Player Spotlight: Eddie Kaftan
The D.C. Grays’ Eddie Kaftan started his campaign with a 0.78 earned run average and a 3-0 record in his first three starts.
By Brandon Schwartzberg
Mitchell College, a private school in Connecticut, has fewer than 600 students enrolled as of last fall. Its athletics participate in the Division III New England Collegiate Conference. But the Mariners are home to one of the best pitchers in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League.
The D.C. Grays’ Eddie Kaftan dominated the league over the first few weeks of the season, starting his campaign with a 0.78 earned run average and a 3-0 record in his first three starts. Kaftan has come back down to earth over his past two outings but has still been a workhorse for the Grays.
Kaftan leads D.C. in innings pitched (31.2) and wins (three), and ranks top-three in strikeouts (21) and WHIP (.98) among arms to throw over one inning. His opponent batting average on balls in play is also an excellent .223.
“He just can locate,” Grays coach Maurice Bankston said. “He can execute all of his pitches at a very high level anytime in a count.”
Among all the pitchers in the league, Kaftan is near the top of the leaderboard in a multitude of statistics. The 6-foot right-hander ranks first in innings pitched and is the only pitcher to throw a complete game. He is tied for the lead in wins, and ranks top-ten in punchouts and batting-average-against (.205) among qualified pitchers.
Kaftan is also one of three pitchers in the league to throw more than 20 innings with a sub-3.50 earned run average.
“It’s the best way to start a season off on a roll,” Kaftan said. “Just want to keep it going the way it is right now. My arm feels amazing right now.”
Kaftan’s most recent victory was purely majestic. Gaithersburg was seemingly befuddled at the dish in every at bat, unable to touch Kaftan except for a pair of hits courtesy of Will Wikner (Shenandoah) and Kazuya Jordan (Virginia Military Institute). Six different Giants struck out a total of eight times. Kaftan fired just 96 pitches – more than 70 percent for strikes – in the complete game shutout.
That outing came off back-to-back victories to begin Kaftan’s campaign. He allowed just two runs over a combined 14 innings in those starts, punching out nine in the process.
“He gets ahead, he works fast, and he can throw his offspeed behind any count,” Bankston said.
The Grays’ ace hasn’t just been outstanding. He’s excelled against some of the best opposition.
The Connecticut native’s first start of the season came against the Cropdusters, the league’s third-best offense in terms of runs. Anthony Swenda (UMBC) — who notched a hit in each of his next seven games — was held 0-3 against Kaftan. Matt Miura (Hawaii) — the league’s second best hitter in terms of batting average — registered only one hit in three at bats versus Kaftan. Overall, Kaftan allowed two hits, one walk and one run while striking out five en route en route to D.C.’s first win of the season.
The Braves’ Katcher Halligan (Houston Baptist) — one of only a handful of batters across the league with 20 hits this season — was held hitless by Kaftan in the Grays’ June 12 victory over Metro SoCo.
Kaftan has starred as the headliner of Bankston’s pitching staff. Despite coming from a Division III school, Kaftan has been the rock on the mound for D.C. That certainly has impressed his coach.
“His presence … he’s calm,” Bankston said.
“If I can just keep [my arm] the way it is, then I’ll probably have success all summer,” Kaftan said.