Kyle Waldrop

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

NOTE:  There is another Kyle Waldrop, an outfielder, in the Reds’ system.

2004
R:  3-2-0, 1.42 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 38.0 IP, 0.9 BB/9, 7.1 K/9
R+:  2-0-0, 3.24 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 25.0 IP, 1.1 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

Waldrop had a good debut across two levels of rookie ball.  For the only time in his career, he had solid K rates.

2005
A:  6-11-0, 4.98 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 151.2 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

The Twins moved Waldrop up to full season ball and he got hit hard, but at least held his own.  He had a heavy workload for a pitcher drafted out of high school just a year earlier, making 27 starts and topping 150 innings.

2006
A:  6-3-0, 3.85 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 110.0 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 5.1 K/9
A+:  3-2-0, 3.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 45.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 5.0 K/9

Waldrop returned to low A for most of the season and pitched much better, although his K rate was just over five per nine innings.  It stayed at roughly that level for the rest of his minor league career.  He posted a good ERA after a late promotion to high A, but allowed a lot more baserunners.

2007
A+:  7-5-0, 3.40 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 92.2 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 5.5 K/9
AA:  3-6-0, 5.34 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 59.0 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 5.0 K/9

As he had the previous year, Waldrop repeated a level and improved markedly, then moved up late in the season and had more trouble, a lot more in this case.

2008
Did not play

Waldrop missed the entire season with shoulder problems.  Prior to 2008, he’d relieved in only one game.  Afterward he pitched exclusively in relief.

2009
A+:  3-2-3, 3.09 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 35.0 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 5.1 K/9
AA:  2-3-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 4.9 K/9

The Twins sent Waldrop back to high A and, although his ERA was good, opponents batted .312 against him.  He was much more effective after moving up to AA.

2010
AAA:  5-3-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 87.2 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 6.2 K/9

Waldrop spent the season pitching in relief in AAA and posted a good ERA despite having slightly more hits allowed than innings pitched.  He didn’t walk many, though, and allowed only five HRs.

2011
AAA:  5-5-3, 3.87 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 79.0 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 5.0 K/9
MLB:  1-0-0, 5.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 4.1 K/9

Waldrop had largely the same season in AAA, albeit with a much higher ERA, then got a callup in early September.  He got into trouble by nibbling in the majors.

2012
A+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 11.2 K/9
AAA:  0-0-4, 3.34 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 35.0 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 4.1 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 2.53 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 3.0 K/9

Waldrop missed the start of the season with a sore elbow.  He returned in late May, then got a brief callup in late June.  The Twins brought him back up in late August and he stayed in the majors through the end of the season.  His peripherals obviously weren’t nearly as good as his ERA, resulting in an xFIP of 4.39.  The low ERA resulted from an extremely high strand rate of 90.4%.

2013
AAA:  1-0-0, 2.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 19.0 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

Waldrop stayed in extended spring training, then joined Indianapolis in mid-April.  He made three relief appearances and two starts, and pitched very well.  He went on the disabled list in May, though, and did not return.

Waldrop will be a free agent again after the season.