Kyle Abbott (baseball)

Kyle Abbott
Born	(1968-02-18) February 18, 1968 Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Professional baseball pitcher
Years active	1991–1996 (MLB)
Known for	Pitching for California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, and Kintetsu Buffaloes

Lawrence Kyle Abbott (born February 18, 1968) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the United States. Throughout a five-year span, Abbott appeared in four Major League Baseball seasons with the California Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies, and also spent one season competing in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He measured tall and weighed .

Early life

Abbott was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts and attended Mission Viejo High School in California. He began his collegiate baseball career at the University of California, San Diego between 1987 and 1988, before transferring to California State University, Long Beach in 1989. While there, he played a pivotal role in guiding the team to its inaugural berth in the 1989 College World Series.

Career

Abbott’s professional journey started when the California Angels selected him ninth overall in the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft. That same year, he pitched for the Quad Cities Angels, a minor league team, where he achieved five wins against four losses and maintained a 2.57 earned run average (ERA) across innings pitched. Baseball America ranked him as the 60th top prospect in the minor leagues for 1990.

In 1990, Abbott split time between the Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League and the Midland Angels of the Texas League. His performance with Edmonton was challenging, as he recorded a 14.81 ERA over innings before being reassigned to Double-A Midland. There, he finished tied for second in wins but led the league in losses and walks allowed. Heading into 1991, he was rated as the eighty-fourth best prospect.

Abbott kicked off the 1991 season with the Trappers, where he led his team in wins, losses, and innings pitched. He made his MLB debut on September 10, 1991, starting for the Angels and conceding two earned runs over six innings. He closed out that season with a 1–2 win-loss record and a 4.58 ERA.

During the offseason of 1991, Abbott was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Rubén Amaro, Jr. in exchange for outfielder Von Hayes.

Abbott began playing for the Phillies in 1992 but struggled initially, going winless in seven appearances with an 0–7 record before being sent down to their minor league team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. After posting an impressive 1.54 ERA over 35 innings at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he returned to Philadelphia’s major league roster but finished with a disappointing 1–14 record while allowing eighty runs over innings pitched. This performance placed him tied for third in losses and eighth in wild pitches within the National League.

In 1993, Abbott led the Red Barons by accumulating the most wins, innings pitched, and hits allowed on the team. The Phillies released him on November 24, 1993. Subsequently, Abbott joined Japan’s Kintetsu Buffaloes for the 1994 season, contributing to their fourth-place finish with a 68–59 record.

On December 6, 1994, Abbott secured a $150,000 contract to return to the Phillies. He spent all of the 1995 season at the major league level, recording a 3.81 ERA along with sixteen walks and twenty-one strikeouts before entering free agency on October 16.

Abbott rejoined the Angels organization on May 29, 1996. Starting back at Midland, he earned a promotion following an injury to Mark Langston. However, his major league stint that year was brief and difficult, concluding with a 20.25 ERA across four innings pitched.

External links

• Kyle Abbott profile at SABR (Baseball BioProject)