Setting goals is a fairly common practice that everyone has surely taken part in at some point or another in their lives. When people set goals they have every intention of reaching them but sometimes life just gets in the way.

That is unless you are Kyle Froemke.

Froemke has always loved baseball and, in the face of several challenges, has never wavered in his beliefs. He hasn’t always known how he would get there, he has just always known he would, and now he’s closer than ever.

Background

Froemke has a very unique story of perseverance and self-belief, and one that, at just 23, has given him a lifetime of experiences. 

He’s lived on 2 different continents and in 7 different states, and at such a young age, has been around the block several different times. He’s learned to welcome new challenges and has always believed in his dreams and has the confidence to bet on himself.

Froemke’s dad was in the Navy and was stationed in Japan which is where Kyle spent the first couple of years of his life.

He then moved from Japan to Washington to Rhode Island back to Japan, to Virginia Beach, then Hawaii, then Washington D.C., then all the way to Singapore, then to California, before moving to Round Rock, Texas for his Senior Year.

As I said, he’s been around the block a time or two and all the while has held steady with his dream of making it big in baseball.

Froemke says that he always welcomed the new challenges that moving to so many new places has given him.

I’m excited about wherever I go because it’s a new opportunity. There’s no doubt or fear of going to a new place, it’s just kind of normal to me so I think that’s helped me a lot so far.

Thousand Oaks and Round Rock

Froemke went to Thousand Oaks High School for his Sophomore and Junior years of High School and was recruited by George Horton who was the Head Coach at Oregon at the time. Horton is a big name in the Southern California baseball scene and, as Froemke put it, had SoCal on lock. 

Horton is a Southern California guy with his background at Cal State Fullerton and he had that area on lock, and I was one of those guys from Southern California that he recruited up to Oregon. 

Froemke went on to talk about his decision to be a Duck out of High School

At the time Oregon seemed like a really cool place to go. I’m a huge football fan and loved Marcus Mariotta and taking a look at their campus it was awesome to see what they do for athletes, so in High School, I was pretty sold on Oregon, that’s for sure.

But, we need to rewind just a bit.

Froemke moved to Round Rock Texas for his Senior year where he had a great season as a 2-way player and earned 3rd team All-State honors, made All-District, and was the area Newcomer of the Year. 

He had looks from several colleges, and the College baseball in that area of Texas is some of the best, but he stuck with his commitment to be a Duck.

Round Rock Texas is 2060 miles away from Eugene, and while that may seem like a long way away to most folks, and it is, for Froemke, it was just the next challenge at a new place.

College Experience

Froemke spent his first year of College at Oregon, but when the coach that recruited him, George Horton, decided to retire, he decided to move on as well. He certainly wasn’t scared of moving again and wanted the comfort of playing for coaches that recruited him out of High School. 

So, he bet on himself and decided to go the Juco route at Santa Barbara College, a school that had offered him while he was at Thousand Oaks in High School.

He was very comfortable being back in Southern California and his game grew to the point where he was offered by yet another Oregon school, but this time Oregon State. And, believe it or not, Froemke committed to Oregon State before the pandemic of 2020 hit and finished his career there. 

So he ended up playing at both Oregon and Oregon State, and when asked who he roots for in the “Civil War” he made his allegiance very clear.

I’ve been a Duck and I’ve been a Beaver, and I choose Beaver every time. That’s nothing against the Ducks because they have a great school, a great town, and great programs and I enjoyed my time there, but I’m a Beaver through and through now.

Froemke had a very good season in 2021 at Oregon State hitting .310 and had 2 years of eligibility left, but chose to turn pro after his 1 season in Corvallis. He was 22 at the time and despite the fact that he didn’t get drafted, he felt like he needed to get his pro career started.

The Dodgers offered him a contract as an unrestricted Free Agent, Froemke signed, and the rest is history.

Well, actually, not exactly.

Let’s back up again, again just a bit.

During the 2020 season when Covid canceled the College season, several professional clubs hosted Collegiate leagues. Froemke played on the local team in Round Rock and broke his finger during that summer while trying to bunt.

He shattered his finger and had to put 9 plates in his hand as a result. 

So, he played the entire year he spent at Oregon State with those 9 plates in his hand which makes his .310 average even more impressive.

Froemke had the plates removed once he signed with the Dodgers, and that kept him out from the time he signed in July of 2021, all the way until June of this past season in 2022.

Understandably, after missing that much time and having that kind of procedure, it took him a minute to get back into the groove. 

He actually started 0-12 with the Quakes before collecting his first 2 hits on July 2nd, a day of relief that he will probably never forget. But it wasn’t until August that he really settled in hitting .279, before hitting .259 in September with an OPS of .931.

Feature Cut

Froemke is an interesting prospect to project because he has a good frame, and is a good athlete, and can play every position in the infield. But, although he had 4 years of College, his time at that level is hard to judge. He was a true freshman at Oregon, and then was playing with 9 plates in his hand during his 1 year at Oregon State, so, although his power numbers don’t jump off the page, that’s easily explained.

So the question isn’t about the power he has shown to this point, it is the power that can be projected with full health in the same system for more than 1 year. 

Especially when that system has the best instruction in the game. 

Here is a video showing the offensive game of Froemke. The thing that sticks out is how deep he lets the ball get, how short and quick his swing is, and how well he uses the middle of the field. 

Projecting

Froemke is already 23 and finished in Low A, so next year is a huge year for him. Hopefully, it’s a season that sees him jump 2 levels finishing at AA.

Also, it will, in many ways, be the first year that the organization can get a fair look at what his true upside is because, remember, at Oregon, he was a true Freshman, he only played 1 year of JUCO ball, then he was playing with 9 plates in his hand during his 1 year at Oregon State.

And, again, that kept him out until June of this past season before he got started with the Quakes.

So, when you combine that with the fact that he, as well as everyone else, didn’t get to play in 2o2o, he needed the end of last year just to get back into the groove, something which he did. 

That brings us to this year.

Hopefully, he starts at High A Great Lakes and gets off to a good start, gets some momentum, then gets promoted to AA Tulsa somewhere in the back half of the season, if not sooner. I’m excited to see what this year brings for him because he is going all in with the off-season routine and has big expectations for himself for 2023. 

In closing, I would like to say that, honestly, when we started our interview, I had no idea that he had moved around that much during his childhood, and I also had no clue that he played with 9 plates in his hand while at Oregon State, so I am very excited to see his progress moving forward.

Also, I would like to say that this young man is impressive, and, quite honestly, his dedication, determination, and confidence in himself are inspirational, and I enjoyed getting to talk to him very much.

Best of luck Kyle, Dodgers Daily will be rooting for you all along the way.