Kaye picks Pitt over the minors

It’s a dream of most baseball players who ever set foot on a diamond: to be drafted by a major… It’s a dream of most baseball players who ever set foot on a diamond: to be drafted by a major league team. But most of those dreams crash and burn.

David Kaye didn’t think he’d get drafted, or at least soon anyway.

The Pitt freshman pitcher received an unexpected but grateful graduation present this past June when he was selected in the 30th round of the MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays only one day after collecting his high school diploma.

“I had no idea up until the 28th round,” Kaye said. “I got a call and went home, got on the computer and started watching the draft.”

The moment proved that years of hard work, dedication and talent had paid off.

“I can’t really describe the feeling,” Kaye said. “Everyone was very excited.”

But the path to the major leagues didn’t begin then for Kaye. He had already earned a ticket to a faster track to success in sports: a scholarship to Pitt. It didn’t take very long for Kaye to make up his mind. He was going to become a Panther.

“The education is a pretty valuable thing,” Kaye said. “Also, I want to develop my game and my pitching more as well.”

Coach Joe Jordano was more than happy with Kaye’s decision.

“Following the draft, I called David to congratulate him and told him he should do what is in his best interest,” Jordano said. “I feel confident that by David attending Pitt, this will allow him to mature, both physically and mentally, to become a very good pitcher.”

Kaye certainly was a good pitcher at Riverview High School in Oakmont. The hard throwing right-hander struck out 361 batters across his four-year tenure. He totaled 124 strikeouts in his senior season, which led the WPIAL.

Kaye received some of the best instruction possible at Riverview. Rich Griser, the longtime coach of the school, is also a part-time scout for the Tampa Bay Rays and has assisted in getting several players from the school drafted over the years.

“He helped me with my mechanics a lot,” Kaye said of Griser. “He also helped me develop a changeup, which is important at this level.”

Oakmont is only about a 20-minute drive from Pitt, so Kaye’s biggest fans can easily watch him play at Trees Field.

“You have friends, family, the crowd all cheering you on,” Kaye said. “My parents have come to every home game, that’s a good feeling. My brother has been able to come, too.”

Kaye’s older brother, Joe, pitched at Duquesne and has graduated. The Dukes were also interested in Kaye’s services at the collegiate level, as were other schools such as Gardner-Webb and IUP. But Pitt attracted him the most and perhaps the earliest, too.

“When I was a little kid, I was at a camp here, and it was hosted by one of the kids,” Kaye said. “I was wowed by it.”

As Kaye progressed through high school and recorded strikeouts at an incredible rate, he became a target of Jordano.

“I liked David early,” Jordano said. “He is a physical kid with a great arm. David has a high ceiling.”

Kaye possesses a power arm that is capable of blowing pitches past many collegiate hitters. His fastball can reach the low 90s, it was clocked at 92 miles per hour a few times in Tuesday’s game against Duquesne.

Kaye also has a very good breaking ball, and his changeup continues to develop with every outing.

So far, his transition to college baseball has been relatively smooth. Jordano has used Kaye strictly out of the bullpen in his freshman year, but expect that to change soon.

“David will eventually develop into a starter,” Jordano said. “He will be great in that role. We have several freshmen arms that are getting significant innings for us this year.”

The results, at least as far as statistics go, have been very impressive. Through Tuesday, Kaye has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen while pitching 24 innings. He’s given up 17 hits and allowed only four earned runs.

Perhaps the most telling statistic is Kaye’s walk-to-strikeout ratio. In those 24 innings, Kaye struck out 22 batters while only walking four, phenomenal for a freshman.

In a March 22 game against West Virginia, Kaye turned in his best performance of the year. Kaye entered in the third inning with Pitt down, 8-0. His pitching stunned and silenced the Mountaineer batters, as he pitched five hitless innings with four strikeouts and no walks.

Despite his individual performance, Kaye would rather see the Panthers as winners.

“It’s kind of disappointing to be 9-17,” Kaye said. “We have to get our pieces to the puzzle together and have everything start falling into place.”

Jordano likes Kaye’s approach to pitching and predicts success for his freshman.

“David is coming along very well,” Jordano said. “He’s a no-nonsense pitcher. He shows little emotion, but you know he is an intense competitor. I enjoy watching him pitch, he will only get better.”

“David has a very bright future in baseball, not only at Pitt, but someday at the professional level. He is a great kid, a hard worker and a very committed individual. Those traits are and will continue to pay big dividends now and into his future.”

It’s pretty safe to assume Kaye won’t be surprised the next time he hears his name called on draft day.