Joe Gunkel

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #20 prospect in 2017
  The Orioles traded Alejando De Aza to the Red Sox in June 2015 to acquire Gunkel, an 18th-round selection in 2013 from Division II West Chester (Pa.). He spent most of 2016 starting at Triple-A Norfolk and seemed close to a callup a few times, but it never came. Gunkel recorded a 3.57 ERA through his first 25 starts before being roughed up in his final three. The control specialist has a career walk rate of 1.6 per nine innings, though his strikeout rate dipped to a below-average 6.4 per nine at Double-A and Triple-A. A sinker-slider pitcher, Gunkel's fastball ranges from 88-92 mph and he mixes in a changeup. He does a good job working in and out and commanding the bottom of the zone with good movement on his pitches. Intelligent and competitive, Gunkel draws comparisons with fellow Orioles control-oriented starter Tyler Wilson, though Wilson has better stuff. The Orioles added Gunkel to the 40-man roster to shield him from the Rule 5 draft, and he will likely provide depth at Triple-A in 2017.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #26 prospect in 2015
  The 6-foot-5 Gunkel was the talk of instructional league in 2013 after signing out of NCAA Division II West Chester (Pa.), for he showed a 90-94 mph fastball with life and command from a low arm slot. He comes at hitters with a long wingspan and a low-three-quarters release point that evaluators have compared with Justin Masterson, Kevin Brown and Jered Weaver. At low Class A Greenville, Gunkel overmatched opponents with a three-pitch mix including a slider and a changeup. His performance regressed following a promotion to high Class A Salem, and given his low arm slot, retiring lefthanders, as he did in 2014 with a .172 opponent average, always will be key to his continued advancement. While Gunkel probably will shift to the bullpen at some point, he hasn't shown any indication that a move is imminent.