Robert Harris Kaminsky (born September 2, 1994) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. In high school, Kaminsky was the Gatorade New Jersey Baseball Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2013, named to the 2012 ''USA Today'' All-USA Team, and a 2013 ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' Preseason First Team All-American. In his senior year in 2013 he was 10-0 with a 0.10 ERA, averaging two strikeouts per inning while batting .506. He was drafted by the

at the age of 18 in the first round of the

2013 Major League Baseball Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

, 28th overall. In 2013, ''Baseball America'' ranked him the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

's No. 8 prospect. In 2014, Kaminsky's 1.88 ERA was the best in the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

of all pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched, and he was a ''Baseball America'' Low Class A All Star. In 2015, his 2.09 ERA was 2nd-best in the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

of all pitchers with 90 or more innings pitched. In 2016, his 3.28 ERA was 4th-best in the Eastern League. He made his major league debut for the Cardinals in August 2020.

Early life

Kaminsky was born in and grew up in

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, whose population at the 2010 United States census was 5,281."RubberDucks left-hander Rob Kaminsky starting to live up to billing as top prospect,"
''Beacon Journal''. His parents are Donna Kaminsky, and Alan Kaminsky, a civil litigator for

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP (commonly referred to as Lewis Brisbois) is a U.S. law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1979, the firm is a national, general practice law firm with 1,700 attorneys. The firm operates o ...

in New York City.Wayne Coffey (April 20, 2013)
"Echoes of Sandy Koufax: When Jersey phenom Robert Kaminsky pitches, it harkens back to his idol and fellow Jew - and a Brooklyn-born baseball icon,"
''The New York Daily News''. He has two older siblings, Joseph and Anna, and his grandfather is Bernard Kaminsky.Kevin Kernan (June 7, 2013)
"Joining Cardinals dream come true for New Jersey lefty Kaminsky & family,"
''The New York Post''. Kaminsky is Jewish, and his bar mitzvah was based on a baseball theme. His boyhood hero was left-handed pitcher

Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...

, and he said Koufax "stood up for what he believed in" when Koufax decided not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it was on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

. He is nearly completely

ambidextrous Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...

; Kaminsky writes, throws a football, and shoots a basketball right-handed, but throws a baseball left-handed."Rob Kaminsky; Top Rated Prospect"
Draft 2013. In

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationswitch-hit when he was around 10 years old."Male Athlete of the Week: Rob Kaminsky of St. Joseph,"
'' The Record''. Kaminsky attended

Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County is a Coeducational Jewish Day School at 275 McKinley Avenue in New Milford, New Jersey, United States. The school is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. It enrolls 434 student ...

, a Jewish day school, through eighth grade.

High school

Kaminsky attended

Saint Joseph Regional High School Saint Joseph Regional High School (known as SJR, St. Joe's or Joe's) is a private, Catholic Church, Roman Catholic, University-preparatory school, college preparatory school for boys, located on a campus in Montvale, New Jersey, Montvale, in B ...

Montvale, New Jersey Montvale is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 7,844,Gatorade New Jersey Baseball Player of the Year, and the '' Star-Ledger'' New Jersey Player of the Year, in both 2012 and 2013. In his junior year in 2012 he was 8-2 with a 0.20

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA), struck out 103 batters and walked 20 in 53 innings, and pitched three

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

s and three one-hitters. He was also named to the ''USA Today'' All-USA Team.James Kratch (May 28, 2013)
"Baseball: Rob Kaminsky named Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year,"
NJ.com. In his senior year in 2013 Kaminsky was 10-0 with a 0.10 ERA, averaged two strikeouts per inning, gave up 14 walks as he struck out 126 in 64 innings, pitched three no-hitters and three one-hitters, while batting .506 with 3

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 19 RBIs. He was also a ''

'' Preseason First Team All-American and a

Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...

-Perfect Game First Team All-American. Seattle Mariners scout Frank Rendini said: "He has a major-league curveball right now." While in high school, Kaminsky raised over $30,000 through his Strikeout Challenge charity for the

pediatric cancer Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated thanks to modern medical treatments and optimal patient care. However, only about 10% of children diagnosed with cancer reside in high-income cou ...

ward at Englewood Hospital, as he asked supporters to donate whatever amount they chose for each strikeout he recorded in his senior year.

Career

St. Louis Cardinals

Kaminsky was drafted by the

at the age of 18 in the first round of the

, 28th overall, after ''Baseball America'' ranked him the # 21 prospect in the draft.Matt Bretz (March 16, 2017
"Cleveland Indians 2017 top prospects: No. 14, Rob Kaminsky,"
Fansided. He became the 12th New Jersey player drafted in the first round directly out of high school since the initial Major League Baseball draft in 1965. He signed for a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $1.785 million, foregoing his scholarship to pitch and play center field for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. In 2013 he made his professional debut for the

Gulf Coast Cardinals The Florida Complex League Cardinals are a Rookie-level affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. The team plays i ...

in the Rookie

."Rob Kaminsky Baseball Statistics [2013-17]"
The Baseball Cube. Kaminsky appeared in eight games with five starts and had a 3.68 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched. ''Baseball America'' ranked him the Gulf Coast League's No. 8 prospect in 2013. Kaminsky pitched in 2014 for the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A

, where he was three years younger than the average player. In 2014, he appeared in 18 games, all starts, going 8-2 (his 8 wins were 8th among Cardinals minor leaguers) with a 1.88 ERA (the best ERA in the league of all pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched), a 1.013

WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

(9th among Cardinals minor leaguers), and a .194/.266/.251 batting-average-against and slash line against. He was named a ''Baseball America'' Low Class A All Star, and ''Scout'' named him the best left-handed starter in the Cardinals' minor league system.Sam Dykstra (July 30, 2015)
"Indians acquire Kaminsky in Moss deal; Cardinals send No. 3 prospect to Cleveland in exchange for outfielder,"
MiLB.com.Brian Walton (January 7, 2017)
"2017 TCN/Scout.com Cards All-Prospect Team; Our annual ranking of the best prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system by position including a top 50 depth chart,"
''Scout''. Peoria pitching coach, and former major leaguer,

Jason Simontacchi Jason William Simontacchi (born November 13, 1973) is a pitching coordinator in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was the pitching coach for the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals from 201 ...

said: "there’s no question he’s got stuff that could play in the big leagues."

Cleveland Indians

On July 30, 2015, the Cardinals traded Kaminsky to the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

for All Star outfielder/first baseman

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an Americans, American former professional baseball outfielder / first baseman / designated hitter (DH). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Phil ...

. At the time, MLB.com ranked Kaminsky the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis organization, and 88th overall, and ''Scout'' ranked him the best pitcher in the Cardinals' minor league system. Kaminsky finished 2015 with a 6-6 record and a 2.24 ERA. He split it between the

Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...

of the Class A+

(where his 2.09 ERA was 2nd-best in the league, of all pitchers with 90 or more innings pitched, he kept opponents to a .228 batting-average-against, and he was one of only two pitchers—from among 393 pitchers—in the minor leagues who did not give up a home run in 90 or more innings) and the

Lynchburg Hillcats The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinna ...

of the Class A+

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

.Jim Callis (July 30, 2015)
"Rob Kaminsky deal a strong trade for Indians; Cleveland gets touted left-handed prospect in exchange for power bat,"
mlb.com. He was ranked the No. 3 prospect, and top pitching prospect, in the Cleveland Indians organization. Kaminsky spent the 2016 season with the

Akron RubberDucks The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...

of the Double-A Eastern League, where he posted an 11-7 record (his 11 wins were tied for 3rd-best in the league) and a 3.28 ERA (4th in the league)."2016 Eastern League - Season Review,"
The Baseball Cube. He was 2nd in the league in fewest- hits-per-9-innings (8.01), tied for 3rd in wins, and 4th in ground ball/fly ball ratio (1.70). He was one of the youngest players on the team, at 21 years old, and about 3.5 years younger than the average player in the Eastern League. Kaminsky's three main pitches as of 2016 were an 89-91 mph

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

with some movement that can reach 95 mph, a sharp-breaking upper-70s

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

. In his minor league career, he has induced a high level of ground ball outs, and a low batting-average-against. In 2017 with Akron, he was placed on the disabled list with left forearm soreness after one start, and did not pitch during the remainder of the season. In August 2017 Kaminsky wrote an article entitled "Life in the minors, working toward a dream; An inside look at the life and grind of the competitive minor leagues, as told by Indians pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky." In 2018 Kaminsky pitched two scoreless innings for Lynchburg, and then pitched 26.1 innings over 23 games out of the bullpen for Akron, going 1-1 with 4 saves and a 3.28 ERA and holding batters to a 69% ground ball rate.">"Rob Kaminsky Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History,"
Baseball-Reference.com. Kaminsky then pitched for the

Glendale Desert Dogs The Glendale Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility of the Chicago White ...

in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...

, was picked for the league's Fall Stars Game, and in 10 relief appearances during the season was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA. In 2019 he pitched for both Akron, for whom he was 2-1 with one save in 19 relief appearances with a 2.30 ERA in 31.1 innings, and for the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

of the Class AAA

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

, for whom Kaminsky was 1-0 with one save in 23 relief appearances with a 5.11 ERA in 24.2 innings in which he struck out 31 batters and induced a 59.1% ground ball rate. Kaminsky elected minor league free agency on November 4, 2019. The day he became a minor league free agent, the Cardinals made him an offer.

Second stint with Cardinals

On December 12, 2019, Kaminsky signed a minor league deal with the

, and was invited to major league spring training as a non-roster player. In July 2020 he was added to the Cardinals' 60-player roster pool. On August 15, 2020, Kaminsky was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his major league debut for the Cardinals on August 16. Kaminsky was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on September 16; he cleared waivers, remained in the organization, and was outrighted by the Cardinals to their alternate site. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Kaminsky was 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 5 games in which he pitched 4.2 innings. Kaminsky induced a 60% groundball rate. On September 16, 2020, Kaminsky was designated for assignment by the Cardinals. He was outrighted to the alternate training site on September 18 and became a free agent on November 2. Sportswriter

Derrick Goold Derrick S. Goold (born July 21, 1975) is an American author and sportswriter best known for his work for the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. Goold has been honored for feature writing and investigative reporting for his work covering baseball, hockey ...

of the ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...

'' said: "This has perplexed some of us around the team... He pitched well for them, was a good depth fit."

Philadelphia Phillies

On April 18, 2021, Kaminsky signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

organization. In his lone appearance for the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

, Kaminsky struck out 2 over one scoreless inning. On August 5, 2021, Kaminsky was released by the Phillies.

Seattle Mariners

On April 6, 2022, Kaminsky signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

organization. Pitching for the Class AA

Arkansas Travelers The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners as members of the Texas League. History The team succeeded ...

in 2022, he was 3-1 with one save and a 4.91 ERA, as in 39 relief appearances covering 36.2 innings he struck out 39 batters. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

References

External links

* *Rob Kaminsky (August 21, 2017)
"Life in the minors; working towards a dream; An inside look at the life and grind of the competitive minor leagues, as told by Indians pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky,"
Let's Go Tribe {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaminsky, Rob 1994 births Living people Akron RubberDucks players Arkansas Travelers players Baseball players from New Jersey Columbus Clippers players Glendale Desert Dogs players Gulf Coast Cardinals players Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Lynchburg Hillcats players Major League Baseball pitchers Palm Beach Cardinals players People from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Peoria Chiefs players Saint Joseph Regional High School alumni Sportspeople from Bergen County, New Jersey St. Louis Cardinals players 21st-century American Jews