Could Kyle Crick be Destined for the Bullpen?
Earlier this week, radio personality Mike Francesa, whose radio show is telecasted on Fox Sports 1, had a lengthy discussion on New York Yankees’ reliever Dellin Betances. Francesa profiled the large right-hander, and how he came into the Yankees’ organization as a highly-touted starter, but truly blossomed when he was shifted into the bullpen. During Francesa’s praise of Betances, one player popped into my mind: San Francisco Giants‘ prospect Kyle Crick.
Aug 17, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
There are plenty of similarities between Betances and Crick. Both are big dudes, although Betances will tower over just about anyone at six-foot-eight and 260 pounds, even the 6-4, 230 pound Crick. Both have nasty stuff, featuring mid-to-high 90 mile an hour fastballs, along with knee-buckling sliders. Both were, at one point, rated the 32nd-best prospect in baseball, though by different publications. Both have experienced terrible struggles with command.
Betances was drafted in the eight round of the amateur draft by the Yankees in 2006, and the very next season, was rated a top-100 prospect by Baseball America and BaseballProspectus.com. He jumped up to the 32nd spot in BaseballProspectus’ ratings in 2011.
It wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows with Betances, however. Over his first seven seasons as a minor leaguer, he issued 4.8 walks per nine innings, and posted a 4.20 ERA.
His days seemed numbered as a top prospect. After seven years, he had to make a change, and luckily for him, the organization made it for him. Betances began the 2013 season as a starter in Triple-A, but after posting a 6.00 ERA, 1.458 WHIP and 1.56 K/BB ratio in six starts, he was moved into the bullpen. And just like that, things clicked.
In 38 relief appearances in Triple-A that year, his ERA took a nosedive down to 2.08, his WHIP followed the same path down to 1.077, and he increased his K/BB ratio to 3.32, more than doubling his number as a starter. His rookie year in 2014 was when the entire baseball world found out just how good Betances really is.
Spending the entire year with the Yankees, Betances appeared in 70 games, all out of the bullpen. In 90 innings, he posted a 1.40 ERA, .778 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, and 2.4 BB/9. He was selected as an All-Star, and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting. His 135 strikeouts set a record for Yankees’ relievers, surpassing any total put up by the legendary Mariano Rivera. With David Robertson leaving for the Chicago White Sox, Betances has a legitimate chance to be the Yankees’ closer.
The move to the bullpen allowed Betances to simplify things. He put his changeup in the backseat, and began to re-focus himself as a two-pitch pitcher. His fastball and slider both flourished because of the move. He was given more chances to pitch in the bullpen, and became more consistent. In just his rookie year, he became one of the most prolific strikeout relief pitchers in history.
Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Kyle Crick against the West during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
That brings us back to Crick. The burly righty has absolutely killer stuff. Before the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Crick was the Giants’ number-one prospect, and was the 32nd-best prospect in baseball before 2014. But his control issues have hurt his stock, as he was dropped to the number-three Giants’ prospect by Baseball America this year.
He’s still a tremendous strikeout pitcher, as evidenced by an 11.3 K/9 ratio. In 2013, he led the California League with a 12.5 K/9 number. But his walks continue to hurt him. His career BB/9 ratio is 5.7, and he posted a 6.1 total in 2014. He only allows 6.7 career hits per nine innings, and if he could cut down on the walks, there’s no doubt he could be one of the more dominant pitchers in baseball.
Crick still owns a 2.80 career ERA in the minor leagues. His WHIP is pretty good as well, at 1.384. But consider this: if Crick cut his career walk total in half, from 186 to 93, his WHIP would drop to 1.066, which would be a fantastic total for a starter.
Maybe Crick goes the route of Betances. If he shifts his role into the bullpen, he can focus on throwing his two best pitches, the slider and fastball, and throw the curveball and changeup by the wayside. He would be able to work on throwing those two pitches consistently, trying to find a singular release point, which has been a big issue for him. He would also have more chances to pitch, which would give him more time to work out the kinks.
Crick is still only 22 years old. Betances didn’t make the conversion until he was 25 years old, and it worked out great for him. There’s still plenty of time for Crick to make adjustments as a starter, and no one should give up on him yet.
Giants’ pitching coach Dave Righetti has been known for fixing issues like this, and Santiago Casilla is a great example. Casilla has always been a reliever, and when he made his debut as an Oakland Athletic, he faced the same problems as Crick. His great pitches were being negated by his lack of control. Since coming to San Francisco, Casilla has developed into one of the best relievers in baseball, and his control is not nearly as big of an issue as it was. I sill have hope that Righetti can wave his magic wand with Crick.
But if his struggles persist, the team should consider moving him into the bullpen. Their next closer could very well be staring them in the face, just like it was with the Yankees.