Kevin Ginkel

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #23 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After a difficult 2017 season in which his stuff regressed and he struggled to bounce back physically from outings, Ginkel feared he would be released. He reworked his delivery that offseason in a bid to save his career, and everything about his trajectory has changed. Ginkel posted a 1.41 ERA in 2018 and soared from Double-A to the majors in 2019, where he pitched well and now looks like a bullpen mainstay.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ginkel went to Arizona, but his revamped delivery is reminiscent of a Virginia product: He is bent at the knees as he comes set, a posture which helps him activate his lower half before driving toward home plate. The delivery allows him to generate elite extension, helping his mid-90s fastball play up. He pairs his fastball with a slider that proved to be nearly unhittable in his 25 appearances in the majors. The Diamondbacks did not hesitate to move Ginkel up the bullpen hierarchy, even giving him a pair of save chances in the season's final two weeks.
  
  THE FUTURE: Barring a disastrous spring, Ginkel seems assured of a role in the Diamondbacks' bullpen to open 2020, and potentially even a prominent one.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #30 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Ginkel had an inconsistent 2017 that left him on the periphery of the Diamondbacks' prospect radar. He found his way back on the map in a big way in 2018, finishing an impressive season with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: A year ago, Ginkel's fastball topped out in the low 90s and he was having trouble bouncing back from outing to outing. In the offseason, he worked to revamp his pitching mechanics, trying to become more athletic by incorporating his lower half more. He began to get extreme extension of nearly seven feet. His velocity picked up, sitting in the low-to-mid-90s, which allowed him to challenge hitters with his fastball. His excellent spin rate allowed him to pitch aggressively up in the zone. He also mixed in his slider and changeup effectively. He surprised even himself with his results, posting a miniscule ERA along with a strikeout rate of 12.9 per nine innings.
  
  The Future: Ginkel won't need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2019 season. He'll likely open 2019 back in Double-A Jackson and could turn himself into a candidate for the big leagues.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #451 prospect in 2016 draft
  A two-time Pacific Coast All-Conference player at Southwestern (Calif.) JC prior to transferring to the University of Arizona for his junior year, Ginkel jumped onto the scouting radar in late April when he threw a mid-week complete game shutout against Arizona State. The California native pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Wildcats en route to a 3-1, 3.24 record. A 26th round pick by Boston in 2015, Ginkel is still a bit of a mystery to scouts. He's got plenty of arm strength, pitching primarily off a fastball sitting 90-92 and touching as high as 96. The curveball has decent spin and he has feel for a changeup but his stuff is inconsistent. He has an easy, loose delivery and the ball gets on batters quickly, but he struggles at times to find the right arm slot. Ginkel could go towards the end of Day Two but more likely will be an early Day Three selection.

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a difficult 2017 season in which his stuff regressed and he struggled to bounce back physically from outings, Ginkel feared he would be released. He reworked his delivery that offseason in a bid to save his career, and everything about his trajectory has changed. Ginkel posted a 1.41 ERA in 2018 and soared from Double-A to the majors in 2019, where he pitched well and now looks like a bullpen mainstay.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ginkel went to Arizona, but his revamped delivery is reminiscent of a Virginia product: He is bent at the knees as he comes set, a posture which helps him activate his lower half before driving toward home plate. The delivery allows him to generate elite extension, helping his mid-90s fastball play up. He pairs his fastball with a slider that proved to be nearly unhittable in his 25 appearances in the majors. The Diamondbacks did not hesitate to move Ginkel up the bullpen hierarchy, even giving BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 40 Risk: Medium him a pair of save chances in the season’s final two weeks.
  
  THE FUTURE: Barring a disastrous spring, Ginkel seems assured of a role in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen to open 2020, and potentially even a prominent one.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a difficult 2017 season in which his stuff regressed and he struggled to bounce back physically from outings, Ginkel feared he would be released. He reworked his delivery that offseason in a bid to save his career, and everything about his trajectory has changed. Ginkel posted a 1.41 ERA in 2018 and soared from Double-A to the majors in 2019, where he pitched well and now looks like a bullpen mainstay.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ginkel went to Arizona, but his revamped delivery is reminiscent of a Virginia product: He is bent at the knees as he comes set, a posture which helps him activate his lower half before driving toward home plate. The delivery allows him to generate elite extension, helping his mid-90s fastball play up. He pairs his fastball with a slider that proved to be nearly unhittable in his 25 appearances in the majors. The Diamondbacks did not hesitate to move Ginkel up the bullpen hierarchy, even giving him a pair of save chances in the season's final two weeks.
  
  THE FUTURE: Barring a disastrous spring, Ginkel seems assured of a role in the Diamondbacks' bullpen to open 2020, and potentially even a prominent one.