Texas Rangers Top 20 Prospects: No. 6

No. 6: Michael Kirkman

LHP
6-4 - 195 - 9/18/86
Lake City, Florida

Michael Kirkman was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2005 amateur draft out of Columbia High School in Lake City, Fla.

Kirkman spent his first professional season with the Arizona League Rangers, making nine starts in 14 apperearances, compiling a 3-1 record with a 3.44 ERA. He split 2006-2008 between Clinton, Spokane and the Arizona League.

In 2009, Kirkman combined to go 9-8 between Bakersfield and Frisco.

In 2010, Kirkman went 13-3 with a 3.09 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 131 innings for Oklahoma City. He was named the 2010 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year. He also won two PCL Pitcher of the Week awards. He led the PCL with an .813 winning percentage and finished second with a 3.09 ERA.

Kirkman made his Major League debut on Aug. 24, 2010, against the Baltimore Orioles, striking out the first three Major League hitters he faced.

Kirkman was named the 2010 Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

 

Jamey Newberg’s profile on Michael Kirkman:
Michael Kirkman, LHP

After jumping back onto the radar in 2009, Kirkman took another huge step forward in 2010, ending the season pitching key innings out of the Rangers bullpen and landing on the club's World Series staff. As a AAA starter, the 23-year-old was leading the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts (130 in 131 innings) when he was summoned to Texas in mid-August, and he ended up second in the league in both ERA (3.09) and wins (13) and was first in opponents' batting average (.235), all of which led to PCL Pitcher of the Year honors. Kirkman projects as a big league starter, though he may continue to work in relief in the spring, depending on what else Texas does in the off-season to put its bullpen together. A key for him will be to harness control of the fastball, which eluded him at times late in the season. Locating that pitch would make his slider - ranked by BA as the best breaking pitch in the 16-team PCL in 2010 - even more effective against big league hitters.

No. 7: SS Luis Sardinas
No. 8: LHP Robbie Ross
No. 9: RHP David Perez
No. 10: RHP Wilmer Font
No. 11: OF Jake Skole
No. 12: C Jorge Alfaro
No. 13: RHP Fabio Castillo
No. 14: RHP Joe Wieland
No. 15: RHP Matt Thompson
No. 16: RHP Luke Jackson
No. 17: 3B Christian Villanueva
No. 18: LHP Miguel De Los Santos
No. 19: 3B Mike Olt
No. 20: RHP Omar Beltre