Brandon Finnegan getting his second wind at right time for Royals
Brandon Finnegan has been pitching non-stop since last October. He's getting a second wind with the Royals this October.
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
BALTIMORE - Brandon Finnegan's meteoric rise in 2014 actually started in 2013. The Royals left-hander pitched for Texas Christian University this spring before being selected in the first round of June's amateur draft. TCU's season began on Feb. 13, but Finnegan's season started long before that.
"Actually, I've been pitching since October, for a straight year. We started intrasquad games last October," said Finnegan at ALCS Media Day on Thursday. "I've been pitching for a straight year."
Teams tend to play it safe with their young pitchers these days, especially high draft picks, but the Royals aggressively promoted the 21-year-old Finnegan from High Class-A to Double-A to the big leagues after handing him a $2,200,600 signing bonus.
Between his time at TCU, the minors and MLB, Finnegan has thrown 143 2/3 innings during the 2014 calendar year, nearly double last year's 79 1/3 innings for the Horned Frogs. That doesn't include his intrasquad work. It's no surprise then that fatigue became a major issue earlier this summer.
"For a little while fatigue was a big thing," Finnegan added. "Really tired. Felt like I was just done. But I'm hitting my second or third wind here and I'm starting to feel pretty good again."
After being a member of TCU's rotation all spring and making five starts for High-A Wilmington, the Royals moved Finnegan into the bullpen with Double-A Arkansas. The move was designed to prepare him for a relief role in MLB, but it also helped him cope with the fatigue.
"I feel like the bullpen is easier than starting for sure," Finnegan said. "You go out there for an inning or so. It's not much strain on the arm. You're in and you're out."
Finnegan's second wind came at the perfect time for the Royals. He threw seven tune-up innings in September and was thrust into the spotlight in the AL wild-card game, throwing two scoreless frames in extra innings against the Athletics. Finnegan added 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Angels in the ALDS.
Because they have such a deep bullpen, the Royals didn't need Finnegan to be a factor in October. But he impressed in September -- ten strikeouts, one walk and one run in those seven innings -- and pitched his way onto the postseason roster. He's since taken over as manager Ned Yost's fourth option behind Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland.
Finnegan is the first pitcher to pitch in the postseason the same year he was drafted since Joey Devine in 2005. He's had a very long season, a season that dates back to last October, but a move into the bullpen and well-timed second wind have given Yost and the Royals another power option in the postseason.
