James Kaprielian

James Kaprielian

30-Year-Old PitcherSP
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for James Kaprielian in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, minor-league contract with the Blue Jays in June of 2024.
Minor-league contract with Toronto
PToronto Blue Jays  
June 18, 2024
The Blue Jays signed Kaprielian to a minor-league contract on Friday.
ANALYSIS
Kaprielian had surgery last August to repair the posterior labrum in his right shoulder. It's not clear exactly where he is in the recovery process, but the right-hander has not yet made an appearance at a minor-league affiliate in 2024. Kaprielian, 30, has posted a 4.61 ERA and 282:133 K:BB over 318 innings in parts of four seasons at the major-league level.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
2024
No Stats
2023
 
 
-1%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .248 423 65 37 93 20 4 13
Since 2022vs Right .252 434 90 52 94 23 3 12
2024vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023vs Left .275 128 22 15 30 7 0 6
2023vs Right .273 152 35 16 36 9 0 3
2022vs Left .237 295 43 22 63 13 4 7
2022vs Right .241 282 55 36 58 14 3 9
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Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-19%
ERA on Road
2024
No Stats
2023
 
 
-14%
ERA at Home
2022
 
 
-28%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 5.46 1.47 90.2 2 9 0 7.3 4.5 1.3
Since 2022Away 4.40 1.37 104.1 5 6 0 7.0 3.8 1.0
2024Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023Home 5.97 1.49 37.2 1 4 0 8.1 3.8 1.2
2023Away 6.94 1.76 23.1 1 2 0 8.9 5.8 1.5
2022Home 5.09 1.45 53.0 1 5 0 6.8 4.9 1.4
2022Away 3.67 1.26 81.0 4 4 0 6.4 3.2 0.9
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Prospect Rankings History
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring James Kaprielian See More
The Z Files: Five Is the New Four
249 days ago
Todd Zola considers the impact of extra rest on starting pitchers and wonders if the Orioles will treat Corbin Burnes with the same care that the Brewers did.
The Z Files: Projecting Pitcher's BABIP
307 days ago
Todd Zola considers a new approach to regressing a pitcher's BABIP, which suggests better days should be ahead for Hunter Greene.
AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
June 25, 2023
Erik Siegrist digs into the available talent in the AL and think Billy McKinney might not be a flash in the pan for the Yankees.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Halfway Home
June 24, 2023
Todd Zola takes us to the midway point of the season with the Weekly Pitcher Rankings, kicking off with a two-start week for Spencer Strider.
MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday June 23
June 23, 2023
In Friday's 10-game slate, Blue Jay's pitcher Chris Bassitt has a chance to right the ship at home against the Athletics.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2017
2016
Shoulder issues delayed the start of Kaprielian's 2022 season, but he was activated at the start of May and remained in the rotation the rest of the way, making 26 starts. The results for the 2015 first-round pick were rather uninspiring. Even with help from both a very pitcher-friendly home park and the league-wide drop in offense, the righty still managed a forgettable 4.23 ERA, and his 4.63 FIP and 5.04 SIERA suggest things could have been a good deal worse. His 17.0 K% and 10.2 BB% were both much worse than league average. Among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings, only Dakota Hudson was as poor in both categories, and Kaprielian doesn't keep the ball on the ground like Hudson does. Further depressing Kaprielian's stock is the fact that he underwent shoulder surgery early in the offseason. Even if he fully recovers and gets back to last year's form, he'll be an unappealing choice, and the chances of continued shoulder troubles can't be ignored given his injury history.
Kaprielean ran with the opportunity when a pair of injuries opened up a rotation spot for him in May. The right-hander was excellent through mid-July, at which point he possessed a 2.65 ERA across 68 innings. He showed obvious signs of fatigue thereafter, recording just two quality starts between August and September as his ERA ballooned to 4.07 by season's end. Those late-season struggles were far from unexpected, however, as the former Tommy John surgery patient totaled 119.1 frames after never reaching the 40-inning mark in his previous four professional seasons. Despite possessing a low-90s fastball, Kaprielian was still able to strike out batters at a 24.5% clip by keeping hitters off balance with a five-pitch mix. The 27-year-old's limited professional track record makes it hard to project him going forward, but he proved last season that he's capable of getting big-league hitters out. That alone should slot him into Oakland's starting rotation to begin 2022.
Kaprielian was particularly stung by the lack of a 2020 minor-league season after the former top-tier prospect finally returned to good health in 2019. The right-hander missed the prior two seasons due to Tommy John surgery but pitched well enough in his return campaign (3.18 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 75:16 K:BB over 68 innings across three levels) to earn a spot in Oakland's 60-man player pool last season. He bounced between the alternate training site and the majors, where he logged two appearances covering 3.2 innings and gave up three earned runs. Despite the small workload, there were some positives to take away, including a 14.1 SwStr% and 23.5 K%. Most significantly, Kaprielian's fastball averaged 95.1 mph, suggesting that the elbow surgery hasn't sapped his velocity. Kaprielian will be 27 years old come Opening Day, so Oakland is likely to give him a shot early, though not necessarily in a starting role.
Already 25 years old and set to turn 26 in March, Kaprielian had pitched just 29.1 professional innings prior to 2019 due to a variety of elbow and shoulder injuries. He made up for lost time, logging a 3.18 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 75:16 K:BB in 68 innings across stops at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. He was even better as the rust came off, posting a 1.26 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB in 28.2 innings over his last seven starts, including a four-inning outing where he gave up one run and struck out six in his Triple-A debut Sept. 1. Kaprielian, who throws four quality pitches, reportedly touched 96 mph and was sitting at 94 mph with his fastball late in the year, so it seems like his stuff is close to where it was at the peak of his prospect hype (consensus top-100 prospect prior to 2017). He is on the 40-man roster and should figure prominently into the big-league rotation plans for 2020.
Concerns over Kaprielian's high-effort delivery have proven justified. He missed nearly the entire 2016 season with a flexor tendon strain and then underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2017. In his limited professional action (29.1 innings), the right-hander has shown an enticing combination of strikeout ability (11.0 K/9) and control (2.1 BB/9) along with a heavy groundball skew (3.00 GO/AO). All four of his pitches (fastball, slider, curveball, changeup) have flashed plus potential, but there's always a chance the stuff will be diminished after reconstructive elbow surgery, and the injury concerns are going to follow him throughout his career. The A's took a chance on Kaprielian, acquiring him as part of the Sonny Gray return. Those in dynasty leagues can't be blamed for moving on.
A first-round pick in the 2015 draft, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Kaprielian got off to a blistering start in 2016. Skipping Low-A altogether, he posted a 1.50 ERA and 22:3 K:BB in three contests for High-A Tampa. The positivity was short-lived, as he was placed on the disabled list at the end of April and never returned to the mound. Ultimately diagnosed with inflammation and a flexor tendon strain in his right elbow, the Bronx Bombers decided to be cautious with their prized young arm. Thankfully, it does not appear that he will need Tommy John surgery. Kaprielian returned to the mound and looked excellent in the Arizona Fall League. He has the potential for three pitches that grade out as plus or better, and his command has always been seen as a strength. The key will be for him to put to rest some of the questions about his durability. If he can avoid further arm injuries, he has the tools to establish himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the game.
Chosen as the Yankees' first-round pick in 2015, Kaprielian made three starts at the short-season level, working to a 2.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts in nine innings and a .229 batting average against. The righty has a four-pitch arsenal, leading with a fastball (sitting in the 89-92 mph range) and mixing in a slider, changeup, and curveball -- the latter two being his best pitches. He pitched to a career 2.04 ERA as the staff ace at UCLA, and at 22 years old entering the 2016 season, he has the potential to move up the organizational ranks relatively quickly. The majors will likely have to wait until 2017 at the very earliest, but he could progress to some of the higher levels of the minors this season.
More Fantasy News
Outrighted to Triple-A
POakland Athletics  
Shoulder
October 13, 2023
Kaprielian (shoulder) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday.
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Transferred to 60-day IL
POakland Athletics  
Shoulder
August 21, 2023
Kaprielian (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday.
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Undergoes shoulder surgery
POakland Athletics  
Shoulder
August 2, 2023
Kaprielian underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair the posterior labrum in his right shoulder, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
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Visits specialist for shoulder
POakland Athletics  
Shoulder
July 30, 2023
Kaprielian visited with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles earlier this week for an evaluation on his right shoulder and remains shut down from all throwing, the team's official site reports.
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Completes bullpen session
POakland Athletics  
Shoulder
July 23, 2023
Kaprielian (shoulder) completed a bullpen session Saturday as expected, the Associated Press reports.
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