Rob Kaminsky

Kaminsky attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, graduating in 2013.[3][11][12] Initially, he was a center fielder, and in 2011 he preferred playing the outfield.[13][9] He was the Gatorade New Jersey Baseball Player of the Year, and the Star-Ledger New Jersey Player of the Year, in both 2012 and 2013.[2][14] In his junior year in 2012 he was 8-2 with a 0.20 earned run average (ERA), struck out 103 batters and walked 20 in 53 innings, and pitched three no-hitters and three one-hitters. He was also named to the USA Today All-USA Team.[15][8]

In his senior year in 2013 Kaminsky was 10-0 with a 0.10 ERA, averaged two strikeouts per inning, gave up 14 walks as he struck out 126 in 64 innings, pitched three no-hitters and three one-hitters, while batting .506 with 3 home runs and 19 RBIs.[2][16][15][17] He was also a Baseball America Preseason First Team All-American and a Rawlings-Perfect Game First Team All-American.[2] Seattle Mariners scout Frank Rendini said: "He has a major-league curveball right now."[3][18][5]

While in high school, Kaminsky raised over $30,000 through his Strikeout Challenge charity for the pediatric cancer ward at Englewood Hospital, as he asked supporters to donate whatever amount they chose for each strikeout he recorded in his senior year.[19][20]

Kaminsky was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals at the age of 18 in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, 28th overall, after Baseball America ranked him the # 21 prospect in the draft.[21][22][23][24][5] He became the 12th New Jersey player drafted in the first round directly out of high school since the initial Major League Baseball draft in 1965.[25] He signed for a signing bonus of $1.785 million, foregoing his scholarship to pitch and play center field for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.[26][5][8]

In 2013 he made his professional debut for the Gulf Coast Cardinals in the Rookie Gulf Coast League.[27] Kaminsky appeared in eight games with five starts and had a 3.68 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched.[28] Baseball America ranked him the Gulf Coast League's No. 8 prospect in 2013.[29]

Kaminsky pitched in 2014 for the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League, where he was three years younger than the average player.[30][31][27] In 2014, he appeared in 18 games, all starts, going 8-2 (his 8 wins were 8th among Cardinals minor leaguers) with a 1.88 ERA (the best ERA in the league of all pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched), a 1.013 WHIP (9th among Cardinals minor leaguers), and a .194/.266/.251 batting-average-against and slash line against.[1][32] He was named a Baseball America Low Class A All Star, and Scout named him the best left-handed starter in the Cardinals' minor league system.[1][33][34] Peoria pitching coach, and former major leaguer, Jason Simontacchi said: "there’s no question he’s got stuff that could play in the big leagues."[35]

On July 30, 2015, the Cardinals traded Kaminsky to the Cleveland Indians for All Star outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss.[36] At the time, MLB.com ranked Kaminsky the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis organization, and 88th overall, and Scout ranked him the best pitcher in the Cardinals' minor league system.[2][34] Kaminsky finished 2015 with a 6-6 record and a 2.24 ERA. He split it between the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A+ Florida State League (where his 2.09 ERA was 2nd-best in the league, of all pitchers with 90 or more innings pitched, he kept opponents to a .228 batting-average-against, and he was one of only two pitchers—from among 393 pitchers—in the minor leagues who did not give up a home run in 90 or more innings) and the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Class A+ Carolina League.[27][37][38] He was ranked the No. 3 prospect, and top pitching prospect, in the Cleveland Indians organization.[39][40]

Kaminsky spent the 2016 season with the Akron RubberDucks of the Double-A Eastern League, where he posted an 11-7 record (his 11 wins were tied for 3rd-best in the league) and a 3.28 ERA (4th in the league).[1][23][41] He was 2nd in the league in fewest-hits-per-9-innings (8.01), tied for 3rd in wins, and 4th in ground ball/fly ball ratio (1.70).[41][42] He was one of the youngest players on the team, at 21 years old, and about 3.5 years younger than the average player in the Eastern League.[23][41]

Kaminsky's three main pitches as of 2016 were an 89-91 mph fastball with some movement that can reach 95 mph, a sharp-breaking upper-70s curveball, and a changeup.[23][33][37] In his minor league career, he has induced a high level of ground ball outs, and a low batting-average-against.[23]

In 2017 with Akron, he was placed on the disabled list with left forearm soreness after one start, and did not pitch during the remainder of the season.[43] In August 2017 Kaminsky wrote an article entitled "Life in the minors, working toward a dream; An inside look at the life and grind of the competitive minor leagues, as told by Indians pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky."[44]

In 2018 Kaminsky pitched two scoreless innings for Lynchburg, and then pitched 26.1 innings over 23 games out of the bullpen for Akron, going 1-1 with 4 saves and a 3.28 ERA and holding batters to a 69% ground ball rate.[45][46] Kaminsky then pitched for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League, was picked for the league's Fall Stars Game, and in 10 relief appearances during the season was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA.[45][47]

In 2019 he pitched for both Akron, for whom he was 2-1 with one save in 19 relief appearances with a 2.30 ERA in 31.1 innings, and for the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League, for whom Kaminsky was 1-0 with one save in 23 relief appearances with a 5.11 ERA in 24.2 innings in which he struck out 31 batters and induced a 59.1% ground ball rate.[45]

Kaminsky elected minor league free agency on November 4, 2019.[1] The day he became a minor league free agent, the Cardinals made him an offer.[48]

On December 12, 2019, Kaminsky signed a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, and was invited to major league spring training as a non-roster player.[49][50] In July 2020 he was added to the Cardinals' 60-player roster pool.[51]

On August 15, 2020, Kaminsky was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[52] He made his major league debut for the Cardinals on August 16.[53] Kaminsky was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on September 16; he cleared waivers, remained in the organization, and was outrighted by the Cardinals to their alternate site.[54][55][56]

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kaminsky was 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 5 games in which he pitched 4.2 innings.[57] Kaminsky induced a 60% groundball rate.[58] On September 16, 2020, Kaminsky was designated for assignment by the Cardinals.[59] He was outrighted to the alternate training site on September 18[60] and became a free agent on November 2. Sportswriter Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said: "This has perplexed some of us around the team... He pitched well for them, was a good depth fit."[61]

On April 18, 2021, Kaminsky signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization.[62] In his lone appearance for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Kaminsky struck out 2 over one scoreless inning. On August 5, 2021, Kaminsky was released by the Phillies.[63]

On April 6, 2022, Kaminsky signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners organization.[64] Pitching for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers in 2022, he was 3-1 with one save, a 4.91 ERA and 39 strikeouts across 39 relief appearances covering 36.2 innings.[65] He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

On April 14, 2023, Kaminsky re-signed with the Mariners on a minor league contract.[66] They assigned him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.[67]