What’s Next: Kyle Drabek Debuts

Roy Halladay won 148 games for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was an all-star six times for Toronto and garnered a top-five Cy Young finish four time, including winning the award in 2003. When Halladay was traded to Philadelphia last off-season, the prize of the package Toronto got in return was 22-year-old right hander Kyle Drabek.

Drabek was the 18th player chosen in the 2006 Draft, selected by the Phillies out of The Woodlands High School in Texas. The son of former Cy Young winner Doug, Drabek compiled a 30-1 record as a prep. After a rough start to his minor league career, Drabek found his groove and progressed quickly through the Phillies minor league system, even earning a trip to the 2009 Futures game. He was named Philadelphia’s minor league Pitcher of the Year after a stellar 2009 campaign that saw him post a 12-3 record and 3.19 ERA while splitting the season between Advanced-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading.

The Phillies certainly knew what they had in Drabek and fought hard to keep him out of a trade with Cleveland in the middle of 2009. The Phillies were successful in acquiring another Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, without dealing their top pitching prospect, but when the Jays made Halladay available during the winter, Philadelphia couldn’t resist and made Drabek the center-piece of their offer.

In his first season in the Blue Jays organization, Drabek has not disappointed. In 27 starts for Double-A New Hampshire, Drabek posted a 2.94 ERA and a record of 14-9. Word had been that the Blue Jays would bide their time with Drabek and probably keep him in the minors throughout the season, but once New Hampshire was eliminated from the Eastern League playoffs, Drabek got the call to come to the big leagues.

When the Blue Jays take on the Orioles tonight in Baltimore, Drabek will get the start that marks his major league debut. That it will happen in the same city (though not the same park) that his father made his first big league start 24 years ago is a happy coincidence. In June of 1986, after four relief outings, Doug worked the first four innings for the Yankees against the O’s, holding them without a hit or run while walking two and striking out a pair. On that day, Doug faced a lineup that included two Hall of Famers in Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray. The lineup that Kyle will face tonight might not have the same future ahead of them, but Baltimore will prove a good test for the younger Drabek.

Drabek features an above average curve to go with two fastballs and a change. He throws a slider, but it’s rated below-average and needs work. He isn’t short on confidence and his mound presence is very good. In short, Drabek looks like a big league pitcher, all that is lacking is experience. He’ll get started on that tonight.

There is a worry that Toronto is pushing Drabek when they don’t need to. The Blue Jays are sitting a distant fourth in the standings and Drabek has already thrown 168 innings this year (including the playoffs). But after working 158 innings in 2009, Drabek’s workload has been increased by only 6.3 percent from 2009 and while no study is infallible, the Verducci Effect would allow for an addition 20 or so innings “safely” this year.

Given the lack of a pennant race for Toronto, I can understand why some Jays fans would be apprehensive about calling up their prized right hander at this point in the season. Why push the issue and risk injury at this point? The answer may not the the correct one, only time will tell, but Toronto is going forward with a glimpse of the future to show their fans the spoils of the Halladay deal and to show Drabek a taste of the big leagues as he heads in 2011 with a real chance to crack the Opening Day roster.

Toronto plans to use a six-man rotation for the remainder of the year and that would allow two more starts (in addition to his debut) for Drabek. If the rotation holds, Drabek would make his second and third starts at home, against the Mariners and then the Yankees. If the Blue Jays don’t make a trade this winter, the front four of next year’s rotation appears set and Drabek will be amongst a group of four or five guys competing for the final open spot. While no decisions will be made based upon three starts, Drabek is getting a head start on showcasing his talents to the big league staff ahead of Spring Training, which can only bode well for his development.

Drabek’s debut won’t arrive tonight with the fanfare of Stephen Strasburg‘s or even Aroldis Chapman‘s, but for Blue Jays fans this one is vastly more important. The future has arrived for Toronto and if his pedigree and track record are any indication, it will be a bright one north of the border.