Why I’m Not Dropping Kendall Graveman … Yet
Kendall Graveman just had a very bad major league debut. If you were like me and bought into the sleeper hype—which with Graveman started as soon as the A’s acquired him from him Blue Jays in the trade that sent Josh Donaldson to the land of Molson and denim—you might be feeling a little sheepish right now. I went so far as to start him in a DFS, though as Chad Johnson pointed out, it was somewhat slim pickings yesterday.
Given the lack of any track record, this bad start was probably enough reason for many fantasy owners to jump the Graveman ship. While I can’t say that I blame such owners, I can say that I am refraining from dropping Graveman in the leagues in which I own him.
Why? A deeper look at his line for the day (.357 BABIP; 43.8% GB%; two homers on six fly balls?) made me want to take a closer look at the start, so I watched the condensed game on MLB.com. What I saw was enough to convince me to give Graveman a couple more chances.
Here’s what I saw:
First Inning
- Lead-off walk to Leonys Martin. The only walk that Graveman surrendered.
- Single. Solid single by Shin-Soo Choo, though not especially hard struck.
- Error. Errant pick-off throw to second base leads to runners at first and third with no outs.
- Error. Weak grounder to third baseman Brett Lawrie; throw home is in plenty of time, but a little low and dropped by Stephen Vogt.
- Single. Soft liner by Prince Fielder scores another run.
- Single. Seeing-eye variety by Ryan Rua loads the bases. Still no outs.
- Sac fly by Mitch Moreland. Third run of the inning.
- Odd ground-ball double play ends inning.
Third Inning
- Out. Soft liner played nicely by Sam Fuld.
- Pop out in foul territory by Fielder.
- Single. Two-out dribbler by Rua extends the inning.
- Home run. Moreland goes oppo on what was a decent pitch down and away. Barely hit off the top of the wall in left-center. Mark Canha (playing left field) didn’t give up on it.
- Ground out ends the inning.
Fourth Inning
- Hit by pitch. First pitch of the inning plunks Rougned Odor.
- Single. Carlos Corporan reaches safely on another seeing-eye grounder.
- Home run. Choo hits one out on a pitch that was down in the zone. From the looks of it, Choo thought it was an out, but the wind was blowing out to right-center at O.co and (once again) the ball just barely hits off the top of the wall.
And that was all for Mr. Kendall.
What I saw was a lot of balls that were not struck very hard going for hits, and a couple of decently located pitches that turned into just-enough homers, probably aided by the wind. There were a couple of errors, and a couple of ground-ball singles that non-Marcus Semien shortstops probably would have turned into outs.
Now, I am not a pitch expert, and I didn’t watch every pitch he threw in this game, so I don’t know if he was hitting his spots or not, or if his velocity or movement was very good. His two-seamer was 90-91 on the pitches that I saw. He only walked one guy and generated a lot of grounders, which is what he is known for, if he is known for anything. So he made good on those things, at least.
I’m not saying that Graveman is going to be an ace. Hell, I’m not even saying that he’ll be worth rostering in mixed leagues a week from now. What I am saying is that if you read/saw/heard something about Graveman this spring that made you like him enough to draft him in one or more of your leagues, don’t let this bad start make you forget what you read/saw/heard—revisit it, maybe, but don’t forget it. For me, Graveman’s leash just got shorter, but he’s not in the doghouse just yet.
Don’t listen to the author. Graveman is a pitcher who’s release point starts over the plate, meaning a lot of pitches start out looking like a strike. Problem is he doesn’t have swing and miss stuff and hitters will be swinging. That’s his biggest concern.
The score line was right on par with how he pitched. You put two guys on with no outs and give up two more hits, its likely you give up runs in the first.
No need to re-watch his start looking at the results. The A’s should have started Chavez in the rotation. The season will be bear this out.
I like this post – Jesse Chavez vs. Kendall Graveman. Thank you!
My response: Looking at the stats, Kendall Graveman has had very few bad professional days. Many less than most other guys.
The biggest jump is from the minors to the majors…
And Chavez was fine until he wore down. Why not do it again?
pbmax says:
And Chavez was fine until he wore down. Why not do it again?
Yes, and keep Graveman in the minors like Kris Bryant – It might help his trade value – all the other teams do it, just not the A’s.
Jesse Chavez might be having his career helped by cutting his workload after such a big jump up last year. Maybe he will be better in the summer or even next year. Pitching arm mysticism…
I agree one start does not a poor season make, but he’ll be pitching to contact with this same defence behind him during his next start too.
I bought the hype at first, but he had .178 BABIP, 0% HR/FB% and a 91% LOB% in Spring Training, add in an uninspiring 4.26 kwERA and Im dropping Graveman without a second thought. Wish I didnt make the mistake of buying the hype.
Okay so when a guy doesn’t allow any homers, and doesn’t let anyone he put on base himself come around to score, and doesn’t allow any even any good line drives –
That’s really not the time to call out “the stats have revealed Graveman as lucky.”
You really dont understand those stats do you?
Joffery says: “but he had .178 BABIP, 0% HR/FB%”
What’s not to like?
These Spring MLB camp stats are the same as his career stats…
Be schooled, Joffery. And next time try for baseball content in your insult post?
There’s no such thing as kwERA.
Wake up, nerds.
Graveman couldn’t catch a break yesterday. He threw a ton of really nice two-seamers, but a lot of weak grounders just found holes. Furthermore, as you said, neither homer was a no-doubter. Both just barely eeked it out on a warm day at o.Co. Not yet mentioned is that this was Graveman’s first career start, and with a new team. An amped up sinkerballer is bound to leave pitches up. All indications from spring training were that Graveman is very mature for his age, meaning I wouldn’t expect these nerves to continue. I would wait and give him another shot for his next home game, preferably at night. He could really thrive there.
I did not see any good two-seamers. All of his fastballs were missing way inside on right handed hitters. Everyone just sat on those non-sinking-sinkers and lit them up. Hard. Maybe you’re right about nerves getting the best of him, and I hope he does get better. But that wasn’t a hard luck start by any stretch of the imagination.
“a lot of weak grounders just found holes”
Therein lies the problem with sinker-baller, pitch to contact types. Even when they’re doing their thing well, BABIP can be a harsh mistress. Just pray they don’t start elevating the sinker…
This guy’s strikeout rates are trash. I avoided at all costs and am glad I did.
The whole point of the interest in Graveman is whether or not the is a guy has found another way to succeed.
Yes, you are on very safe ground touting fellows who can strike out a batter an inning. So what.
Saying a “Guy’s…are trash” is just saying something weird and negative about a rookie ballplayer, fantasy context or no.
Where can one find BABIP’s for spring training?
I also watched the game, and I totally disagree. Almost everything was hit hard. I saw a ground ball pitcher giving up line drives, fly balls, home runs, and – where he could keep the ball on the ground – hard hit ground balls into holes. Beltre’s ground ball to Lawrie in the first was not weak. It was hard. That’s why Lawrie had plenty of time to get it to Vogt. Rua’s first inning ground ball was the very good variety that hitters like Pence and Puig thrive on: solidly struck and well-placed. These were not the weak dead balls to second basemen that you want from ground ball pitchers.
I think his results were better than they should have been given how poorly he pitched. He couldn’t throw a fastball over the plate, and his sinkers weren’t sinking. I thought Monday’s Kyle Lohse start would be the worst I would see in the first half of the season. I was wrong. Graveman was far worse.
The guy is a rookie.
Immediate fantasy value is a high bar – he still be amazing even if it takes him until July to show himself.
Fantasy entitlement? – who cares. If you are in a league where you can drop Graveman after one start with no consequences, then congrats I like your chances to finish well up there in the standings.
I know getting picked up by Billy Beane gives you street cred but the Jays dropped this guy without thinking twice. He is not anyone to be rostering.
Is McAllister a hold for you guys? I’m going to hold another start. DET is simply crushing everything right now. His velocity was as advertised 95-96 MPH.
Southie, the Jays didn’t drop the guy without thinking twice. They got a very good third basemen in return for him. In fact if you can use logic, your statement more proves the opposite of your point. Seeing as how the Jays certainly weren’t the only bidders on Josh Donaldson and Billy Beane chose the Graveman return over all others – he must be pretty decent.
I’m not a fan of the A’s, Beane or Gravemen. Your statement was just plain ignorant and factually incorrect.