Diamondbacks Reliever Talks Results, Clubhouse Leadership

The Arizona Diamondbacks have yet to see many of their MLB arms so far in the Cactus League, but for one reliever, 2025 will be a chance to see his results line up with his abilities.

Right-hander Kevin Ginkel caught up with Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers on Monday, ahead of the D-backs' matchup with the Cleveland Guardians.

Ginkel has been a crucial member of Arizona's bullpen for some time now. He was instrumental in helping propel the club to the World Series just two seasons ago, and remained a sturdy contributor in 2024.

Unfortunately for the big righty, the end of 2024 saw him fall victim to some uncharacteristically poor results.

Though Ginkel sported an excellent 2.51 ERA on August 31, the month of September blindsided him to the tune of an 8.00 monthly ERA and 1.89 WHIP, ballooning his season figure to 3.21.

Obviously, that's not a number to be too ashamed of, but it didn't actually fit with how well Ginkel threw the ball to close out 2024.

In that month, he was hit to a .356 clip, but his expected batting average hovered around the .230s, while his .332 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) was a career-high number.

Simply watching the right-hander, it was obvious that his stuff was still excellent, and his command was as good as ever.

By all accounts, he was pitching much better than his monthly ERA let on, and he continued to showcase his usual fiery, intimidating mound presence, without ever appearing to lose his confidence.

Off the field, however, Ginkel is a thoughtful, more softspoken individual. He knew all too well the struggles he was enduring, and even knew it might not have all been his fault. The reliever said his teammates were what got him through the rough stretch.

"I guess you could call it whatever, unluckiness. I think I rely on my teammates a lot, and just talking about it. There's so many interesting stretches that you can go through as a reliever throughout the season," he said.

"To me, it was nice falling back on those guys and just talking about the outing or how I could have pitched this guy differently or whatever. It's nice being able to have those guys in the bullpen, or even our starters too...

"I rely on my teammates. I think whenever anyone goes through a stretch, it's nice to fall back on some people and talk about it and just talk about where I could be better, and adjust next time," Ginkel said.

That might seem like a generic response from a pro athlete, but it's actually a testament to the strong clubhouse culture that's been such an identifying factor of the Diamondbacks in recent years.

Having the right outlook on your job on a club, pitcher or position player is something that's hard to artificially create. Ginkel said, from his perspective, it seems like the D-backs tend to think about it the right way.

"I feel like a lot of the guys in here understand what this job does and what it entails, not just on the field, but how you prepare, how you mentally go about it, how you treat your teammates.

"We have a lot of guys in this clubhouse from a core and I think a leadership perspective that kind of keep other guys in line. So even if someone acts out of line, I think we can kind of hold that back in and talk about it," Ginkel said.

"I think just that openness in the clubhouse is something that is hard to find, so it's definitely a credit to the front office."

Ginkel said he doesn't consider himself to be a vocal leader, but that his experience has helped him grow into someone that his teammates can come to when they need to talk through what's happening on the field.

"I'm definitely someone now I feel like, going through about it as a rookie and then getting to a position like this, now gives you more options, right?

"So it's the ability to talk to young guys, help young guys out if they have a question, just kind of give my two cents on whatever's going on. For the most part, it's been kind of a journey, but I wouldn't take anything back," Ginkel said.

Ginkel said he'll look to get into his first Spring game on Tuesday. Stay tuned to Diamondbacks On SI for in-depth D-backs and Cactus League coverage.

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