The Cubs’ ’22 UDFA (Yale) got my attention enough in 2023 to throw him out there as my 2024 Cubs arm. 2024 didn’t go well. Injury limited him to 41 unimpressive innings. Here are a few looks at 2023 Kipp:
Kipp is healthy now and in the running for Southern League pitcher of the month in April. His production over three April starts has been outstanding: 3 GS, 15 IP, 0.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 19 K, 4 BB. Over his three starts, he went 5 IP in each of them, throwing strikes at 54%, 69%, and 65% rates over 68, 75, and 75 pitches. He had 13 whiffs start one, 13 start two, and 11 in his last outing. The big-bodied right-hander (6′6″) is proving to be a great sign for the Cubs, asserting himself as a legit pitching prospect. At 25-years-old, dynasty owners might shy away, but the pro track record is relatively short, and the advanced pitchability here is looking MLB viable. Kipp isn’t going to power through hitters with a huge fastball/velo, but its use and other characteristics has it getting on hitters fast. Kipp is your classic 4‑pitch mixer, capable of executing more sophisticated sequencing, flashing some of those triangles we look for, and dominating a AA lineup. Of course, we will want to see how the stuff plays against more advanced hitters, but Kipp, like the broadcast says at the end of our clip here, might be in Iowa soon. For the dynasty player who doesn’t like to invest a lot in pitching and has room for a viable MLB option, probably better suited for a larger dynasty league, Kipp might prove to be a killer free asset at this point. Kipp is currently rostered in 0% of Fantrax leagues. At the end of the day, owners will want to know how many bats Kipp can miss. Some pitch data might help answer that, but this is a classic case of the mix helping everything play up. Here are his 19 Ks on the short season:
All caveats aside, this version of Kipp looks the part of a big league try. Lets see how consistent he can be over time as steady execution of the whole package is vital here.