Gavin Van Kempen brings power stuff, size, and bounce-back intrigue to ECU’s rotation
In 2026, Van Kempen showed why pro teams kept watching: at 6-foot-7 with a fastball that has reportedly sat 92-94 mph and touched 96, plus a two-plane slider that missed bats well, he paired swing-and-miss stuff with a strong early ECU run before an arm injury ended his season. He went 1.84 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 29.2 innings for the Pirates, and his best outing included a career-high 11 strikeouts. The upside is real if your team wants starter traits and strikeout potential, but his injury history makes durability the key question.
