Written by Greg Fertel
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29 August 2007
When Kennedy was drafted, Yankee fans freaked out. I remember the day clearly, and I remember the collective "What the hell? We drafted a soft-tosser in the first round?". I wasn't terribly excited at first, because I didn't really follow that year's draft class. Then I looked at his numbers.
Kennedy had put up one of the better careers in NCAA history. In 2004 and 2005, Kennedy pitched a combined 209.2 innings. He posted a 2.70 ERA between the two years, striking out 278 and walking just 69. Like Joba, Kennedy dropped on draft day from a top-10 selection all the way to the Yankees. He dropped not only because he doesn't throw hard, but because he had an average season in his junior year. Critics (Baseball America chief among them) said that he was toast. Some said that he had a simple case of "Draft-itis", and others that he was harboring some type of injury.
Regardless, the Yankees picked him up, and almost exactly a year after he signed his first professional contract, Ian Kennedy is going to be making the start against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It's a little bit of a surprise, but shouldn't be. Kennedy has dominated every level that he's ever been at, and he easily gives the Yankees the best chance to win.
You can read my scouting report on Kennedy
here. He gets to face the Tampa Bay Devil Rays - a young, free-swinging lineup. It's a great match for his toolset. Kennedy subsists by beguiling his opponents - using an array of pitches, great control, and his wits to stay one step ahead of the batter.
Whenever you bring up Kennedy, one comparison comes up: an aces who brought great control, an impressive array of pitches, and plenty of makeup to the mound - Mike Mussina. Kennedy compares to Mussina in a lot of ways - the guys at
River Ave Blues even call him "Mini-Moose". He does Moose's stretch move (which he says he came up with independently, and only later realized that he was doing the same move as his idol). Mussina also made the majors almost exactly a year after signing his first professional contract.
It's only fitting that the heir to Mussina's style takes his spot in the rotation. I'm not sure what to expect of Kennedy, but he's a guy that everyone always underestimates. Let's call it 6 innings, 3 earned runs, and 7 strikeouts.
