Joel KuhnelATH · MIL · SFG · RP

2026 review

Joel Kuhnel was a low-strikeout reliever who bounced through ATH, MIL and SFG picking up saves along the way: 1 W, 3 L, 8 SV, 6 HLD, a 4.40 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 45.0 IP over 45 games, with a 13.9 K% over 202 BF the 19th lowest of 517 pitchers with 100+ BF. His contract was selected by ATH on Apr 7, he was designated for assignment Jun 5, moved to MIL, was designated for assignment again Sep 2, and was claimed off waivers by SFG from MIL Sep 4. His ERA ran 1.37 below his 5.77 xERA over 202 BF. His best month was Apr at a 2.70 ERA in 10.0 IP and his worst was Jun at an 8.44 ERA in 10.2 IP. The TDK LABS card tracked him through a closer committee in early May with someone else holding the best stuff, called him closer-by-default with others out by late Jun, kept him in closer consideration in a depleted pen by early Aug, and by late Sep had him down to the smallest share of ninth-inning work on a committee. Undrafted in NFBC drafts, he finished 851st of 1472 in the TDK LABS 5x5 value rank, and 414th of 575 relief pitchers.