William Kempner

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #26 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Gonzaga provided a wellspring of talent in the 2022 draft, with its entire starting rotation plus outfielder Nick Morabito all going in the top three rounds. Kempner, who grew up in San Jose rooting for the Giants, was the last of the Bulldogs selected when he was drafted in the third round by his hometown team and signed for $522,500. Kempner made only nine starts for Gonzaga during the college season due to a finger injury, so the Giants took it slow and limited him to just nine innings after he signed.
  
  Scouting Report: Kempner is a thick-bodied righthander who combines power stuff with a funk-filled delivery and sidearm slot. He works with a three-pitch mix, led by a darting, high-spin fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 100. It's nearly a plus-plus pitch with its velocity, spin and life, but his command of it needs work. Kempner backs up his fastball with a potentially above-average slider with sweeping life and elite spin rates. He finishes his mix with a developing changeup in the high 80s that he threw sparingly in college and not at all as a pro. Kempner's high-effort delivery leads to scattershot control and command that will likely push him to the bullpen. He averaged more than six walks per nine innings at Gonzaga and had similar results in his pro debut.
  
  The Future: Kempner will start for now projects to move to the bullpen, where he has a chance to flummox hitters with his fastball and slider. He'll head to High-A Eugene in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Gonzaga provided a wellspring of talent in the 2022 draft, with its entire starting rotation plus outfielder Nick Morabito all going in the top three rounds. Kempner, who grew up in San Jose rooting for the Giants, was the last of the Bulldogs selected when he was drafted in the third round by his hometown team and signed for $522,500. Kempner made only nine starts for Gonzaga during the college season due to a finger injury, so the Giants took it slow and limited him to just nine innings after he signed.
  
  Scouting Report: Kempner is a thick-bodied righthander who combines power stuff with a funk-filled delivery and sidearm slot. He works with a three-pitch mix, led by a darting, high-spin fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 100. It's nearly a plus-plus pitch with its velocity, spin and life, but his command of it needs work. Kempner backs up his fastball with a potentially above-average slider with sweeping life and elite spin rates. He finishes his mix with a developing changeup in the high 80s that he threw sparingly in college and not at all as a pro. Kempner's high-effort delivery leads to scattershot control and command that will likely push him to the bullpen. He averaged more than six walks per nine innings at Gonzaga and had similar results in his pro debut.
  
  The Future: Kempner will start for now projects to move to the bullpen, where he has a chance to flummox hitters with his fastball and slider. He'll head to High-A Eugene in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Gonzaga provided a wellspring of talent in the 2022 draft, with its entire starting rotation plus outfielder Nick Morabito all going in the top three rounds. Kempner, who grew up in San Jose rooting for the Giants, was the last of the Bulldogs selected when he was drafted in the third round by his hometown team and signed for $522,500. Kempner made only nine starts for Gonzaga during the college season due to a finger injury, so the Giants took it slow and limited him to just nine innings after he signed.
  
  Scouting Report: Kempner is a thick-bodied righthander who combines power stuff with a funk-filled delivery and sidearm slot. He works with a three-pitch mix, led by a darting, high-spin fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 100. It's nearly a plus-plus pitch with its velocity, spin and life, but his command of it needs work. Kempner backs up his fastball with a potentially above-average slider with sweeping life and elite spin rates. He finishes his mix with a developing changeup in the high 80s that he threw sparingly in college and not at all as a pro. Kempner's high-effort delivery leads to scattershot control and command that will likely push him to the bullpen. He averaged more than six walks per nine innings at Gonzaga and had similar results in his pro debut.
  
  The Future: Kempner will start for now projects to move to the bullpen, where he has a chance to flummox hitters with his fastball and slider. He'll head to High-A Eugene in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40