Latest news with #pitching
Yahoo
15 hours ago
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Dave Roberts Makes Statement on Dodgers' Potential Search for Starter
Dave Roberts Makes Statement on Dodgers' Potential Search for Starter originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Despite compiling a formidable assortment of arms, the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff has been anything but consistent. Most of their problems can be chalked up to injuries, something the Dodgers have had no shortage of this season. This has led to many rumors that the Dodgers would indulge the idea of trading for a starter. Advertisement When asked about this possibility, Dave Roberts seemed to shrug it off. His answer was direct and concise: 'The internal options, I feel much better about,' he said as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported. Ardaya names Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski as standout depth pieces. In his first game back from Tommy John, Sheehan tossed four innings against the San Diego Padres, giving up one run on three hits, after which he was promptly sent down to Triple-A. In the minors this year, which includes his rehab assignment, Sheehan has given up just five earned runs in 17.1 innings (2.60 ERA). Southpaw Wrobleski hasn't seen much success, throwing a 4.91 ERA on the year. However, Wrobleski has been effective in the relief role, and his stuff has improved. Advertisement 'Wrobleski has now allowed just eight earned runs over his last five appearances, a 2.96 ERA,' Ardaya notes. 'He cleaned up his delivery, spreading his legs wider before coming set and leaning more on his back leg to generate momentum toward home plate. As a result, his velocity has ticked up, touching 99.5 mph again at Coors Field and giving himself more margin for error.' Mar 18, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) stand in the dugout during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Ardaya also discusses the struggles of Bobby Miller and Landon Knack, which have weighed on the pitching staff. However, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow nearing return and the potential of getting Roki Sasaki back sometime this season, there might not be a real need to add a starter. One might also add that Ben Casparius, who is having a decent year, is also an option to start and has done so twice this year. Advertisement Related: Shohei Ohtani and Enrique Hernandez Make Hilarious Dodgers History Related: Shohei Ohtani Ties Dodgers Record Not Seen Since 1955 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
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Joe Ryan is pitching like the ace the struggling Twins badly need
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) stands on the mound after issuing a walk to Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena (56) during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan throws to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) stands on the mound after issuing a walk to Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena (56) during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan throws to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With their pitching at the core of a damaging slump, the Minnesota Twins held a special meeting to address the failures, frustrations and path forward. Joe Ryan followed it up with a stellar start they badly needed. With Pablo López shelved because of a shoulder injury until perhaps September, Ryan has unquestionably become the staff ace. Advertisement 'You feel like you're going to win every time he pitches,' manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday, a day after Ryan threw a three-hitter over six scoreless innings to beat Seattle 2-0 and stop Minnesota's five-game losing streak. 'You definitely look forward to the days where he's on the bump and you get a chance to watch him throw, because you feel like anything's possible.' The 29-year-old right-hander is well on track for his first All-Star selection, with a career-best 2.86 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 91 innings. Ryan, who struck out major league home run and RBI leader Cal Raleigh three times on Wednesday, has an 0.887 WHIP that's the third best in baseball among pitchers with a qualified amount of innings. After the game, he delivered a sermon of sorts on the value of the art of pitching over the data-driven revolution that has defined the approach for about every team in the sport. 'At the end of the day, it's a competition and you can't really put numbers to everything that goes into that,' Ryan said. Advertisement That competitive edge is an ace-like attribute that Ryan clearly has. 'I think he likes being the man, and I think he likes having the ball in his hands,' Baldelli said. Over the three-week stretch entering their game on Wednesday, the Twins had a 7.67 ERA that was by far the worst in MLB, according to Sportradar. Their 1.62 WHIP was the worst during that span from June 5-24 while they lost 15 of 18 games and tumbled into fourth place in the AL Central. 'We're the ones to blame, including myself,' said starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who took the lead along with pitching coach Pete Maki during the pregame meeting on Wednesday. 'It's just tough, a lot of crooked numbers the last couple of weeks, but it's going to change.' Advertisement Before López and fellow starter Zebby Matthews were sidelined by shoulder injuries earlier this month, the Twins were in a groove on the mound. Their 13-game winning streak in May was fueled by the starting pitching, which ranked fifth in MLB with a 3.40 ERA and third with a 1.16 WHIP through June 4. 'The meeting was something that really stemmed from the following idea: There are things you can control and that you should attack and there are things that you have less control over,' Baldelli said. 'Not that those things aren't going to be on your mind, but focus on the things that you can clearly control and do those things exceptionally well and start there. That was a good reminder, I think, for everyone in the room.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'The evolution of a starting pitcher': Gavin Williams' cutter usage a key aspect to 2025
CLEVELAND — Partially due to a silver lining associated with a stint on the injured list last season, Gavin Williams might have found a key aspect to unlock his pitching arsenal — almost by accident. Williams, in his first 13 starts this season, is 5-3 with a 3.86 ERA. He's been even better in his last seven outings, posting a 2.89 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. Advertisement One of the key reasons for this solid stretch after a so-so beginning to 2025 dates back to his time on the injured list last year, when he missed roughly the first half of the 2024 season. There, his slider effectively began to morph into more of a cutter. And the idea was sprung to eventually include both within his pitch mix, though it would take time. "Once we started working on [the cutter], we saw the value, we saw the hitters' reaction, and it was taking a little bit of time to up the usage for him to get comfortable with it," said pitching coach Carl Willis. "I think as he has it now, we've seen it almost makes it like a fastball-changeup in the reverse way because his fastball's so hard." In other words, as hitters tried to key in on his fastball, having the slider was one pitch to keep them off of it. The cutter, almost in-between the two, has added the needed layer of unpredictability. In addition to the cutter, Williams and the Guardians pitching development team are also working on implementing more of a 2-seamer into the mix as well. Advertisement "[Before having the cutter], they were looking for the fastball and knowing they were going to get it," Willis said. "It's still a work in progress, but it's just to give him basically three different hard shapes to keep the barrel off the ball." Jun 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (32) celebrates during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Gavin Williams stats Williams threw 82 innings (3.29 ERA) in his rookie 2023 season. Last year was supposed to be his first full season in the majors, but an elbow injury robbed him of the first half, and he never looked comfortable in the second half. That set up a crucial 2025, and it's possible that the increased usage of the cutter has not only made him a more effective pitcher, but it's also allowed him to avoid as many blowup days, as it's given him another offering on which to rely when other pitches aren't working that day. Advertisement Considering the injuries to the starting rotation — namely Ben Lively, whose season is over after needing Tommy John surgery — Williams is a major part of the Guardians' hopes of chasing a playoff spot, especially with the offense floundering at the moment. A slider that morphed into a cutter might have provided part of that needed roadmap. "Gavin continues to develop," said manager Stephen Vogt. "I think that's the evolution of a starting pitcher developing is you start to understand what makes you great, and that might be different on any given night. And Bo [Naylor] and he identified the cutter [on June 1 against the Angels] as a really good out pitch." Williams would certainly have preferred at the time to avoid the injured list for roughly half a season. But if it helped lead to the evolution of a cutter he can rely on from start to start, perhaps it can eventually be a price well worth it. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams develops a cutter for 2025
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins pitchers respond to fiery, emotional meeting with three-hit shutout over Seattle
MINNEAPOLIS — Their unimaginable struggles now three weeks old, the Twins recently called a fiery, pitchers-only meeting in hopes of sparking change. The team's sit down paid big dividends only 24 hours later as Minnesota's pitchers, led by Joe Ryan, combined for a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Target Field on Wednesday night. Ryan struck out eight batters in six scoreless innings as the Twins staff carried the team to only its second victory since June 11. Advertisement After discussing the idea with manager Rocco Baldelli and others, pitching coach Pete Maki assembled his staff for a pregame session on Tuesday. Hours before he made a start which resulted in a no-decision despite yielding five runs, Chris Paddack, who said Maki's talk had him ready to run through a wall, offered fiery words of encouragement to the group. A top-five pitching staff only three weeks ago, the Twins are trying to wrap their heads around an ongoing plunge off the high dive. Though the stretch coincides with the injuries to Pablo López and Zebby Matthews, the Twins think far more is at play than the losses of two starting pitchers. They also think it's correctable. Baldelli highlighted some of the key discussion points for a team desperate to get back on track ahead of Wednesday's win. 'The meeting really stemmed from the following idea: there are things you can control and that you should attack and there are things that you have less control over,' Baldelli said. 'Not that those things aren't going to be on your mind, but focus on the things that you can clearly control and do those things exceptionally well and start there. That was a good reminder, I think, for everyone in the room.' Hello W column 👋 — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 26, 2025 Three weeks ago, the Twins pitching staff was living large. Even as the offense struggled to find a rhythm, the Twins were winning, accruing a 34-27 record in large part because of their pitching. The staff's 3.28 earned-run average ranked sixth out of 30 in baseball. They were second in Fielding Independent Pitching (3.40). The Twins led the majors in strikeout to walk ratio (3.61), issued the fewest walks per nine in baseball (2.55), boasted the most f-Wins Above Replacement (10.6) and rated fourth in strikeouts per nine (9.18). Advertisement Life was good. But around the same time the Twins were peaking, López and Matthews suffered shoulder injuries, Bailey Ober began to struggle and the performances of Paddack and Ryan slowed down. With David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson not matching López, or even Matthews, the team's pitching performance was in a free fall until Ryan and Co. stopped it for an evening. Ryan did so by slowing down red-hot Cal Raleigh and a Mariners squad which won eight of its last 11 by using a six-pitch mix. The right-hander generated 12 swings and misses and fronted the team's first pitching-led victory since Festa provided six strong innings in a June 11 win over the Texas Rangers. Since Festa's gem, Twins pitching surrendered at least six runs in eight of its last 13 games. 'This is part of any season,' Maki said. 'Has it been bad? Yeah, it's been bad, man. The run getting to fourth base has been a little insane. We were leading the league in strikeout to walk ratio on June 1 and that's no longer the case. The past month we're kind of the opposite of No. 1. What's leading to that? We're walking a few too many guys. Our count leverage, early count numbers, are as good as they've been. Maybe we're not doing a good job when we get to three-ball counts, like we're losing them when we get to three-ball counts. There is some of that. … We can be better. We need to be better. We will be better.' Though anything is possible, it's difficult to imagine things being worse than their current state. The Twins pride themselves on being strike-throwers and always attacking the zone, something they did consistently through June 4. Since then, the team is 25th in walks per nine (3.55) and strikeout to walk ratio (2.12). There's also been a significant reduction in strikeouts per nine (7.91), which ranks 20th. Advertisement Since June 5, the Twins are 28th in FIP (5.00) and 29th in xFIP (4.71). They're last in the majors in Win Percentage Added, 27th in average exit velocity and 26th in hard-hit percentage. 'You could point the fingers at the pitchers,' Paddack said. 'We know we have to fix some things. … Right now, we're the ones to blame, including myself. It's just tough. A lot of crooked numbers the last couple weeks, but it's going to change.' Two reasons the Twins believe their fortunes will change is simply an improvement in luck. Over these three weeks, Twins pitchers have stranded the fewest runners in baseball (only 52.6 percent) and their .332 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is second-worst. They know those factors are more out of their control than others. But the point of the meeting for to Twins pitchers to make sure to focus on what they can control while acknowledging some of the equation, as always, is out of their hands. 'You need to have each other's backs and try to support one another whenever we're going through hard times like we have been the last couple weeks,' Ober said. 'Just being able to come together as a group and support each other, it always means a lot. It was a good, successful meeting.' Now, it's about making their discussion actionable. While acknowledging a hellish stretch which sent them from leading the American League wild-card race to entering Wednesday 3 1/2 games out, the Twins realize they need to worry about what they can do instead of what they weren't able to accomplish. 'Pete led the way,' Baldelli said. 'Paddack had some words for the group and they were emotional and they were very good and they were positive and they were looking forward on ways that we're going to get where we need to be. He spoke from the heart and I loved it, to be honest with you.' Advertisement Said Paddack: 'It kind of got us fired up. … We were the best pitching staff in May. Nothing's changed. The BABIP is through the roof. We have to continue to trust each other. Believe in one another and it's all going to turn around. It's just a matter of time. We have to stay positive during this rough stretch.' (Photo of Twins pitcher Joe Ryan: Brad Rempel / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Garrett Hampson Throws Three-Pitch Inning in Cardinals Debut
Garrett Hampson Throws Three-Pitch Inning in Cardinals Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Garrett Hampson made his debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday after being claimed off of waivers from the Cincinatti Reds and ended up on the mound during the 8-0 blowout loss. Advertisement The 30-year-old was in the starting lineup for the Cardinals, playing in center field. He ended up going 0-for-3 at the dish, but it was his performance on the other side of the ball that stood out in his Cardinal debut. Hampson was called upon to save the team's bullpen in the top of the ninth - the first position player to pitch for the team in their Cardinal debut since Cody McKay on April 8, 2004 - and he came up big, retiring the side on just three pitches. St. Louis Cardinals utility man Garrett Hampson attempts to tag Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on Wednesday, June 25. Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol told reporters after the game that he asked Hampson if he'd ever pitched before he went to the on-deck circle in the eighth, to which Hampson replied that he had. Marmol called Hampson a "versatile player" but said that he probably didn't imagine he'd be pitching when he joined the team this morning. Advertisement The former third-round pick had in fact pitched before - at the big league level, no less - completing an inning of work for the Kansas City Royals last season in which he allowed just one base runner on a hit by pitch. Outside of his stellar pitching performance, the utility man made a great grab in center field, covering 61 feet before sliding to rob the Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner of extra bases in the second inning. Staying true to his versatility, Hampson also turned in a solid performance at shortstop after being moved from center late in the game. The Cardinals are the sixth stop - third this year - in Hampson's seven-plus year career. He's currently batting .157 with just eight hits in 51 at-bats for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Reds and Cardinals. Advertisement Related: Cardinals' Prospect Joins MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Amid Breakout Season Related: Cardinals' Former Top Prospect Headed Back to IL This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
