Kyle Gibson Interview

Kyle Gibson was the Minnesota Twins 1st round selection in the 2009 MLB First-Year Amateur Draft. He has quickly risen through the Twins organization and is now starting for the Rochester Red Wings, the Twins Triple-A affiliate.

I recently got the opportunity to ask Kyle a few questions about his career thus far and I look forward to following him as he continues his journey to the Major League Level.

Kevin Lewis: You were originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006, but decided to enroll at the University of Missouri. What was the thought process behind your decision then?

Kyle Gibson: I did not think I was ready for the everyday grind of 120 or 140 games. So i decided to go to college and bulk up and become a better pitcher.

KL: After a solid three year college career at Missouri, you were ranked as one of the top pitchers heading into the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft. The Minnesota Twins then selected you with the 22nd overall pick. What was your reaction when the Twins selected you?

KG: I was just excited I had been picked! For a while there iI was slipping further and further down and I was just excited that someone gave me a chance to prove that the injury was only a temporary thing.

KL: It has now been one year since you were signed to a contract and became a Minnesota Twin. What has the professional baseball life been like?

KG: Its been a long year that has seemed as if it has passed by quickly. I have had a lot of fun and it has been a learning experience.

KL: It was known all along that you would likely rise through the minor leagues at a fairly fast pace. Going from Single-A to Double-A and now Triple-A all within one year, how has that quick adjustment from league to league been?

KG: It has been a quick adjustment for me and sometimes I have adjusted well and other times it has taken me a little longer to make the correct adjustment, but overall I feel as if i have had a decent year.

KL: As you became the baseball player that you are today, was there a player that you idolized?

KG: As a young player when I still played a position, I liked Omar Vizquel and Barry Larkin, but as a pitcher i liked watching Justin Verlander and Mark Prior.

KL: Have you had a chance to take a breathe and just take it all in that you are becoming a major league baseball player?

KG: Not yet. I still wake up some days and head to the park and it is pretty realistic at that point that I have become a professional baseball player. Obviously the Major League dream has not come true yet, so I still have a lot of work to do.

KL: Heading into the home stretch of the 2010 season is there anything you still hope to work on and improve?

KG: I still need to work on throwing more first pitch strikes and getting ahead of batters, as well as putting them away when I have the chance.

KL: With you being at Triple-A Rochester now, it appears to be only a matter of time before there is the chance for you to be called up the majors. What would it mean to be called up to the majors and to be a part of such a great organization?

KG: It would be a dream come true. I have worked very hard to get to the spot where I am now and I still have a lot of work to do in order to get to the big leagues. But it would be a huge dream come true.


With Kyle rising to through the minor league system as quick as he is, look for Kyle to be a mid-season call up in 2011.