(AUDACY) From June 14, 2011 to September 8, 2011, then-Braves closer Craig Kimbrel appeared in 38 consecutive games without allowing a single run. He tallied a whopping 67 strikeouts in just 37 2/3 innings. He had 25 saves in that stretch, which was the same number of the total hits and walks he allowed combined in that time.
Nearly 10 years later, he's beginning to go on a similar streak.
A statistic from Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs shows just how lights out Kimbrel has been in recent outings, dating back to the beginning of last September. Kimbrel has appeared in 12 games since that point — eight last year and four so far this season — and allowed a grand total of three hits, none of which have gone for extra bases, and zero walks in that span. Needless to say, he also hasn't given up a run, and the Cubs are loving every minute of it. Here's Jaffe's full breakdown:
"Kimbrel, who last pitched on April 8, when he recorded a five-out save against the Pirates — his first outing of more than three outs since Game 3 of the 2018 World Series — has retired all 14 batters he's faced this season, nine via strikeouts, including the first five batters he faced in the new year. What's more, he's retired 24 in a row dating back to last September 12, and 35 out of 38 going back to the start of last September, 22 (57.8%) via strikeouts. In that span, he hasn't walked a single hitter or given up an extra-base hit, meaning that he's held batters to an .079/.079/.079 line, an 83.0 mph average exit velocity, just one hard-hit ball (95.0 mph or greater), and not a single barrel. That'll do."
Zero barrels and 22 of 38 batters going down to strikes? An .079/.079/.079 slash line? Even Mario Mendoza is looking at these offensive numbers in disgust.
The Cubs are viewing the development with happiness, though they could also be viewing it with an "it's about time" type of approach. Kimbrel posted a 1.43 ERA in five seasons with the Braves, a 2.58 ERA during a brief stint with the Padres and a 2.44 ERA over three All-Star campaigns with the Red Sox. But he had a 6.00 ERA, an 0-5 record and a -0.8 WAR in his first two seasons with the Cubs.
But as Jaffe noted, 2021 is different, as was the end of 2020. There are a lot of reasons why, and Jaffe pointed to pitch location, horizontal and vertical release points and some better pitch movement. You should certainly read his article if you're interested in more of the minutiae of Kimbrel's turnaround. My preferred way to analyze it is this: He's just been straight nasty.
LISTEN on the Audacy app
Sign up and follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
