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Angels Select Jack Kochanowicz

By Nick Deeds and Darragh McDonald | November 13, 2023 at 7:15pm CDT

The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Tomorrow is the deadline to select eligible players in order to prevent them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Their 40-man roster count is now at 39.

Kochanowicz, the club’s ninth-best prospect per MLB Pipeline, was a third-round pick by the Angels in the 2019 draft. He didn’t make his professional debut until 2021 due to the cancelled minor league season in 2020, and struggled badly in his first pro season with a 6.91 ERA in 83 1/3 innings at the Single-A level. Kochanowicz struck out just 19% of batters faced while walking 9.1% during the 2021 campaign. His performance improved during a repeat of the level in 2022, as his ERA and walk rate dipped to 4.99 and 7.3% while his strikeout rate crept up to 21.2%.

Assigned to the High-A level to open the 2023 campaign, Kochanowicz looked nothing short of dominant for five starts with a 1.52 ERA and 14 strikeouts against just 3 walks in 23 2/3 innings of work. That strong performance earned him a call-up to Double-A, but he struggled badly once again after his promotion with a 6.53 ERA across 70 1/3 innings of work. While his walk rate continued to improve with a 6.1% figure this season, Kochanowicz’s strikeout rate dipped to just 17% in 2023 while he allowed home runs in ten of his sixteen Double-A appearances, including eight of his eleven appearances that lasted longer than two innings.

All those factors make it seem possible that Kochanowicz is ticketed for relief work long term, despite exclusively being used as a starter in 2023. He’s had success in a relief role in the past, with a sterling 1.53 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate in 17 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen during the 2022 campaign. Given that past success in relief and his excellent fastball, which touches the upper 90s and has helped him generate solid ground ball rates throughout his career, it’s understandable that the Angels felt the need to protect Kochanowicz from the upcoming Rule 5 draft; even if the club plans to continue trying to develop the young righty as a starter, it’s certainly feasible a rebuilding club could try and stash his high-velo arm in a major league bullpen for 2024 in hopes of unlocking his potential.

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Los Angeles Angels Transactions Jack Kochanowicz

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View Comments (21)
Post a Comment

21 Comments

  1. HalosHeavenJJ

    2 years ago

    Interesting. Kid has a solid fastball but probably has a near zero chance of getting picked up in the Rule V draft.

    2
    Reply
    • Cave

      2 years ago

      Especially now that he’s on the 40-man

      1
      Reply
    • aragon

      2 years ago

      I was thinking the same thing.

      2
      Reply
    • i like al conin

      2 years ago

      Amazing how they have had a near-bottom ranked farm system for over 15 consecutive years. Losing picks for free agents and back-end 1st round picks have been part of it, but still, how can they not improve?

      1
      Reply
  2. shortstop

    2 years ago

    Second domino to fall this offseason after bringing Wash onboard. World Serious!

    Reply
  3. Plugnplay

    2 years ago

    This guy is pretty tall at 6’7″, get him throwing down hill already.

    1
    Reply
    • King123

      2 years ago

      Someone needs to resurrect the wow.

      Reply
    • ArrogantAnalyst

      2 years ago

      Why? Just because someone is tall does not mean they should use a high release point. Take Bailey Ober at 6’10”. He throws from a weird low release point and misses bats because of it. It’s all about finding a release point that maximizes the intrinsic characteristics of their pitches.

      Reply
      • aragon

        2 years ago

        Randy Johnson!

        1
        Reply
      • Plugnplay

        2 years ago

        Thanks coach! Lol. 😉

        1
        Reply
  4. ArrogantAnalyst

    2 years ago

    No Ks and home run problems in AA. Maybe an Oakland would have take him but he doesn’t look that interesting. Hopefully they send him to AAA so we can see what he is throwing.

    Reply
    • HalosHeavenJJ

      2 years ago

      The Huntsville park is a better place to get a look at a pitcher than the thin air of Salt Lake City.

      That said, his calling card has been a big fastball. The lack of secondary pitches is what is hurting him.

      He could be a bullpen arm with even one additional decent pitch.

      1
      Reply
      • chalk73

        2 years ago

        Madison 😉

        2
        Reply
  5. Halo11Fan

    2 years ago

    Making him eligible for the rule 5 draft might have been better. He’s would not have stuck with a big league team. Now the Angels have to keep a spot for him or face the real risk of loosing him.

    3
    Reply
  6. deepseamonster32

    2 years ago

    good luck to him. i look forward to seeing him pitching for The Enemy so i can learn how to pronounce his name. looks fun

    Reply
    • chalk73

      2 years ago

      KOH-hawn-OH-WITS

      1
      Reply
  7. DarkSide830

    2 years ago

    Shoutout to a fellow Central League alumni.

    Reply
  8. Braves Butt-Head

    2 years ago

    Great adult film star name along with Marlins new GM Peter Bendix

    1
    Reply
    • HalosHeavenJJ

      2 years ago

      Bendix really must hire Brooks Pounder as a special assistant.

      2
      Reply
  9. Evan Siggson

    2 years ago

    Stephen…….Jack Stephen

    Reply
  10. aragon

    2 years ago

    MILB has his correct picture but MLB has an african american or dark skinned hispanic picture. black polish? Hardly.

    1
    Reply

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