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Kyle Lobstein is a 24-year-old left-handed starting pitcher who was drafted out of high school in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 amateur player draft. Jordan Gorosh has him listed as the #30 prospect in the Tigers organization, and has a full scouting report on him here.
The New York Mets selected Kyle Lobstein from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft in December 2012, promptly shipping him to the Tigers for cash considerations in an obviously pre-arranged deal. Not wanting to keep him on the roster for the entire season in 2013, but being interested enough to give him more time to develop, Detroit worked out a trade with the Rays, sending minor league catcher Curt Casali to the Rays, allowing Detroit to send Lobstein to the minors and keep him on the 40-man roster.
Lobstein has consistently allowed about a hit per inning in his five minor league seasons, generally doing a good job of keeping the ball in the yard.
| Lobstein | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | HR/9 | BB/9 | K/9 | H/9 | K/BB |
| 2013 | 28 | 167.2 | 3.27 | 1.36 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 2.85 |
| Career | 120 | 665.1 | 3.71 | 1.31 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 2.46 |
| Steamer | 1 | 1.0 | 5.10 | 1.50 | 0.0 | 3.83 | 5.66 | 9.0 | 1.48 |
Odd Numbers
Lobstein carried a substantial work load in 2013, pitching 167 2/3 innings, making 28 starts between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. He posted a respectable 3.27 ERA with a WHIP of 1.36, striking out 8.9 batters per nine frames while walking just 2.8 per nine.
Keys to success
Lobstein has posted numbers that, while not standing out, are solid enough to warrant an opportunity should the need arise to be called up to the majors. Jordan reports that he needs to command his low 90s fastball consistently if he is to maintain his numbers at the next level.
2014 Outlook
Lobstein would be on the short list for a call up to Detroit if there is a need in the rotation, or could move to the bullpen if the Tigers decide they'd like a left-hander in a long relief role. He is there in the mix with Jose Alvarez, who played both roles in 2013.