Oakland Athletics’ Kendall Graveman Leaves Good Impression in Rookie Season
There may still be a week left in the season, but for Kendall Graveman, the year is already over. The A’s rookie right-hander will finish up the season on the 60-Day Disabled List after straining his left oblique in late August. That’s hardly shocking – four of the A’s five original Opening Day starters are currently injured, and the other starter is a Houston Astro. Graveman is one of many casualties of a long, exhausting season.
But the shortened year doesn’t mean that Graveman lacked opportunities to make a good impression. He pitched over 115 innings in 21 starts this season, finishing the year with a 6-9 record and a 4.05 ERA. Graveman isn’t necessarily a lock for next year’s rotation, given the potential returns of Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin and Jesse Hahn, but he definitely has a leg up on most of the competition. While his numbers won’t blow anyone away, they are very respectable for a rookie pitcher with a new organization. Not only did he have to learn how to pitch to major league hitters, Graveman also had to learn to pitch with new catchers.
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The 24-year-old made his debut last season with the Blue Jays, pitching just over four innings in five appearances before being dealt in the Josh Donaldson trade during the off-season. After joining the A’s organization, he was so impressive in Spring Training that he made the team out of camp as the fifth starter. Early season struggles led to him being sent down in late April, but after a month with Triple-A Nashville, Graveman returned to the majors and posted very solid numbers. He struck out 77 batters, walked 38, and allowed opposing hitters to bat .276 against him.
It’s important to remember that Graveman had never made a major league start before this season. For a rookie, he performed better than expected. His strikeout rate was over 15 percent, which isn’t great, but he kept his walks to 7.6 percent – equal to the league average.
Ten of his 21 starts were considered “quality” starts, meaning he pitched at least six innings and gave up three or fewer runs. That’s much better than his record suggests, and gives the impression that with an improved defense behind him, Graveman still has plenty of room to improve.
The A’s right-hander will certainly help the team at some point again next season, but whether he claims an Opening Day roster spot will depend entirely on how he performs in Spring Training. Given Graveman’s success this March, it seems likely that he’ll reprise his role at the back end of the rotation.