Kyle Kubat might be one of the best pitchers to ever play for the Nebraska baseball team. Since leaving the program, he's been trying hard to make it to the major leagues. So far, the progress has been more of a slog than a rocket ship up the ranks but there is a reason to believe he is indeed starting to make real progress. That includes his very first AAA start for the Chicago White Sox organization. Not only was he solid in that first start, but he managed to get his first victory at the AAA level.

Climbing the ranks

Kyle Kubat entered the professional baseball ranks in 2015 and almost immediately showed he has the kind of stuff that would allow him to stick around a while.

For his Arizona Rookie League team, he appeared in 12 games, all in relief, and posted a 4-1 record with a 0.76 earned run average. He also logged three saves. That was the beginning of a long run of teams that saw him mostly as a relief pitcher.

In 2016, he pitched for two A ball teams and was mostly successful. In 31 outings and two starts, he posted a 5-2 record with a 3.73 ERA. 2017 saw the former Nebraska baseball star finally really climb the ranks a bit. He started the year off at A ball, once again jumping back and forth, before eventually getting called up to AA for the first time. Once he was a part of the Birmingham Barons, he showed he belonged.

At the AA level for the White Sox organization, Kubat posted a 2-0 record and a 1.35 ERA in seven appearances that included one start.

2018 saw him take a bit of a step back, despite his success at AA. He was called up to Charlotte at the AAA level but was shelled in his two innings pitched, allowing three runs and posting a 13.50 earned run average. When he went back down to the advanced A level, he once again pitched very well.

This season, he's rocketed up the levels, the former Nebraska baseball ace posted a 2-0 record with a 1.23 in A ball's Winston-Salem.

He then went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA at AA Birmingham. That gets us to AAA and Charlotte once again. This time as a starting pitcher.

Getting his first AAA win

On June 22, Kyle Kubat went five innings, allowing just four hits and three runs while striking out six.

He managed to do that in just 78 pitches and later the team managed to seal the win. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of his 2019 season so far is that after largely being thought of as a reliever, he's got 13 appearances and 13 starts. It's possible the Chicago White Sox are now absolutely looking at Kubat as a potential back of the rotation starter.

While the former Nebraska football star is likely never going to be an opening day starter in the Major Leagues, it appears he's positioning himself for a real chance at a call-up. That major league debut could even be coming later this year, depending on how he performs throughout the summer.
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