Captain of the Week (8/5-8/10): Michael Kennedy
EASTLAKE, Ohio – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week. For the week of Aug. 5-10, Lake County is recognizing LHP Michael Kennedy as its 18th
EASTLAKE, Ohio – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week.
For the week of Aug. 5-10, Lake County is recognizing LHP Michael Kennedy as its 18th Captain of the Week for the 2025 season.
Kennedy tied his High-A-best with 5.2 innings pitched in a road start against the Dayton Dragons on Saturday, Aug. 9. The southpaw did not record a decision, allowing just one run on seven hits, while throwing five strikeouts to three walks in an eventual 2-1 Captains defeat.
So far this season, Kennedy has made 12 appearances (six starts) for the Captains, going 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA and 45 strikeouts to 18 walks in 44.0 innings pitched. He also made two injury rehab starts for the Arizona Complex League Guardians on June 12 and 19, throwing four strikeouts in three combined innings of work.
Kennedy was assigned to Lake County’s 2025 Opening Day roster after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in an offseason trade this past December. The Guardians also received fellow Captains LHP Josh Hartle, MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 Cleveland prospect, and current Guardians RHP Luis Ortiz in exchange for current Pirates INF Spencer Horwitz.
Kennedy, originally an LSU commit, was selected by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Troy HS (NY).
He was named the 2021-22 Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year after going a perfect 6-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 65 strikeouts in just 35 innings pitched for the Flying Horses during his senior season in 2022. He also batted .361 with two home runs and 12 RBI as a senior.
During his junior year at Troy HS (NY) in 2021, Kennedy helped the Flying Horses win their first-ever Section II, Class A Championship. The left-hander went a perfect 7-0 with a 0.32 ERA and 89 strikeouts in just 44 innings pitched, while recording a team-best .547 batting average at the plate.
In 45 regular season appearances (32 starts) with the Guardians and Pirates organizations, Kennedy has gone 6-7 with a, 3.50 ERA, 207 strikeouts to 68 walks, and a .225 opposing batting average in 177.1 innings pitched across the Florida Complex League Pirates (2023), Single-A Bradenton Marauders (2023-24), High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers (2024), ACL Guardians (2025), and Lake County (2025-present).
Kennedy will look to continue his recent success this week, as the Captains will begin on a 12-game homestand with a six-game series against the Peoria Chiefs. First pitch for Tuesday night’s series opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. It will be Community Champions Night at the ballpark, where Lake County will honor city workers.
All six games of this week’s series will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.