Four batters into his first time facing live hitters in nearly four months, Craig Kimbrel gave up a line-drive home run to right-center field to Willson Contreras. While Cubs fans desperate for any tidbit of baseball info groaned as reporters tweeted out the play-by-play of the team’s intrasquad game Tuesday evening, Kimbrel wasn’t nearly as concerned.
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“I feel pretty good about yesterday,” Kimbrel said via Zoom on Wednesday. “I was just trying to throw it over the plate. It was the first time I’ve had guys in the box taking swings off me in three months. To be able to get out there, throw the ball over the plate and get some pretty good feedback, it was a good day.”
Kimbrel had no issue throwing strikes as he walked zero batters. The same was true of the 2 2/3 innings he worked in spring. However, his recent history of giving up home runs since joining the Cubs is why fans would be concerned.
Earlier in the week, prior to his intrasquad outing, manager David Ross said Kimbrel’s fastball had good ride in his bullpens, he was able to throw his breaking ball for strikes “with ease” and all the data that had come back from those sessions was strong. Ross spoke to Kimbrel after he threw to hitters on Tuesday and came away unconcerned, but aware that the closer is still working to get to where he wants to be when the season starts.
“He’s just trying to get his feet under him still, throw strikes,” Ross said. “I think he’s got a few things to iron out to feel comfortable. He knows some of his keys and he’s not quite there yet. He’s working on getting those things locked in.”
During the spring, Kimbrel gave up two long balls in his three outings. Last season, despite throwing just 20 2/3 innings, he allowed a career-high nine home runs. It’d be foolish to be worried based on just Tuesday’s intrasquad performance, but that’s not the only data point people are working with.
Last season continued a downward trend for Kimbrel’s four-seam velocity.
Despite a still-solid 96.2 mph average, the problem was that Kimbrel has never had pinpoint command of his pitches — he’s been above league average in walk percentage five of the last six seasons — and the dip in velocity has shrunk his margin for error.
During his downtime, Kimbrel has gotten more into the data and information that the Cubs provide him.
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“We’re talking a lot about arm angle, slot and places to get,” Kimbrel said. “I used Rapsodo while we were gone at home. I’m definitely teaching myself a little bit as we go about the equipment we can use.”
Ironing out issues with his release point and delivery as a whole can not only lead to better command of all his pitches but also increased velocity on the fastball and more efficient spin and movement on his breaking ball. It’s a process that most Cubs pitchers are working on right now, but the spotlight will continue to be on Kimbrel because of his performance last season.
“It’s like any other pitcher,” Ross said of Kimbrel trying to find his form. “His is heightened because of who he is, but every other pitcher is looking at the data afterward, looking at the high-speed cameras, seeing where their hand positioning is, comparing it to the success they’ve had in the past and trying to make small adjustments to get the action that they expect on the baseball.”
The Cubs believe it’s too early to be concerned with how anyone is throwing right now. Ross, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the front office were thrilled with how their bullpen was shaping up before camp was shut down.
Dan Winkler was throwing harder than ever before and his wipeout slider looked like a real weapon. Casey Sadler had emerged as a strong candidate to make the team out of camp, developing confidence in a curveball the Cubs had helped him refine and seeing actual swing-and-miss results with the pitch. And Jeremy Jeffress, who is probably the early favorite for first in line to take over as closer should Kimbrel falter, was healthy and seemed to be approaching his best form.
Can Jeremy Jeffress be a valuable weapon for the Cubs out of the bullpen? (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
Perhaps in a week or so, the Cubs will once again be as optimistic about the bullpen as they were when things shut down. The depth is certainly improved as the team is currently pleased with pitchers like Duane Underwood, Jharel Cotton, Danny Hultzen and Rex Brothers, all of whom showed up to camp in great shape.
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“The bullpen is shaping up nicely,” Ross said. “It’s definitely deeper than I think I had in my mind going into it. These guys have really taken it upon themselves to be in tip-top shape pitching-wise when they came in here. It’s showing in the data we’re getting back and in these intrasquads.”
The Cubs also received good news on Kyle Ryan, who should undergo the intake process Thursday.
In a shortened season with a limited ramp-up for starters to build-up to their normal length, bullpen arms are more valuable than ever.
“We’ve got the expanded roster, but the tricky part early on is how stretched out are the guys going to be able to get in this short window,” Ross said. “Luckily for our guys, staying on a program and getting work in that downtime when we couldn’t be together has really been rewarding since they got here and seeing that work ahead of schedule. You’re going to have to have some middle-inning guys give you two or three innings. Maybe a guy that you weren’t expecting to get a lot of innings may get some bridge innings to the back end of the bullpen.”
It’s too early to rush to judgment on anyone in Cubs camp right now, including Kimbrel, who acknowledges that while his fastball velocity is important, he’s more concerned about his other pitches.
“Obviously, when the fastball is located and it’s at the velocity that you want it, things are great,” Kimbrel said. “But I think with my off-speed pitches, the better I can control those, the better it makes my fastball. I would honestly say controlling the curveball in the zone and keeping it down is only going to make my fastball play better. That’s my mindset on that.”
There weren’t a ton of happy moments for Craig Kimbrel after joining the Cubs last summer, but the team thinks good times are coming. (Jon Durr / USA Today)
When Kimbrel says “off-speed pitches” he’s using the plural because he hopes to be more than just a fastball-curveball reliever this season.
“(The) change-up is definitely a pitch I’ve been working on,” he said. “I’ve been working on it for a long time, but recently I’ve been throwing it a lot more. It’s definitely a pitch I’m getting more feel with. If it presents itself and I feel confident enough to throw it in a game, I will. If it’s a pitch I can get somebody to swing and miss or get somebody to hit a groundball with, I’m definitely doing to try it out and use it in the game. I’m trying to get outs any way I can.”
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Kimbrel said once the facilities in Arizona were shut down, he headed to his Tennessee farm with his family. There he was able to stay in baseball shape with his weight room and various facilities available to work out and throw. He said there were some concerns about coming back for him, but with the protocols that MLB put in place, he felt more comfortable. Seeing how seriously his teammates and coaches took everything once he arrived only eased any concerns that may have remained.
Kimbrel’s abbreviated 2019 was the result of him not finding a home in free agency until the Cubs came calling in June. He didn’t make his debut with the big-league club until the final week of that month and struggled with health and consistency in what was easily the worst season of his otherwise borderline Hall of Fame career. The lack of spring and odd circ*mstances did help inform Kimbrel on how to proceed when the sports world shut down on March 12.
“It was definitely helpful,” Kimbrel said. “I had some things to lean on and learn from the year before. I understand where I need to have my body to be ready to go and I fell like I’ve done a pretty good job of that. I came in a little lighter than I did in spring training. We’ll see how it turns out.”
Beyond just getting himself in shape and trying to regain his All-Star form, Kimbrel will also be dealing with the same unusual circ*mstances everyone in the game will face. No spitting, altering celebrations to eliminate skin-to-skin contact and perhaps most difficult for a closer, no fans. While most athletes feed off the energy of the crowd, closers have always talked about the need to use the adrenaline rush they get from coming into a high-leverage situation with the game on the line. The crowd’s reaction to that moment is part of how they build that intensity.
“It’d be a lot nicer if there was, but I’m just going to have to figure out a way to do it,” Kimbrel said. “It’s all I can do and I definitely will. Just gotta mentally go to a place and physically be ready to go out there and do what I’ve always done.”
The hope is the combination of a couple more weeks to continue to build his strength along with the adrenaline of real save situations will lead to Kimbrel finding his fastball and leading a deep bullpen. Should he look less like the pitcher the Cubs envisioned upon his signing and more like the one who struggled mightily last season, the optimism the Cubs hold for their suddenly deep reliever group will have to pan out for this season to be a success.
(Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)
Sahadev Sharma is a staff writer for The Athletic and covers the Chicago Cubs. Previously, Sahadev was a national baseball writer for Baseball Prospectus and ESPN Chicago. Follow Sahadev on Twitter @sahadevsharma
