Robbie Kilcrease

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2011
R:  1-2-0, 3.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 24 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 6.8 K/9
A-:  0-0-0, 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 9.9 K/9 

The Pirates initially sent Kilcrease to the GCL, where he put up just decent numbers pitching in relief against younger hitters.  He allowed a hit per inning and had only a 6.75 K/9.  He moved up to State College in early August and did better, allowing just five hits and four walks in ten innings, while fanning eleven.

2012
A:  2-2-3, 2.80 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 64.1 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

Kilcrease spent 2012 at West Virginia.  The Power started the season with a bullpen primarily made up of marginal prospects, all of whom, apart from Rinku Singh, flamed out, often spectacularly.  The bullpen problems had a lot to do with the team’s terrible first-half record.  Eventually, Kilcrease, Singh, and the unrelated Nathan Kilcrease stabilized the bullpen.  Robbie was deadly against left-handed batters, who hit only .138 against him.  He held right-handed batters to a .228 mark.  When he got in trouble it was generally from control issues, but his walk rate dropped over the course of the season.  In July and August he had an ERA of 1.08 and a WHIP of 0.88.

2013
A+:  5-2-11, 1.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 66.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 5.9 K/9

Kilcrease continued to pitch very effectively as Bradenton’s principal closer.  His numbers were nearly identical to the previous year except that his K rate and ERA both dropped sharply.  The former no doubt was the result of facing higher level hitters who were less likely to be fooled by changeups, while the latter was probably a result of typical reliever ERA fluctuations.  Kilcrease remained deadly against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .115 average.

Kilcrease continues to do a very good job.  His effectiveness has more to do with deception than stuff, so there’s no reason to regard him as more than an organizational pitcher at this stage.  Changeup artists with outstanding results in the low minors often don’t fare well at higher levels.  His performance has been good enough, though, that he might do well in AA.  Hopefully, he’ll get a shot at Altoona in 2014.