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2013 MLB Draft Profile: LHP Rob Kaminsky

The Jersey prep product profiles as one of the best lefthanders in the draft.

Rob Kaminsky

Rob Kaminsky
Pos High School / College Consensus Rank
LHP
St. Joseph Regional HS (NJ)
late 1st round
B/T Birthdate (age) Height / Weight
S/L 9/2/94 (18) 6'0" / 190 lbs

Kaminsky is among the best left-handed pitchers in the draft, despite his size. Standing at an even six feet, there are some concerns about Kaminsky being "little", but those concerns are assuaged by his clean and effortless mechanics that produce a fastball that sits in the low 90s, that touches 95 mph. He complements his fastball with a plus curveball -- an absolute hammer of a pitch. While he hasn't needed much of a third pitch, he has been fooling around with a change-up. Kaminsky currently has a commitment to play college ball at UNC.

Video (via Baseball America):

What the scouts are saying:

Baseball America:

""His height doesn't lend to much projection and can prevent him from pitching in the bottom of the zone, but he is the most advanced arm in the prep class. He didn't give up an earned run for the first five weeks of his season and broke his school's record for career strikeouts in early May."

Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com:

"He has a good feel for his changeup, though he hasn't used it much in his high school career. He also has a pretty good idea of what he's doing on the mound, but he's not the biggest guy in the world, leading some to worry about durability."

What Alex is saying:

Robert Kaminsky doesn’t have a terribly high ceiling. His present velocity is probably just average for a lefty, and, at under six feet tall, he doesn’t have the projectable frame you love to see in a prep pitcher. Instead, he succeeds with a very good sharp curve with lots of drop to it, and fastball command. On the mound, I like what I see. He has nearly a picture-perfect delivery and arm action; the only thing I’d fix is lengthening his stride, which may add some velocity but will also help sharpen his command, as it will force a smoother landing. Otherwise, the arm action’s short with early pronation, and he finishes smoothly. Scouts love his poise. I like him as much as I can like a short lefty, but whoever drafts him has to realize that there probably isn’t a frontline starter in there.