Craig Kimbrel 2024

[Just Regular]

I noticed Kevin Brown skipped to calling him a Hall of Famer during his showdown with assured Hall of Famer Mike Trout in the first game of the series.

I don't know that he's for sure yet but he is in a spot where every great performance feels like he's that much closer to the goal line.

No big demerits if an old guy's arm is all used up by late.

 

 

[dystopia]

11 hours ago, Dunk35 said:

Means is going on almost 2 years so we'll see...

Means was back at the end of last year. Yes, he’s had issues since then but that’s not the norm. 

[Frobby]

12 hours ago, Just Regular said:

I noticed Kevin Brown skipped to calling him a Hall of Famer during his showdown with assured Hall of Famer Mike Trout in the first game of the series.

I don't know that he's for sure yet but he is in a spot where every great performance feels like he's that much closer to the goal line.

No big demerits if an old guy's arm is all used up by late.

 

 

Not a ton of relievers in the Hall of Fame.   KRod at 437 saves has gotten 10.8% and 7.8% of the votes in his first two tries; Lee Smith at 478 saves got into the HOF only through selection by the Today’s Game Era Committee.   I’d say the odds are against Kimbrel being elected by the writers unless he ends up somewhere north of 500 saves, and even then he’d be no sure thing.   

Pretty good shot that Kimbrel passes KRod this year and finishes the season 4th or 5th on the all time saves list, depending what Kenley Jensen (one ahead of him) does the rest of the year.  
 

 

[sportsfan8703]

We do have an option for Kimbrel next year.  It's a long ways away though.  The way our closers rack up saves he could be at 500 by the end of next year easily.  Even in some sort of time share with Bautista next season.  As we've seen with Means' TJ, there is no sure thing.  We could possibly keep Kimbrel as an insurance policy next year.  

[Malike]

13 hours ago, Just Regular said:

I noticed Kevin Brown skipped to calling him a Hall of Famer during his showdown with assured Hall of Famer Mike Trout in the first game of the series.

I don't know that he's for sure yet but he is in a spot where every great performance feels like he's that much closer to the goal line.

No big demerits if an old guy's arm is all used up by late.

 

 

Kevin Brown said - "Future Hall of Famer, PERHAPS, Craig Kimbrel, Future Hall of Famer for CERTAIN, Mike Trout.

Edited April 25 by Malike

[Aglets]

I think it's worth giving Kimbrel some major props so far.   He has been far more dominant that I expected in the early going.

11 innings, a WHIP of 0.64.........striking out almost 14 per 9 is fantastic.   

He has allowed 5 hits so far all season............all singles.

The run he allowed last night was off of a single and a 2 base error.  The one blown save was off of a bloop hit, two steals, and a sac fly.

The bottom line is that opposing hitters haven't been squaring him up well at all yet and although he certainly won't be THIS dominant all year long he has far exceeded our expectations I think and man wouldn't it be nice to have a tricky decision about picking up his option for 2025 with Bautista also coming back.

[Malike]

34 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Not a ton of relievers in the Hall of Fame.   KRod at 437 saves has gotten 10.8% and 7.8% of the votes in his first two tries; Lee Smith at 478 saves got into the HOF only through selection by the Today’s Game Era Committee.   I’d say the odds are against Kimbrel being elected by the writers unless he ends up somewhere north of 500 saves, and even then he’d be no sure thing.   

Pretty good shot that Kimbrel passes KRod this year and finishes the season 4th or 5th on the all time saves list, depending what Kenley Jensen (one ahead of him) does the rest of the year.  
 

 

I think one advantage Kimbrel has that will give him more weight is the amount of strikeouts. He will certainly pass Smith this year and has an outside chance of having more strikeouts than any reliever in way fewer games than Wilhelm and Gossage and they are both HoF'ers.

[Just Regular]

15 minutes ago, Malike said:

Kevin Brown said - "Future Hall of Famer, PERHAPS, Craig Kimbrel, Future Hall of Famer for CERTAIN, Mike Trout.

Thanks, I missed that detail probably multi-tasking in the game thread.

I do think Kimbrel has a good shot*...Wagner should go in next cycle, and the electorate in the coming years will be wrestling with how Epstein, Friedman, etc. have improved per pitch efficiency by downsizing the workload literally any individual pitcher can shoulder.     

There can't not be any Hall of Famers with all this run prevention going on.    I think now that he's officially retired Strasburg will be a good debate.    Bumgarner too, though I don't believe I've seen that guy yet admitting any retirement.

*better shot if say he can get the last out of an important postseason series or three in 2024.

[dystopia]

4 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

Thanks, I missed that detail probably multi-tasking in the game thread.

I do think Kimbrel has a good shot*...Wagner should go in next cycle, and the electorate in the coming years will be wrestling with how Epstein, Friedman, etc. have improved per pitch efficiency by downsizing the workload literally any individual pitcher can shoulder.     

There can't not be any Hall of Famers with all this run prevention going on.    I think now that he's officially retired Strasburg will be a good debate.    Bumgarner too, though I don't believe I've seen that guy yet admitting any retirement.

*better shot if say he can get the last out of an important postseason series or three in 2024.

Its a total joke that Wagner isn’t it in yet. 

[emmett16]

On 4/24/2024 at 9:04 PM, Sports Guy said:

Hasn’t been pretty?  They have barely touched the ball. 

…

[Camden_yardbird]

Cardiac Kimbrel strikes hard.  I can't watch him.

[Frobby]

That was by far Kimbrel’s worst outing of the year.  He looked fatigued tonight and and Hyde needs to find a way not to use him 12 times over the next 25 games, even if there are 12 save situations.  By the way, I can’t believe Hyde left him in for that last batter he faced when he clearly had no command at all.  

[dystopia]

6 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

…

Well nobody can touch the ball when they're 50 feet outside the strike zone.

To be fair, SG's point was valid before tonight.

[eddie83]

He has thrown well in general. Command off this week. First time all year he has been hit hard tonight. 
 

He can’t pitch in middle of plate, lacks the stuff for that. Even on Monday he got his command back for last 2 hitters.   

[emmett16]

4 minutes ago, dystopia said:

Well nobody can touch the ball when they're 50 feet outside the strike zone.

To be fair, SG's point was valid before tonight.

Nah.  His velo has been down.  He’s been missing spots by feet not inches.  Has been behind in count and been bailed out.  Has gotten lucky repeatedly.  It hasn’t been pretty.  

Edited April 27 by emmett16