An Interview with LHP Sebastian Kessay

I'll admit that often the biggest challenge for me in interviewing players is talking to those who are new to professional baseball. If they come from a D1 or Ivy League college, they may be more used to the interviewing process, but others like Sebastian Kessay who attended a community college in Arizona prior to the draft don't have that much experience with it. And Kessay is a naturally quiet person. As Manager Josh Bonifay put it, "He's a quiet kid. I'm still trying to get to know him. There's a lot of interaction, but there's not a lot of words being said."

Sebastian Kessay - August 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I tried to get to know Sebastian, nicknamed Sea Bass, at least a little bit better, and I think I succeeded. Here's what we talked about last weekend when I was in Greeneville, edited for brevity and clarity.

WTHB: Can you tell me a little about your college experience?

SK: My first year was kind of mediocre. Going into my sophomore year, I decided to work on my physical attributes, just working out, lost a little weight and that got me the ability to throw harder. It made me successful for my sophomore year.

WTHB: Tell me bit about your draft experience (drafted in the 22nd round out of Scottsdale Community College)? Did you know that the Astros were interested?

SK: At first, it was other teams I was pretty sure were going to pick me up. I [filled out] a questionnaire at the beginning of the year, but [the Astros] hadn't talked to me until probably like a week before the draft. A scout called me and asked me if I was interested, just getting basic information on me. I guess they kind of crept up. I was kind of surprised to get called by the Astros.

WTHB: Can you tell me about your pitch repertoire, best pitch, velocity, etc.?

SK: My best pitch is probably my fastball, but I'd say right now, it's been my change up. That's been helping me a lot. I didn't throw a change up at all through high school. I finally learned the change up the middle of my freshman year in college and it's been my pitch since. Velo wise, I guess I'm mid to high 80's average, touch 90.

WTHB: What are you working on?

SK: What I'm working on now is just basically my control. I'm not really worried about velo, but it would help out a lot if I could gain just two or three miles an hour on my fastball. Mainly just [working on] good command, going after guys. My couple of starts, I haven't [had good command], but that's just mechanical issues. I decided to change my mechanics just a little bit to see if I could get a little more speed on my fastball.

WTHB: What do you consider your strengths as a pitcher?

SK: A positive attitude. I'm there to compete no matter what. If I'm down, if I give up seven runs in a game, I'm still going to give it my all. I'm going to keep bringing it. I'd say I'm a competitor.

WTHB: What Astros hitter that you've seen would you least like to face?

SK: I'd say, before he got moved up, [Tyler] White.

WTHB: What Astros pitcher has a pitch you'd like to steal?

SK: I'd say [Gonzalo] Sanudo's change up. He's got a really good change up.

WTHB: Who on the team makes you laugh?

SK: Chris Lee. He's a character. He's a fun guy. He's a great teammate.

WTHB: What would you do if you couldn't play baseball?

SK: If I couldn't play baseball, I would finish college and get a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. That's what I was studying when I was in college.

WTHB: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?

SK: I'm a quiet guy. I'm pretty much reserved, a reserved person. I love music, like I play guitar. I've been playing since eighth grade and it's like my second [favorite thing] besides baseball.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to see Kessay pitch while I was in Greeneville so I asked Bonifay to tell me a little more about him. He told me that Kessay's body type and conventional lefty arm slot should make him a durable pitcher. Right now he and the other rookie pitchers are mainly just working on getting acclimated to professional baseball, getting adjusted to the throwing program, working on fundamentals and building up arm strength. According to Bonifay, Kessay "has the potential with the arm slot, and the ability to throw the change up and the breaking ball from the left side." He added, "Anytime you have a left-handed pitcher, if they're able to command those pitches, they're going to have a chance to have some success."

Thank you for your time, Sebastian, and the best of luck as your professional career unfolds.