Spring Training Quick Looks: Kim & Lindblom

Note: I’d like to grade out both of their pitches more but the camera angles where sh …. not good.

Kwang Hyun Kim

LHP on the Cardinals

Games watched

• Feb 22: 1 IP (in rain with ump covering the catcher’s glove)
• Mar 9: 3 IP

Projections and comps from earlier this offseason.

The projected talent should play with comparable projected pitchers being Jesus Luzardo (3.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), Sonny Gray (3.91, 1.30), and Carlos Martinez (3.97, 1.33).

One game that was not on MLB.tv had StatCast velocity readings and here are his pitch velocities.

• Fastball: 90-93
• Slider (Change): 83-86
• Curve: 69-71
• Cutter: 88- 89
• Split: 77-78

Game Notes:

• Throws straight to home (no weird angles) with a major leg kick at the end.
• Worked fast.
• The anouncers kept calling his pitch in the low 80’s a change while all reports have him throwing a slider
• He threw all his pitches for strikes.
• Throws low-and-away a lot.

Pitches (All velocities are from the broadcast)

73-mph Curve

78-mph Split

82-mph Change/Slider

83-mph Change/Slider

87-mph Cutter

92-mph Fastball

via Gfycat

Overall: Kim seems to be a left-handed Marcus Stroman who will throw more strikes. Both don’t have a dominant fastball but throw the kitchen sink to keep batters off guard. Everything Kim throws moves and leads to some weak contact if at all. It’s tough to know from watching the few innings which pitch is best but I’m sure one will stand out. Between Kim and Stroman, Kim is a better deal with an NFBC ADP at 409 while Stroman goes 200 picks earlier at 204. With his current cost, I’ll try to own Kim in every possible league.

Josh Lindblom

RHP on the Brewers

Games watched

• March 1st
• March 6th

Projections and comps from earlier this offseason.

His projection is comparable to Luke Weaver (4.25 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), Cole Hamels (4.25, 1.33), and Joe Musgrove (4.25, 1.28).

Game Notes:

• He also throws the kitchen sink.
• Throws straight to home, no angles.
• Sometimes his fastball is too straight and he gets too much of the plate when behind in the count.
• Tough to discern his sinker and cutter … maybe one pitch.
• Lost of hits on the ground.
• Lived just out of the strike zone with his fastball hoping hitters would chase it. They didn’t. It’ll be interesting to see if he adjusts or keeps working each batter from behind. He rarely walked many batters but was forced to get too much of the plate when behind and batters squared him up.

Fastball

Cutter/Sinker

Change

Split

Curve

Overall: I rank Lindblom just a bit behind Kim at this point because Lindblom couldn’t consistently find the plate. Besides possibly giving up too much hard contact, he could be limited on how deep he goes into games. He could overtake Kim at some point if he throws more strikes. It’s tough to find a comp for him. Maybe Jeff Samardzija. Both throw a ton of junk without a dominating fastball and are close in NFBC ADP with Samardzija at 305 and Lindblom at 322. I didn’t see anything to want me to roster him right now.