Kyle Twomey took time out his schedule recently to answer some questions for MLB Draft Guide. Twomey, a lefthander at El Dorado in California, pitched for Marucci Elite at the WWBA World Championships in Jupiter. He went 5 scoreless innings, giving up just 1 hit while striking out 7. For more on Kyle, you can check out his draft profile.
Matt Grabusky: How old were you when you started playing baseball?
Kyle Twomey: I started playing Tee-ball at age six. However I have seen some pretty funny pictures of my Dad throwing everything from wiffle balls to socks at me when I was like 2. Our family favorite video is the one we have of me working on pitching mechanics in the living room with my Yankee uniform on at age 5. The best part of all that is I’m still playing with one of my best friends PJ Conlon; he’s another really good LHP on our High School team right now.
MG: At what point did you realize that you could have a future in the sport?
KT: I appreciate the question, however I think I’m just now realizing there may be a “future career” in baseball. I would have to say after my freshman year at El DoradoI started to be contacted with scholarship offers and scouts taking time to talk to me. I’m very fortunate to play for a program with great tradition of producing big league players; Phil Nevin, Bret Boone, and Brett Tomko have all graduated from El Dorado. Honestly, pitching in the big leagues it’s the only job I want for the rest of my life.
MG: Can you describe your pitches and where you feel they are in terms of their development?
KT: I throw a two seam fastball, circle change, slider, and curve ball. My two seam is my bread and butter and I feel I can throw it in and out with confidence. I’m blessed with movement and feel like when my fastball is on, everything else falls into place. My change is my favorite pitch and I like throwing it in any count. No doubt this is where I get the label as a ground ball pitcher. The slider has really been getting better each year, it’s a pitch I have a lot of confidence in throwing to right handed hitters to get weak ground balls. (I’m really a big fan of double play ground balls) The curve ball I’ve only been throwing for the past year. I chose not to throw one for many years, however now that I’m getting a little stronger it is a key pitch for me against left handed hitters.
MG: Is there a Major League pitcher who you would compare yourself to?
KT: I’ll leave that one up to you and the scouts. I’m a fan of every starter in the big leagues and would love to one day have a kid compare himself to me. That’s the ultimate form of flattery.
MG: Who has had the most influence on your baseball career?
KT: It’s cliché; however my dad has been the person who has taught me the game and the approach. I’ve been fortunate to be around many great coaches at every level, however it seems in this game it’s the approach rather than the physical skills that allows us to succeed. My dad has been there every step and we are very close. It’s comical that it takes us like 4 hours to watch a game we have on Tivo due to him or me pausing the game every other pitch to break guys down. Thank god my Mom and Sister love to watch Intentional Talk…we call that family time around our house.
MG: What has been the highlight of your baseball career to this point?
KT: By far the best week of my life was pitching in Wrigley field at the Under Armour All-American. I can’t thank Steve Bernhart and Under Armour enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of that phenomenal event and all the wonderful things they provided me and the other players. I hope to one day return the favor and invite them out when I’m pitching again there.
MG: Everyone knows that young baseball players are working harder than ever to achieve success. How much time do you spend working on improving as a pitcher?
KT: I spend everyday doing something to be better as a pitcher. As a pitcher you really can’t throw bullpens everyday, so I find myself working on dry mechanics or swimming to get my shoulder stronger without wasting bullets. I’m a big believer in long-toss; I play catch almost everyday but love to stretch it out on days I’m not on the mound. We have a great pitcher workout that our pitching coach puts together for off-season and in-season that works the core and legs really well.
MG: What are your goals in baseball going forward?
KT: My goals of attending USC and playing in the Pac-12 are still the most important. I’m very excited to bring USC back to Omahasometime during my career, however I’m also very anxious to see what the 2012 draft has to offer and what Major League teams think of me at this point in my career.
MG: Who are some of the best players you have been on the field with?
KT: I’m lucky to have one of the best young shortstops in the county playing behind me every inning in Chris Rivera; the guy is a human highlight reel. Travis Harrison flat out is one of the best hitters I have ever faced and Peter Tago is one of the best high school pitchers I’ve seen and faced as a hitter.
MG: If baseball ended tomorrow, you would?
KT: That’s a tough one to swallow… I would find myself graduating from USC and becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon. My father was an athletic trainer for the Anaheim Angels and Detroit Tigers; he’s done a great job keeping me healthy and teaching me about the importance of Kinesiology as it applies to pitching. I love studying the human body and I definitely need to be around sports, so providing orthopedic care to professional athletes is pretty rewarding while making a good living along the way.
MG: What is something about Kyle Twomey that baseball fans would be surprised to find out?
KT: I’m actually right handed. I do everything but pitch right handed. My father thought I would have more opportunities as a LHP vs. RHP. So far so good !
I would like to thank Kyle for taking the time to answer questions for MLB Draft Guide and our readers. I really appreciate it.
