JOHNSTOWN, PA – It has been easy to forget Nick Kingham when discussing future Pirates rotations. The Pirates have so many pitching prospects in the upper levels, with many of those options making their MLB debut last year. Meanwhile, Kingham was out of the picture, rehabbing in the lower levels from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in late May 2015.
Kingham isn’t a guy who should be forgotten. Prior to the surgery, he had an upside that was higher than guys like Steven Brault, Trevor Williams, and Chad Kuhl. The hope is that he can return to the same level in 2017 when he makes his way back to Triple-A, and hopefully, the majors.
The Pirates saw a similar story play out in 2016 with Jameson Taillon, who spent the first few months in Triple-A, then was promoted to the majors and made a nice impact. The instant impact shouldn’t be an expectation for any prospect, but it’s not out of the question that Kingham could make the same progress that Taillon saw, setting him up for an arrival in the majors in 2017.
Kingham is shooting for that, going so far as to train with Taillon in Houston this offseason, so that he can try and replicate what Taillon did last year in his return from Tommy John surgery.
“For the first time in a few years, it’s pretty much a normal offseason,” Kingham told our own Sean McCool last week in Johnstown. “I’m living down in Houston with Jameson. We’re working out together. I loved how he came back going into this past Spring Training – the shape that he was in, what he did to get his body in shape with working out, so I figured why not follow his footsteps and everything. I’m loving everything so far – body feels good and strong.”
Kingham and Taillon just started throwing about two weeks ago, and had four days of throwing under their belts as of the end of last week.
“I feel good,” Kingham said. “I feel ready to amp things back up and get going.”
Prior to this throwing, Kingham got a month off from everything. He wasn’t running, working out, or throwing. This came after a long season where he reached Double-A, but looked like he was slowing down by the end of his rehab work.
“I didn’t even expect to get into actual games this past year,” Kingham said. “I just expected to finish in Florida and stay there the whole time. Getting to Double-A was a bonus for me. I do think I ran out of gas. I started throwing in September of 2015 so I was throwing for a year straight. That’s the most I’ve ever thrown since high school, and even then I took time off. Usually, you take the offseason off and rest, but I didn’t have that luxury with my progression. I felt like I just got worn out and needed a break. I’ve been excited to take this offseason and take the rest I needed.”
Now, Kingham will work to build up to start the 2017 season in Triple-A, hoping to arrive in the majors at some point in 2017.
“I’d love to spend as much time in Pittsburgh as I can,” Kingham said. “I’m not saying it’s going to or not going to happen for sure. I’d honestly just love to be healthy all year, whatever team I’m pitching for. I just want to go out and give my best, whatever that is.”
Ideally, Kingham is hoping that he’s pitching well enough to force the Pirates’ hand, similar to what Taillon did last year when he forced his way into the rotation as early as possible (granted, there wasn’t a lot of competition for Taillon in the majors).
“He was forcing their hand,” Kingham said. “He was throwing so well at Triple-A, that he forced them to move him up. ‘I’m ready… call me up.’ He deserved that, and as long as I’m throwing well and feel healthy, that time will come.”
Prior to his injuries, Kingham had a fastball that was ticking as high as 98 MPH, and usually sitting in the 92-95 range. He threw on a downward plane with pinpoint command, up until before the injury, with his command issues in 2015 possibly being related to the injury. He threw a curveball and a changeup, and scouts were mixed on which was the better pitch, but both received above-average grades. The curve was my personal favorite, looking like a fastball out of the hand, followed by late drop at the plate to make it a swing and miss or a ground ball pitch.
If Kingham can return to that level of performance — with the velocity, the command, and two good off-speed pitches — then he could very well force his way into the rotation by mid-season. If he’s pitching well and he can’t force his way in the rotation, then that’s a good sign, as it probably means the situation in Pittsburgh is much better in 2017 than it was in 2016.
Sean McCool contributed to this report.
