Nick Kingham will be called up to make his MLB debut today, starting for the Pirates as they try to go for the sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals. We’ve been following Kingham on this site since 2010 when he was drafted, following the ups and downs of his career. As with every prospect, when a player makes his debut, we take all of that information and compile it into a scouting report so that you know what to expect.
To prepare you for today’s debut, here is The Book on Nick Kingham:
Where Did Kingham Come From?
Kingham was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 draft out of high school, and was given a $480,000 bonus to sign with the Pirates. That was the second year the Pirates went with their aggressive approach of giving out big bonuses to high school players, especially pitchers. Outside of first round pick Jameson Taillon, Kingham will be the first prep pitcher from the 2008-10 drafts to make his MLB debut with the Pirates.
Kingham established himself as one of the top options from that group early on, and looked like he was on the path to the majors after a breakout year in 2013. He looked like he could arrive during the 2015 season, but went down with Tommy John surgery in May that year, derailing his plans for a few years.
He made it back to Triple-A last year, but didn’t look the same as he did prior to the surgery. That changed after a key meeting late in the season, and Kingham has continued his improvements since then, as Brian Peloza wrote on Friday. Kingham now looks similar to how he looked prior to the surgery, and the hope is that he can finally deliver as an MLB starter.
The Fastball
One of the driving factors of Kingham’s rise through the system was his fastball. He had good control and command of the pitch, being able to throw it wherever he wants when the pitch is on. His velocity increased over the years, getting up to the mid-90s and touching upper 90s. That velocity dropped in his recovery from Tommy John, but he’s bounced back this year, recently sitting 94-96 MPH. Anything in the 92-95 MPH range, touching higher, would be considered normal for him.
Combined with the velocity and command, Kingham’s fastball has good downward movement. It can be hittable at times when it doesn’t move as much. He’s added a two-seam fastball to try and counter this, although the development of the two-seam hasn’t gone well, and it’s a situational pitch at the moment.
The Curveball and Changeup
Kingham throws a curveball and a changeup, with both pitches grading at least average, and getting above-average grades or higher when they’re really working. There have been different opinions on which is his better pitch, with scouts grading either pitch higher, depending on who you talk with.
The curveball comes out looking like a fastball, and has some late, sharp break, dropping off the table. The changeup has some good cutting movement when he’s commanding the pitch.
The combination gives Kingham a good three-pitch mix to work with, and the curveball gives him a strikeout weapon.
What is Kingham’s Upside?
Kingham can be a starter in the majors. Prior to the surgery, I saw him as a future number four starter, with a chance to be a number three. I could still see that upside, especially since he has gotten back to looking like he did prior to the surgery. The Pirates will probably eventually work him in as a long-reliever in the future when he’s up full time, with the chance to work his way into the rotation long-term.
Summary
This will probably be just a spot start for Kingham, but it could lead to more opportunities later in the year. He’s out of options following the 2018 season, which means the Pirates will need to get him adjusted to the majors throughout the season. Having a good start today might give them some confidence, and make Kingham the go-to depth option out of Triple-A, with the chance to work his way to the majors sooner, rather than later.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates won 6-2 over the St Louis Cardinals on Saturday night. The Pirates will send Nick Kingham to the mound today for his MLB debut. He had a 1.59 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 22 innings with Indianapolis this season. The Cardinals will counter with 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, who has a 4.85 ERA in five starts, with 24 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP in 26 innings. He has allowed ten earned runs over 8.2 innings in his last two starts combined.
The minor league schedule includes the fifth start for Domingo Robles, who has pitched well in each of his last two games, allowing one run total over 11 innings. He has given up just three walks and has 23 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. Bradenton starter Oddy Nunez allowed two runs over six innings in his last start, while striking out six batters. He had four strikeouts total coming into the game. Altoona starter Taylor Hearn had an 0.82 ERA before allowing five runs over 4.2 innings in his last game. Indianapolis starter Alex McRae had six shutout innings in his last outing.
MLB: Pittsburgh (16-11) vs Cardinals (15-11) 1:35 PM
Probable starter: Nick Kingham (0.00 ERA, 0:0 SO/BB, 0.0 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (10-9) @ Columbus (9-11) 2:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Alex McRae (6.75 ERA, 14:7 SO/BB, 16.0 IP)
AA: Altoona (9-10) @ Harrisburg (9-11) 1:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Taylor Hearn (3.45 ERA, 16:5 SO/BB, 15.2 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (12-10) @ Jupiter (17-5) 1:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Oddy Nunez (2.55 ERA, 10:3 SO/BB, 17.2 IP)
Low-A: West Virginia (13-10) @ Lexington (11-10) 2:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Domingo Robles (3.98 ERA, 23:3 SO/BB, 20.1 IP)
HIGHLIGHTS
From Indianapolis on Friday, Austin Meadows going yard on a tough pitch from a lefty
.@Pirates No. 2 prospect @austin_meadows helped @indyindians power up with four hits and a homer. https://t.co/NWYHkVpli0 pic.twitter.com/oe77XO94RA
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 28, 2018
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
4/27: Bo Schultz promoted to Indianapolis. Adam Oller promoted to Bradenton.
4/27: Gavin Wallace placed on disabled list. Beau Sulser and Drew Fischer added to West Virginia.
4/26: Todd Cunningham traded to Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later.
4/25: Rafelin Lorenzo placed on West Virginia disabled list. Raul Hernandez added to roster
4/25: Released Julio Gonzalez from DSL Pirates
4/25: Jose Osuna recalled for Wednesday’s doubleheader.
4/21: Sergio Cubilete placed on disabled list. Hunter Stratton added to West Virginia roster.
4/20: Pablo Reyes promoted to Indianapolis. Brett McKinney assigned to Morgantown.
4/20: Kevin Krause released. Bralin Jackson and Jordan George added to Altoona roster.
4/20: AJ Schugel assigned to Indianapolis on rehab.
THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY
Two former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date, one was part of a father-son combo that both played for the Pirates. Pitcher Tony Armas made 15 starts and 16 relief appearances for the 2007 Pirates. He had an awful season, posting a 6.03 ERA and ended up pitching just three more Major League games following his time in Pittsburgh. His father, who was also named Tony Armas, was an outfielder, who was signed by the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1971. He played briefly with the team in 1976, before he was traded to the Oakland A’s.
Also born on this date was outfielder John Vander Wal, who was part of two big trades for the Pirates. In 2000, he was acquired for Al Martin. Then in 2001 at the trade deadline, he was sent to the San Francisco Giants as part of the Jason Schmidt deal. Vander Wal put up big numbers for the Pirates in limited time in 2000, driving in 94 runs in 384 at-bats.
One game of note, and there is another from the 1990 season mentioned in the link above. On this date in 1934, the Pirates played their first Sunday home game in franchise history. They beat the Cincinnati Reds by a 9-5 score in front of 20,000 fans. Prior to 1934, there was a law on the books, prohibiting Sunday baseball (professional games) in the state of Pennsylvania.
Owner Barney Dreyfuss was against the idea of Sunday baseball at home, so he never fought the law. That meant that the Pirates franchise went their first 52 seasons without playing a Sunday game at home, often times traveling to nearby Cincinnati, or Cleveland during the earlier days, to play their Sunday games. Dreyfuss passed away in 1932 and after that, both the Phillies and Pirates appealed the law, getting it removed in time for the 1934 season. The Pirates lineup from that day can be found below, while you can see the full boxscore here.
Lloyd Waner, CF
Paul Waner, RF
Freddie Lindstrom, LF
Arky Vaughan, SS
Gus Suhr, 1B
Cookie Lavagetto, 2B
Tommy Thevenow, 3B
Pat Veltman, C
Red Lucas, P
