Well-traveled Royals minor-league pitcher Jake Kalish hopes his next stop is KC
Jake Kalish has been on a soul-searching journey since the Kansas City Royals selected him in the 32nd round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.
From New Jersey to Israel to the Dominican Republic, the left-hander is on a continuous quest to fine-tune his game and hopes this is the year the parent club takes notice.
He has the versatility that teams like.
“If that’s something that can get me to the next level, then whatever it needs to be it needs to be,” said Kalish, 27, who made camp as a non-roster invitee.
He has worked his way all the way to the top of the Royals’ minor-league system, pitching in 17 games last year for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. He was chosen as a Royals organization all-star and relief pitcher of the year in 2016.
In 127 2/3 innings pitched across 33 games in Double-A and Triple-A in 2018, Kalish finished with a 3.88 ERA to go along with 124 strikeouts and 21 walks. In 18 of those games, Kalish took the mound as a starting pitcher.
He’ll play whatever role the Royals ask of him.
The 6-foot-2 pitcher acknowledges he isn’t the most overpowering on the mound, but he is effective with his control.
“He’s a guy that’s not going to miss spots. That’s the kind of pitcher he is,” said Omaha teammate and catcher Nick Dini, also a non-roster invitee. “He’s not going to overpower guys, but he doesn’t miss his spots. He’s made himself into a very, very good pitcher with what he’s got.”
Kalish has benefited from advice from his brother, Ryan, who played in the major leagues for four seasons — two with the Boston Red Sox and two with the Chicago Cubs.
“Keep it simple. It’s the same game that we’ve been playing for a while and to really keep that focus on just doing what I can do to help the team,” Kalish said of the advice his brother gave him.
Kalish would be happy to crack the major-league squad as a starter or reliever.
“I’ve enjoyed starting and enjoyed pitching out of relief,” Kalish said. “The last two years, I have been doing a little bit of a swingman role. Start a little bit, bullpen a little bit.”
Kalish, a native of Red Bank, N.J., played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for Israel.
He spoke highly of his time in the tournament, calling it an amazing experience.
“The overall culture that we learned about, and kind of getting more in touch with the Jewish faith was really awesome,” Kalish said.
So how was Kalish eligible to play for Israel’s national team?
According to a WBC rule, if a player’s family history qualifies them for citizenship in that country, then they can represent that country in WBC events. Kalish’s father is Jewish.
Before being drafted by the Royals, Kalish played college baseball at Virginia’s George Mason University, where he played first base, right field, was a designated hitter and also pitched.
Why did Kalish transition to pitching full-time?
“I wasn’t that great of a hitter,” he said. “I could hit a little bit for the college level, but I just wasn’t as good as I am pitching. I don’t think there would be a future in DH or first base, although it would be fun. But I think the pitching is where I am best.”
During the offseason, Kalish played winter ball in the Dominican Republic, an experience that he says helped him learn more about himself as a pitcher.
“Just working hard, doing my cardio, doing the weight room stuff, the shoulder care stuff. You know, just trying to feel as strong as possible going into spring training,” said Kalish of things he worked on in the offseason.
He hopes all that work pays off as he competes for a position on the Royals’ opening day roster.
His fate will be determined by Royals manager Ned Yost.
“What’s our bullpen going to look like? I don’t know,” Yost said. “We’ve got to compete here. Do we feel like we have really really good candidates to handle our bullpen and to be productive in our bullpen and help us win ball games?”
In Kalish’s mind, the answer is “yes.” He hopes to fill one of those spots.