Spring Training starts well for Baltimore Orioles’ prospect Kevin Gausman - MLB News
Kevin Gausman, one of the top prospects for the Baltimore Orioles had a nice start to his Spring Training where he pitched in a bullpen session.
On the occasion, the 22-year-old pitcher said that at the moment he was interested in mainly focusing on getting the job done and getting into his stride to get things in the right direction.
"It was just kind of focusing in on getting my work done -- kind of feeling my body, feeling my mechanics, more of that more than anything," Gausman said.
Manager Buck Showalter did not try to interfere too much in the pitching affairs and said that the pitching went well. The manager thinks that it is not his forte to judge the pitchers.
"I'm probably not a good evaluator," Showalter said. "[Pitching coach Rick Adair] said it went well."
Showalter believes that Gausman is one of the stronger young guys that the ballclub has. He thinks that the pitcher, like most professional guys, has a broad back.
Kevin has already earned himself a nickname of dunkin, a reference to his habit of eating donuts between the innings.
Gausman was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010 out of Grandview High School in the sixth round of Amateur Draft. He, however, did not sign for the Los Angeles franchise.
He was drafted by the birds in 2012 after he attended the Louisiana State University where he was an All-American in 2012. He was the fourth overall pick. He was signed for $4.32 million in July of 2012.
Buck suggested that Kevin has a good physical condition. He believed that the pitcher has the right fitness level which is required. The manager also said that he is new to the professional setup and it is best that he tests the water himself for now.
He said, "Gausman's got a pretty good look. I think physically he's going to be fine. I like where he is physically. Look at what great shape he's in. To the eye, he may look a little slight compared to a 28-year-old established guy. It's a lot of new stuff
for him. I'm more inclined to kind of leave him alone. He's had a lot of success doing it the way he's doing it."
The Orioles have a lot of talent in the pitching department and particularly the bullpen. It will not be an easy task for someone like Kevin Gausman to break into the Major League team but the training along with some of the top guys will be a massive plus
that he can take into the Minors.
For now, his focus should be on making sure that he makes the most of the opportunity at hand and does learn as much as he can from this stint with the top pros.
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