Former Arizona Wildcat Kevin Ginkel Finding His Way Back

In 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks made an improbable run to the World Series despite being an 84-win team and barely sneaking into the postseason. The Diamondbacks pulled off upsets over the Brewers, The Dodgers and the Phillies to get to the game’s biggest stage.

During that run in the postseason, former Arizona Wildcats pitcher Kevin Ginkel played a critical role in a bullpen that caught fire at the right time and helped carry the team to the World Series.

It might go down as the best postseason performance from a relief pitcher in Diamondbacks history. Ginkel pitched 11 ⅔ innings while racking up 15 strikeouts and not giving up a single run along the way for a 0.00 ERA.

Since that incredible run by Ginkel, he has dealt with injuries and tried to even play through some during the 2024 season where he posted a 3.21 ERA in 72 appearances.

This season, Ginkel has had his struggles and has seen himself up and down from the minor leagues to the majors. Right now, he has a 9.47 ERA in 22 appearances.

In 19 innings of work, Ginkel has allowed 10 walks to his 23 strikeouts, which would be a low strikeout-to-walk ratio compared to the last two seasons. And opponents are hitting .308 off the righty, which is the second highest mark of his career.

Right now, Ginkel is on pace to set a career-high in ERA. The highest he has posted was during the 2020 season where he made 19 appearances and finished with a 6.75 ERA. This would be his worst season of his career given the amount of innings pitched compared to that previous season.

However, Over the last seven games, Ginkel seems to be finding his rhythm and might be the healthiest he has been all season long.

In the last Ginkel has given up six hits that have led to two runs while striking out seven batters. But, the most impressive stat is that he hasn’t allowed a walk during this stretch of games.

That seems to be half the battle for most relief pitchers. If you are able to not allow free passes, the odds are you will be more successful against opponents. Right now, during this stretch, Ginkel has posted a 2.57 ERA.

It seems that Ginkel has found his stuff at the right time and ahead of the All-Star Break, which will allow him to get some needed rest to gear up for the second half of the long 162-game season.

Please let us know your thoughts on Kevin Ginkel and the progress he seems to be making after early season struggles. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.