Kendall Graveman

Kendall Chase Graveman^[1] (born December 21, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB draft and played parts of two seasons in minor league baseball before being called up by the Blue Jays in September 2014.

High school & college

Graveman attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he posted a 6–3 record with a 1.19 earned run average and 90 strikeouts over 63 innings in his senior year.^[1] In 2010, his first year at Mississippi State University, Graveman was used primarily as a reliever and finished the season with a 2–4 record and a 7.02 ERA.^[1] In 2011, he made 14 appearances (9 starts), compiling a 5–0 record and a 3.65 ERA.^[1] Graveman was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 36th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign with the team.^[2] In his senior year at MSU, he made 16 starts, including all of the team's 10 starts against teams in the SEC, and posted a 4–4 record with a 2.81 ERA and 59 strikeouts.^[1]

Minor league career

Graveman was selected in the 8th round, 235th overall, by the Blue Jays in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.^[3] He received a signing bonus of $5,000,^[4] and was assigned to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. Graveman would pitch to a 1–3 record and a 4.31 earned run average over 39 ²⁄₃ innings in 2013.^[2]

He began the 2014 season with Lansing, but was promoted to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays after making 4 starts for the Lugnuts and posting a 2–0 record with a 0.34 ERA, including a near no-hitter over the Beloit Snappers.^[5][6] In Dunedin, he compiled an 8–4 record in 16 starts, with a 2.23 ERA and 64 strikeouts.^[2] Graveman was promoted to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and made just 1 start, a 6-inning win over the Binghamton Mets, before being promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.^[7][8] In his Triple-A debut, he took the loss, pitching 6 innings in a 2–1 loss to the Norfolk Tides.^[9] Graveman would allow only 1 earned run in his following 3 starts, bringing his ERA to 1.04 through 26 innings with Buffalo.^[10] He finished the 2014 minor league season with a 14–6 record over 167 ¹⁄₃ innings, with an ERA of 1.83, 115 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.03. He also gave up only 2 home runs and issued 31 walks, for a BB/9 of 1.7.^[2] On September 3, Graveman was named to Baseball America's First Team All-Stars for 2014.^[4]

Major league career

Toronto Blue Jays

On September 1, 2014, Graveman was called up to the Blue Jays as a part of the September roster expansion.^[11][12] He made his MLB debut on September 5, against the Boston Red Sox. Graveman made 5 total appearances for the Blue Jays in 2014, and posted a 3.86 ERA, 4 strikeouts, no walks, and a 0.86 WHIP in 4 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.^[13]

Oakland Athletics

On November 28, 2014, Graveman was traded to the Oakland Athletics, along with Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto, for Josh Donaldson.^[14] After opening the season as the fifth starter, Graveman was optioned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on April 26, 2015 after going 1-2 with a 8.27 ERA in 16.1 innings.^[15] Graveman was called back up to the A's on May 23.^[16] He finished his rookie season with a 6–9 record and 4.05 ERA in 21 starts.^[13]

On April 20, 2016, Graveman became the first pitcher to bat at the new Yankee Stadium and struck out after 3 pitches.^[17][18] Graveman batted in the clean-up spot, and became the first pitcher to bat clean-up since Babe Ruth in 1920.^[19]

Scouting report

Graveman is a sinkerballer, throwing his sinker between 91 and 96 MPH. He also throws a cutter, a slider, and a change-up.^[20]

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Kendall Graveman on Twitter