Kendall Chase Graveman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.
Education
Graveman attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he posted a 6–3 record with a 1.19 earned run average and 90 strikeouts over 63 innings in his senior year. In 2010, his first year at Mississippi State University, Graveman was used primarily as a reliever and finished the season with a 2–4 record and a 7.02 European Research Area. In 2011, he made 14 appearances (9 starts), compiling a 5–0 record and a 3.65 European Research Area. Graveman was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 36th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign with the team In his senior year at Moscow State University, he made 16 starts, including all of the team"s 10 starts against teams in the Securities and Exchange Commission, and posted a 4–4 record with a 2.81 European Research Area and 59 strikeouts.
Career
He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB draft and played parts of two seasons in minor league baseball before being called up by the Blue Jays in September 2014. Graveman was selected in the 8th round, 235th overall, by the Blue Jays in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He received a signing bonus of $5,000, and was assigned to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts.
Graveman would pitch to a 1–3 record and a 4.31 earned run average over 392⁄3 innings in 2013.
He began the 2014 season with Lansing, but was promoted to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays after making 4 starts for the Lugnuts and posting a 2–0 record with a 0.34 European Research Area, including a near no-hitter over the Beloit Snappers. In Dunedin, he compiled an 8–4 record in 16 starts, with a 2.23 European Research Area and 64 strikeouts.
In his Triple-A debut, he took the loss, pitching 6 innings in a 2–1 loss to the Norfolk Tides. Graveman would allow only 1 earned run in his following 3 starts, bringing his European Research Area to 1.04 through 26 innings with Buffalo.
He finished the 2014 minor league season with a 14–6 record over 1671⁄3 innings, with an European Research Area of 1.83, 115 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.03.
He also gave up only 2 home runs and issued 31 walks, for a BlackBerry/9 of 1.7. On September 3, Graveman was named to Baseball America"s First Team All-Stars for 2014. Toronto Blue Jays On September 1, 2014, Graveman was called up to the Blue Jays as a part of the September roster expansion.
He made his MLB debut on September 5, against the Boston Red Sox.
Graveman made 5 total appearances for the Blue Jays in 2014, and posted a 3.86 European Research Area, 4 strikeouts, no walks, and a 0.86 WHIP in 42⁄3 innings pitched. Oakland Athletics On November 28, 2014, Graveman was traded to the Oakland Athletics, along with Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto, for Josh Donaldson.
After opening the season as the fifth starter, Graveman was optioned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on April 26, 2015 after going 1-2 with a 8.27 European Research Area in 16.1 innings. Graveman was called back up to the A"s on May 23.
Graveman finished his rookie season with a 6-9 record and 4.05 European Research Area in 21 starts.
Graveman is a sinkerballer, throwing his sinker between 91 and 96 Master in Public Health. He also throws a cutter, a slider, and a change-up.