A baseball factory: James Karinchak leads the way as Bryant University produces MLB players

BOSTON — James Karinchak could have some fellow Bryant baseball alums joining him in the big leagues soon.

Four players who were recent members of the Bulldogs now call Triple-A home, including a former Interscholastic League star. Karinchak is leading the way in a sense, having made his debut with the Cleveland Guardians in 2019.

The right-handed relief pitcher returned close to his college home this weekend, traveling to Fenway Park for a series against the Red Sox. Friday night served as the opener and found Karinchak strolling through the visiting clubhouse pregame, his early workout complete, a pair of Bryant athletic shorts ever present around his waist.

“I wear these every day,” Karinchak said.

Karinchak is one of the primary setup men for Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase. Karinchak has worked to a career 3.35 earned-run average in 144 appearances, including a 2.08 finish in 38 games last season. A couple of early wobbles against the Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins in 2023 have contributed to his currently bloated 6.23 ERA through a league-high 14 appearances.

“I’m feeling strong,” Karinchak said. “Obviously a few bad outings, but mentally I’m in a great spot. I’m excited for the future.”

Karinchak’s most noteworthy stint of this season came on April 10 in a 3-2 home win against the Yankees. Gleyber Torres led off the top of the eighth inning with a triple to deep left-center, putting the tying run 90 feet away. Karinchak cut through the heart of New York’s order from there, retiring Aaron Judge on a popup to second and recording a pair of swinging strikeouts against Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton.

“You live for pressure moments,” Karinchak said. “That was nice.”

Karinchak’s performance in that frame earned him some social media attention — that’s nothing new. He’s frequently featured on the Twitter account @PitchingNinja, with analyst Rob Friedman making note of Karinchak’s raw stuff and extroverted demeanor on the mound. It’s fitting he wears No. 99 — a tip of the cap to Rick Vaughn, the character played by Charlie Sheen in the baseball comedy Major League.

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“It’s awesome to see myself on there,” Karinchak said. “I enjoy watching that page. It’s a blessing.”

The Bulldogs waited nearly four decades for a second player to debut in the major leagues after Keith MacWhorter broke through in 1980. Now the school is one phone call away from having multiple active players here at the same time. Cumberland native and left-handed pitcher Chris Wright (Sacramento, Giants), catcher Mickey Gasper (Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Yankees), outfielder Ryan Ward (Oklahoma City, Dodgers) and right-handed pitcher Kyle Wilcox (Gwinnett, Braves) have all progressed to the top step of the minor leagues.

“I definitely check up on their stats all the time,” Karinchak said. “I text Mickey a pretty decent amount; the other guys not as frequently. But Mickey was my roommate, so I’m still tight with him.”

Guardians reliever James Karinchak reacts after striking out the Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez with two runners on base to end the eighth inning on April 1.

Wright is 8-2 with a 2.38 career ERA, striking out 175 in just 121 innings while working in a bullpen role. Gasper and Ward have both regularly posted an OPS of better than .800 at the plate in the last four seasons. Wilcox missed 2021 due to a right shoulder injury but rebounded to notch a 2.16 ERA in 17 games last season.

Each of those four players and Karinchak were drafted between 2015 and 2019. That coincided with former head coach Steve Owens, pitching coach Ryan Fecteau and the remainder of the staff turning Bryant into a power, winning 40 or more games four times and reaching three NCAA Tournaments. Owens has since moved on to Rutgers and captured his 1,000th career victory earlier this month.

“I wasn’t heavily recruited, but he sold the program like I’ve never heard it sold before,” Karinchak said. “I think it’s more development, too. A lot of us weren’t recruited by the LSUs.

“He developed us into great baseball players. He made us believe in ourselves.”

Jul 9, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher James Karinchak (99) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Karinchak, 27, will reach arbitration next season and free agency in 2027. His performance to date could dictate a noteworthy contract offer in his immediate future. Which Bryant player will join him next is now a close enough possibility to realistically consider.

“It’s special,” Karinchak said. “It shows how far that program has come. I think it was Division II in (2008) — to have five potential big leaguers here soon is pretty special.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: James Karinchak one of several former Bryant players playing pro baseball