2022 Diamondbacks Reviews, #43: Ian Kennedy

Nov 24, 2022 - 12:00 AM

Arizona Diamondbacks at Houston Astros" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LVBDSXviNKhyGCeeq0VKZ7-foKc=/0x349:3505x2321/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71668453/usa_today_19129916.0.jpg" />

Overview

• Rating: 2.70
• 2022 stats: 50.1 innings pitched in 57 games. He had a 4-7 record with a 5.36 ERA, WHIP of 1.57 and FIP of 5.58. He gave up 10 hits per 9 innings and 2 home runs per 9 innings. He had almost a 2-1 strikeout/walk ratio.
• Date of birth: December 19, 1984. He will turn 38 in a little more than 3 weeks
• 2022 salary: $4,750,000
• 2023 status: Dbacks declined Kennedy’s 2023 option, valued at $4,000,000 on November 8th. They will pay a $250,000 buyout. It is hard for me to see him pitching next year. I am sure he gets a non roster invite somewhere.

Kennedy was originally drafted in the 1st round at #21 overall by the NY Yankees. He pitched in the Bronx for parts of 3 seasons, before being acquired by Arizona in a 3 team trade involving the Detroit Tigers and NY Yankees. The Diamondbacks also received Edwin Jackson in the trade from the Tigers and dealt someone named Max Scherzer to Detroit. Wonder what ever happened to him?

Kennedy was very instrumental in our 2011 Division team, going 21-4, with a 2.88 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 222 innings. He finished 4th in the Cy Young voting that year.

In 2013, he got traded to the San Diego Padres and would also spend time in Kansas City, Texas and Philadelphia.

Mid March 2022 the team announced that they had signed Kennedy to a 1 year deal, with an option.
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/3/14/22976509/diamondbacks-to-sign-ian-kennedy

Part of the reason I wanted to do this review is because I had the “pleasure” of writing the recap (I do play by play style) of the September 27th game where IPK gave up 3 home runs in an inning. The game itself would be a 10-2 Astros win.

Ian Kennedy is now on to pitch. He strikes out McCormick, who reacted like he knew it was a strikeout before the ump called it. Maldonado GO 6-3. Altuve hits a 3-2 pitch for a home run. 5-1, now. Pena drops a single into shallow CF. IPK not fooling anyone. Caleb Smith is warming up now. Hensley makes it 7-1 with a HR to RF, his first in the Majors. Bregman hits a no doubter to LF over the wall and the railroad thing to make it an 8-1 game. Caleb Smith is now in the ballgame to face Tucker. IPK gave up 4 hits, 3 HRs and 4 runs in ²⁄₃ of an inning. He got the first two batters, then just lost his...stuff. Smith walks Tucker on 4 pitches, before Gurriel GO 5-3.

https://www.azsnakepit.com/2022/9/27/23370260/9-27-houston-astros-10-dbacks-2

Per Jim in that night’s gameday thread:

First reliever in franchise history with an outing of less than an inning and three HR allowed. Previous worst was Jeff Bajenaru in 2006:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI200608070.shtml

I found a video of the Hensley home run, mentioned above.

From September 3rd through September 27th, Kennedy was scored upon in 6 of 7 appearances. His ERA jumped from 3.25 to 5.59 during that stretch. He had 2 more appearances, against the Giants and Brewers to finish out the year and did not allow a run. In 10 September games he pitched 8 innings, gave up 5 home runs and 15 earned runs on 19 hits. Out of his 57 appearances, there were 19 instances of him giving up at least a run. Of those 19, nine were 2 runs or more, including 3 outings where he gave up 3+ and only got 2 outs (or less).

It wasn’t ALL bad for Kennedy this past season. There were some bouts of being good/decent. From April 23rd through June 8th, he pitched in 19 games and 16.2 IP. He gave up 2 home runs, 4 earned runs on 19 hits for a 2.16 ERA. He struck out 17 and walked 5.
The stretch before his terribad September was also ok. From June 26th through September 2nd, he pitched in 18 innings in 19 ballgames. He gave up 2 home runs, 5 earned runs and 11 hits. He struck out 17 and walked 5. That is actually pretty consistent with the April-June stretch.