Kevin Chapman

Kevin Allen Chapman

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 4", Weight 210 lb.
• School University of Florida
• High School Westminster Academy Christian School
• Debut August 9, 2013
• Final Game October 2, 2016
• Born February 19, 1988 in Coral Springs, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Left-handed pitcher Kevin Chapman made 58 appearances in parts of four big league seasons.

Amateur Career

Kevin was selected three times in the amateur draft. The first time, he was chosen in the 42nd round of the 2006 amateur draft out of a high school in Fort Lauderdale, FL by the Detroit Tigers. He had been 8-2 with a 0.89 ERA as a junior in high school but injuries sidelined him for much of his senior year. Going to college at the University of Florida, he was 2-1 with a 4.23 ERA but 22 walks in 38 1/3 innings as a freshman. He had Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2008. In limited action as a redshirt sophomore, he was 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA. In 2009, the Chicago White Sox picked him in the 50th round and he again did not sign. As a junior, he was 3-0 with 11 saves and a 1.64 ERA, walking only 7 in 43 2/3 innings. He tied Matty Ott for second in the Southeastern Conference in saves and made All-SEC as the Conference's top reliever. He helped Florida make it to the 2010 College World Series. The Kansas City Royals secured him in the 4th round in 2010, one pick ahead of Kyle Blair; the scout was Carlos Gonzales.

Minor League Career

Kevin debuted in pro ball with 14 games for the Class A Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2010, going 1-1, 5.50 with a save and striking out 20 batters in 18 innings. He split his first full season, 2011, between Wilmington and the AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He was 0-2, 4.84 in 14 games for Wilmington, but registered 7 saves and struck out 40 batters in 22 1/3 innings to earn a midseason promotion. In the Texas League, he went 1-2, 4.99 in 25 games, picking up 3 more saves. Overall, he pitched 62 innings that season, allowing 61 hits and 28 walks while striking out 90 batters. While his 4.94 ERA was a tad high, there was no doubt that he had lively stuff. During spring training 2012, the Royals lost two catchers, Manny Pina and Santiago Perez, to injuries in the span of three weeks. On March 20, they traded for the Houston Astros Humberto Quintero. The Astros requested Chapman in return, throwing in veteran backup outfielder Jason Bourgeois to even the scales, while the Royals would add a player to be named later. Kevin went 6-3 with two saves and a 2.64 ERA for the 2012 Corpus Christi Hooks, with 59 strikeouts but 32 walks in 58 innings. He was 5th in the Astros chain with 49 games pitched and tied for 8th in the Texas League in that department. He began 2013 with similar stats for the Oklahoma City RedHawks (1-2, 2 saves, 3.20 in 45 games, 36 walks, 61 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings).

Major Leagues

Kevin was called up to the majors in August when Travis Blackley was designated for assignment; he was the 4th pitcher Houston had promoted to the majors since June 30, following Chia-Jen Lo, Josh Zeid and Jorge DeLeon. In his MLB debut, the left-hander relieved Zeid in the top of the 8th against the Rangers, with one on, no outs and a 4-4 tie. He struck out A.J. Pierzynski on a full count then was replaced in turn by right-hander Josh Fields. Kevin pitched for the Astros in four different seasons, from 2013 to 2016, but never exceeded the 25 appearances of his rookie season. He put up an ERA of 1.77 in 2013, going 1-1 with a save and giving the Astros hope he would be a key member of the bullpen in future years. But it was not the case. He went 2-0 in 21 games in 2014 but his ERA shot up to 4.64. Control was a problem, since he walked 13 batters in 20 1/3 innings as a rookie, and 11 in 21 1/3 in 2014. I n 2015 he pitched only three times in the bigs, and in 2016, his ERA was 9.00 in 9 games. He was excellent in AAA in 2014, going 2-1, 1.23 with 9 saves for Oklahoma City. With the Fresno Grizzlies in 2015, he was 3-2, 4.75 with 8 saves, and 3-4, 4.87 in 51 games with the same team in 2016. On March 13, 2017, he was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves and assigned to the Triple A Gwinnett Braves to begin the season. He pitched 9 games there, with no record and a 7.71 ERA, then on May 8th was traded to the Minnesota Twins in return for utility man Danny Santana. He would not return to the big leagues.

Chapman is not to be confused with Kelvin Chapman, an infielder with the New York Mets in the 1980s. His cousin, Matt den Dekker, was a Mets outfielder in the 2010s.

Sources

• 2012 Royals Media Guide
• University of Florida

Related Sites

• Kevin Chapman on mlb.com
• BR Minors page