Kennedy proved he belongs, still wants to improve

Entering the 2011 season, Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy
had won a grand total of 10 major league games.

He went on to win an NL-best 21 that season.

Kennedy posted Cy Young-caliber numbers, finishing with a
2.88 ERA and 198 strikeouts to go along with all those
wins.

The transformation from decent pitcher to staff ace was
not a complete surprise, though Kennedy said he didn’t
necessarily see it coming, either.

“I knew that I could pitch in the big league level, at
least,” Kennedy told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo
Wednesday. “Having a year like last year, that’s something
special.”

Kennedy said he grew up playing with some of baseball’s
best players, like Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki and
Toronto’s Ricky Romero, so he never really felt like he
didn’t belong on a major league mound.

“When you get to the big league level you have to learn,
you have to take your licks,” he said. “I feel like when I
came here I started learning and I started learning at the
big league level, and I started adjusting.”

Kennedy added that there are things he learned last year
that he hopes to apply to this upcoming season, but that
he’s not done improving as a pitcher.

“I feel like I’m constantly learning and adjusting to
hitters and to each scouting report and everything like
that,” he said.

An improved Ian Kennedy? Yeah, the D-backs would take
that.

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