Regi Grace has been amazing thus far for Cedar Rapids Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — Regi Grace was asked about his pitching repertoire.

“The kitchen sink,” he replied.

To be specific, that’d be fastball, sinker, slider, curveball, changeup. Yeah, that’d be pretty much the kitchen sink.

“I was working on some other things in spring training to utilize how I can spin the ball,” Grace said.

Generally you don’t see relievers with that vast of an arsenal. It’s usually heater and something offspeed, and that’s it.

But Grace was a starting pitcher most of his first three years in the Minnesota Twins organization. That has changed.

Other than three spot and short starts last season for low-Class A Fort Myers, the 23-year-old right-hander has become a bullpen guy. A very good one in the early going for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Grace threw two hitless, scoreless innings Tuesday night to pick up the victory in C.R.’s 2-0 win over West Michigan at Veterans Memorial Stadium. He has given up only two hits and a run over 10 1/3 innings in his six appearances thus far and struck out 14.

As they say, that’s shoving.

“He has been attacking hitters well,” said Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman. “He has a couple of good offspeed pitches, so he can pound the zone and induce weak contact. Done a nice job so far.”

“I’m not really focused on the results of my outings,” Grace said. “I’m just more process oriented right now. So I’m just making sure I’m filling up the strike zone with whatever miles per hour I’m throwing that night: 91, 98. Just being able to use it to my advantage ... However I’m feeling that day, it’s just using it. If it’s A-plus or C-plus, it’s just going out there and being the same dog.”

Grace said his heater has reached 96, which is plenty. But, again, it’s not just fastball with him.

The biggest adjustment he has had to make, he said, is mentality. As a starter, you’ve got a bit of a margin for error, but as a reliever, you’ve got make it happen immediately.

“Definitely there is a difference,” he said. “I think this year I’m finally starting to settle into the mindset part of it. It’s the same game: 60 feet, 6 inches, starting to relieving, but there is definitely a mental aspect that I’m just now kind of tapping into. Talking to some former relievers, guys that have been relieving longer than me. Using the game from the first (inning) to whenever you go in, just kind of building up that intensity that you need to go out there and compete.

“Coming into close ballgames, that’s kind of what you want. You want to be in a position to make a difference in a game. I’m just glad to be able to get the chance to go there and keep us doing what we’re doing.”

Grace was a 10th-round draft pick of the Twins in 2018 out of Madison High School in Mississippi. Kernels teammate Willie Joe Garry Jr., an outfielder, was selected in the ninth round of that draft out of Pascagoula High School in Mississippi.

The towns are about 200 miles apart.

“Before the draft, coming out of high school, Willie Joe and I had played on a couple of tournament teams together,” Grace said. “So when we were taken in the ninth and 10th round of our draft year, it was actually pretty cool because I’d just been playing in a tournament two months before that.

“Fantastic guy, great character. That’s just what you are going to get from Mississippi.”

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