November 5, 2008

 

Throws: Right
Height/Weight: 6'4''/205
Birthday: 12/24/1982 (Age 25) 
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2008 season; Minor League Free Agent after 2011

Background: Kea Kometani came to the Rangers by way of Pepperdine University in the 15th round of the 2005 draft. The Hawaii native lettered in both baseball and volleyball at Ponahou High School, where he graduated in 2001 before entering Pepperdine. Once at Pepperdine, Kometani found himself in the bullpen, where he stayed for the first two years. Like most freshmen, Kometani struggled out of the gate. Advanced college hitters lit him up to the tune of a .342 average in 27.2 innings. His control was mediocre, as he walked 13 batters, threw 3 wild pitches, and hit another 3 batters. This all led to the 21 earned runs he allowed, good for a 6.83 ERA with an 0-2 record. He didn't really play a key role that year, but he was expected to become a key part of the Pepperdine bullpen in 2003. He ended up improving significantly, ending up as the team closer for 2003. He slightly improved his control, but he began to get hitters out with more consistency. He finished that year with a 4.57 ERA in 41.1 innings, going 3-1 with 9 saves. Kometani returned to Pepperdine in 2004 as a starting rotation member. He continued his uphill climb in that category, finishing that year with a career-best 4.05 ERA in 120 innings, improving his walk rate to 3 per 9 innings, resulting in a satisfying 8-6 record. Hitters did find Kometani more hittable in his starting role, but he kept runners from scoring consistently. Surprisingly, not a single team took a waver on Kometani in the 2004 draft, and he returned for his senior year. He turned out to be the de facto ace of the staff (with Diamondbacks farmhand Barry Enright), compiling a 10-5 record with a 3.17 ERA in 127.2 innings. His control was much better, and hitters had a harder time matching up against him. The Rangers took him in the 15th round, and expert California scout Todd Guggiana (see Tim Murphy) signed him quickly.

Pitches: Kometani entered the Texas organization with a four pitch starters' arsenal. However, as he's gone to the bullpen the last couple of years, he's dropped his developing changeup. His fastball is about average for a reliever, sitting somewhere between 88 and 92 on an average night. There have been times where he's pushed it up since he started relieving, but he is generally not known for his fastball. His plus pitch is a nasty splitter that, when on, is enough of a repertoire by itself. He has struggled at times with its consistency, which has led to some control problems, but that is mainly due to the improved movement he's gotten since moving to the bullpen. If he learns to adjust to it, it will be a plus pitch in the majors. His last pitch is a seldom-used slider that is generally below-average. It's a "show me" pitch that generally sits in his back pocket unless he's having serious command problems with his splitter. He's usually a two-pitch pitcher, and I don't expect his slider to develop enough to become reliable in the bigs.

Professional Experience: Kometani found himself in the Spokane rotation when their season started in 2005. However, he only made two starts before being promoted to Clinton. He pitched the rest of the season at Clinton, starting 9 games and relieving in 4. Between the two levels, Kometani's 2005 pro debut finished with a 3-2 record and 2.38 ERA in 64.1 innings. Combined with Pepperdine, Kometani threw 192 innings, an extremely high number for a 22 year-old first-time pro. However, his debut was excellent, and the Rangers were very happy with their 15th round product. Kometani entered 2006 poised for a possible breakout year in his first full pro season. He began the year at Bakersfield, making 10 high-quality starts. He went 4-2 in those starts with a 3.30 ERA in 60 innings. He walked only 13 and struck out 56. Hitters did get him for more than a hit an inning, but the Rangers weren't very concerned with that and promoted him to Frisco. In about a year, Kometani had gone from Pepperdine product to AA starter. His first big problems as a starter came during this Frisco stint in 2006. He started 16 games and relieved a single game, finishing with a good 8-5 record, but with a 4.70 ERA in 88 innings. His control started to weaken, possibly a sign of tiredness as the result of a full pro season. However, it seems most of his problems stemmed from losing his luck with men on base. Despite his home run rate dropping, and his WHIP staying near equal to his Bakersfield stint, his ERA jumped almost a run and half. The Rangers wrote off this unluckiness as just that, and Kometani entered 2007 as a developing starting prospect. 2007 was a key year in Kea Kometani's development. After just six starts back at Frisco, he was switched back to the relief role he excelled in during his sophomore year of college. His control stayed steady with his previous Frisco stint, and all his other factors stayed about the same. However, his ERA dropped to 4.27 in 78 innings, and he finished with a 3-4 record. Towards the end of the season, his relief skills really started to pick up. Following a successful Arizona Fall League stint in 2007, Kometani entered Spring Training in 2008 with very high expectations as a possible back-end reliever.

2008 Season: Kometani entered the 2008 season as a full-time reliever for the first time since 2003 at Pepperdine. He had some very high expectations entering the season, but he generally disappointed. He pitched the entire year at AAA Oklahoma for the first time and in a league that is unforgiving to pitchers. All of 2008 was basically a disaster in these environments for Kometani. The only month of the year where his ERA was below 6 (excluding one September appearance) was May, where he had a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings. He allowed a career-high in homers with 10 in just 60 innings, over four times the home run rate he had the previous year. His control fell again, as he allowed 26 walks, and he struck out 50. Overall, despite a drop in the BABIP compared to previous years, Kometani still managed to have a career-worst year. This has to be scary for the Rangers, as they expected Kometani to adjust much more easily to Oklahoma.

Future Outlook: Kometani's only value is in his ability to strike hitters out. He has consistently allowed hard contact over the course of his career, and his ability to keep the ball in the park has seemingly disappeared somewhere in 2008. The Rangers' main goal has to be getting Kometani's control back. His walk rate has seen a steady climb, and his strikeout ability has gone down a little, as well. However, there's reason to think Kometani can turn it around in 2009. He's not going to be added to the 40-man roster this winter, so he'll available in the Rule V draft. However, it's not very likely someone will pick him up with the problems he had last year, so expect him to return to Oklahoma City's bullpen. If he can regain his control and keep the ball in the park, he can be a valuable middle reliever. However, it seems he's more likely to become a shuttle pitcher between Texas and OKC, never quite having enough to stick in the majors for good.

Written by Andy Seiler

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