Last summer, Texas righthanded pitcher Bryce Elder, after an up-and-down freshman season, went to the California Collegiate League and came back a better, and much more confident pitcher. He then became the Longhorns’ Friday night starter and an All-Big 12 selection. Is Kolby Kubichek next?
In 18.0 innings during his freshman season, Kubichek posted a 6.50 ERA with 12 walks, 15 strikeouts, and a .296 batting average against. He showed flashes of brilliance, but not nearly enough consistency in stuff and strike-throwing. Often, Kubichek overthrew his fastball, and didn’t stay on top of the baseball.
Currently in the Cape Cod League, the sophomore righty, who was just named to the Cape Cod League All-Star team, has an 1.08 ERA in 25.0 innings with 29 strikeouts, eight walks, and .141 batting average against. A good case can be made Kubichek is facing better hitters consistently in the Cape Cod League than he did as a freshman.
So, what the heck happened?
“I think first of all we made some small mechanical adjustments; stay over the rubber a little longer, he was rushing and was flattening out,” said Chatham Anglers pitching coach and former Longhorn player Dennis Cook. “Worked hard on staying over the rubber. That’s helped him a ton with his command, sharpness of his pitches.”
Kubichek is a good athlete, but at times rushed his delivery at Texas. Combine that with a 6-0 frame, and there were often times when his sinker would flatten thanks to an inconsistent release and timing with delivery.
“When he stays back and stays on time, he gets downward movement. When you rush and you fly open, you have flat movement,” said Cook, who pitched in Major League Baseball for 15 seasons. “We want the ball that bores down. He’s created that and same thing with breaking balls.”
Additionally, Kubichek stopped trying to throw 95 MPH, which played a significant role in his stuff flattening out, and understood he’s best at 88-92 with sinker that shows plus life. And like Elder did when he returned from California last summer, Kubichek’s pitch arsenal will look different too.
“Developed a little slider; hard sharp slider that’s complimenting his sinker. So, he’s now a fastball, slider, curve, change guy. We talked about it. I looked at his stuff and I see his slot. To me, the complement pitch with his sinker is something that goes that other way,” said Cook, who added Kubichek has been mostly 89-91 MPH with his sinker and his slider has been in the 84-85 MPH range. “He needs something a little shorter, harder. He worked on it and developed it.”
This shouldn’t be a surprise given the sophomore righthander’s Twitter background is Marcus Stroman, but Kubichek is also using his athleticism and confidence on the mound to tweak his delivery to mess with hitters’ timing. Stroman is a shorter, righthanded pitcher known for messing with hitters' timing, and he features plus athleticism and a sinker-slider combo like Kubichek now does.
“He’s really attacking the strike zone with all four pitches,” stated Cook. “Pitching with a ton of confidence. Good athlete; holds runners well and is quick to the plate. He’s messing with also disrupting hitters’ rhythm. Sometimes a slide step from the windup.”
From the moment he arrived at college baseball’s toughest summer league, Kubichek was ready to get after it.
“Kolby showed up and said I’m going to get after people and see what happens. If he does that, he’s going to be just fine,” Cook said. “They compete and work hard, him and Ty (Madden). I think you build confidence in this league as you have success because you see some of the best hitters in the country. Playing up here and having success will do wonders for him (Kubichek). He’s going to go into Texas feeling he can move a mountain. I think confidence they’ve built… Kolby being with his slider and command with all pitches and Ty with slider and improving changeup.”
Speaking of Ty Madden, one of the three Texas pitchers Cook has called on to get outs for the Chatham Anglers, he’s also been pretty good this summer. Batters are hitting .243 against the hard-throwing righty, and he has a 3.72 ERA in 19.1 innings with nine walks and 19 strikeouts. While Kubichek is having the best summer of any Texas pitcher, Madden remains the arm with the biggest upside.
“Incredible arm. Incredible. He has a chance to be great,” Cook stated about Madden.
Like Texas and its fans saw this season, Madden’s fastball is electric. He touched 98 MPH last fall, and ended the season with fastballs touching 97 MPH. But the next step is a secondary pitch Madden can consistently throw with command and conviction in any count. He’s working with a curve (more early in the count), changeup, and also a slider.
“But he has to develop secondary pitches. He’s been able to rely on fastballs. What I want him to understand is he’ll become a pitcher and become great when he can go to something secondary in those fastball counts,” Cook said. “I talked to him a lot about that. He understands that… he needs to learn to trust it. We’re working on a slider with him also. We play catch with it every day. He needs to take it into the game and trust it. When he develops the slider, he is going to be freaking good.”
The two sophomores aren't the only Chatham pitchers that will wear burnt orange next season. Joining Madden and Kubichek at Texas will be former Midland College standout pitcher Dawson Merryman. Recently, the righty committed to and signed with the Longhorns, and he looks like a very important addition.
“There were a lot of people on him. They pulled the trigger. Texas deserves a lot of credit for coming up here to see him, and then getting him,” said Cook about Merryman.
In 11.0 innings, the reliever has a 0.81 ERA with 12 strikeouts, five walks, and batters are hitting just .184 against him. He’ll join Kubichek on the Cape Cod League All-Star team.
“He’s from the side. He’s a strike thrower. I think they’re going to love him there,” Chatham’s pitching coach said. “Slower breaking ball, which I like. Been working on adding a harder breaking ball… throws a change but not a lot. He holds runners well. That’s important for late-inning guys. He’s a confident kid. Quietly confident.”
When asked if Merryman, who was a starter at Midland but profiles best as a reliever, has the mentality to fit a late-inning role at Texas, Cook responded simply:
“No doubt.”
If the summer is a true indication of what’s to come, the Longhorns’ Chatham trio will play big roles for the 2020 team.
