after a couple years.  I have never seen him pitch, but am kind of visualizing our mini-Glasnow.  Third pitch, schmird pitch.

Smoltz last night on Glasnow kind of gave the viewpoint it's unsurprising he's bad at anything feel as all that he has gets put into high fastballs and low curves on every pitch.  Taking anything off to hit a spot is contrary to the essence of who he is.

I'll be curious to hear Palmer on these guys as the Orioles work toward today's assembly line.  Palmer's a bit of a blindspot for me repertoire wise - I've heard him self-describe as a high fastball pitcher, and I think the curve his primary secondary, but don't have a real clear idea how he fleshed out his arsenal.  I'm pretty sure he was more than today's Glasnow though.

 

Palmer was a four pitch guy with terrific command.   Could throw any pitch in any count.   His delivery was very over the top and his CB a pretty pure 12/6.    Nice slider that broke both down and away.   To my recollection he didn’t throw his change much, but he had it in his arsenal.   

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Wow!  He may have had 4 pitches at different times in his career but I very rarely remember him as a 4 pitch pitcher.    I think in the 69-73 timeframe he was more of that fastball/slider guy who might throw a straight change in once in awhile.   I don't remember really "featuring" a change at any point in his career.  It was more of a "show me, keep them honest" type of pitch.   It certainly never was a plus pitch for him, to the best of my memory.   At one time in the mid to late 70's I remember him featuring a slow curve as his second pitch.   In my memory, Palmer was essentially a one pitch pitcher who threw the other pitches to keep hitters honest.  I would love to see the percentage of fastballs thrown by Palmer throughout his career.   I would guess that it's very high.   Now, having said all this, I realize that my memory might just be toast but I really don't think of Palmer as a 4 pitch pitcher at all.

I think one of the reasons his strikeout numbers weren't very high is because he never really had plus secondaries.    His fastball was that effective.   He must have gotten more popups than any other pitcher.   The high fastball that hitters couldn't get on top of.    That's what I remember.

I think of his change up about like you do.   I said he didn’t throw it much.  Here’s Palmer’s own description of his repertoire:

“I was a fastball pitcher with three other pitches: a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. I had a four-seamer and a two-seamer… four seams early on. I didn’t turn my two-seamer over, but it had a little different look, so it was a pitch I could use. If you throw enough four-seamers away to lefties, it is a pitch you can throw where the ball has a little different movement to get them to maybe roll over, especially when they’re trying to hook a ball in the hole with a runner on first base. But I was primarily… even when I was throwing 90-whatever, upper 90s or upper 80s, I was still pretty much the same pitcher.”

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/8883/prospectus-qa-jim-palmer/

One other thing I have to say about  Palmer: he had the most fluid, beautiful, mesmerizing pitching motion I ever saw.  It seemed so effortless even with a really high leg kick.   The ball seemed to just flow from his motion.    

 

[Frobby]

Here are Kennie Steenstra’s comments about Bradish in Steve Mekewski’s blog today:

“There is nothing not to like,” Ramsey said about Bradish. “He’s a phenomenal person. Showed up a little later, but in shape and ready to go. Strong, physical kid. Different delivery than maybe what you are used to seeing. Higher arm slot, more over the top, but that’s OK. It works well for him. It was fun to watch. First time for him in the organization and it was nice to work with him.”

Bradish throws his cutting fastball in the low to mid 90s with a curve, slider and changeup.

When you talk about starting pitchers yet to debut with the Orioles that the organization has some hopes for, and are currently at higher levels, you talk about a group of pitchers such as Michael Baumann, Zac Lowther, Alexander Wells and Smith, to name just a few.

Ramsey believes Bradish fits in well talent-wise with that group.

“I do. I think he’s up with that. Not taking anything away from those guys, but I thought he was underrated in some rankings I saw. He is very competitive,” he said.

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/10/checking-in-with-pitching-coaches-from-the-bowie-alternate-site.html

[Tony-OH]

I'm looking forward to watching him next year. His command is something we'll need to see improve next year but nice to hear Ramsey excited about him.

[Frobby]

Here’s a bit from departed prospect Brian Gonzalez about Kyle Bradish, via Melewski:

Gonzalez told me he forgot to mention one other pitcher that stood out to him: right-hander Kyle Bradish, one of the four pitchers the Orioles got from the Los Angeles Angels for Dylan Bundy.

On Aug. 3, Bradish, 24, was added to the O’s Bowie site. Bradish was drafted in round four of 2018 by the Angels out of New Mexico State. He made his pro debut in 2019 as a starter for high Single-A Inland Empire in the California League. Bradish went 6-7 with a 4.28 ERA. Over 101 innings, he walked 53, fanned 120, posted a .235 opponent batting average and a 1.42 WHIP.

“That kid has some unreal stuff. If he can just get the experience at the upper levels and still continue to work on his stuff, I think he’s going to be unbelievable,” Gonzalez said. “He has some nasty stuff. He’s quiet and calm and then he gets on the mound and it’s like thunder out of his hand. It’s nice and easy and it explodes. Great guy, super nice guy. Calm and just goes about his business. On the mound, it’s 94-96 (mph) with some cut and ride and this hammer curveball. That’s why the O’s got him. They saw something special and that is a credit to the organization in knowing what they want.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/11/a-former-farmhand-with-thoughts-on-os-prospects.html

[wildcard]

12 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Here’s a bit from departed prospect Brian Gonzalez about Kyle Bradish, via Melewski:

Gonzalez told me he forgot to mention one other pitcher that stood out to him: right-hander Kyle Bradish, one of the four pitchers the Orioles got from the Los Angeles Angels for Dylan Bundy.

On Aug. 3, Bradish, 24, was added to the O’s Bowie site. Bradish was drafted in round four of 2018 by the Angels out of New Mexico State. He made his pro debut in 2019 as a starter for high Single-A Inland Empire in the California League. Bradish went 6-7 with a 4.28 ERA. Over 101 innings, he walked 53, fanned 120, posted a .235 opponent batting average and a 1.42 WHIP.

“That kid has some unreal stuff. If he can just get the experience at the upper levels and still continue to work on his stuff, I think he’s going to be unbelievable,” Gonzalez said. “He has some nasty stuff. He’s quiet and calm and then he gets on the mound and it’s like thunder out of his hand. It’s nice and easy and it explodes. Great guy, super nice guy. Calm and just goes about his business. On the mound, it’s 94-96 (mph) with some cut and ride and this hammer curveball. That’s why the O’s got him. They saw something special and that is a credit to the organization in knowing what they want.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/11/a-former-farmhand-with-thoughts-on-os-prospects.html

Sounds like what Matt Blood said.   If he turn out to be special Elias will have done quite a job on the Bundy trade.

[joelala]

Very cool to hear about him. Seems like more of a relief profile if those are the only two pitches. But if he can be like anything like a Hader or the other new kid on the Brewers, sign me up in a second.