MARCUS STROMAN, INNINGS EATER? WHY NOT?
Hurler says his knee is healthy; so is his appetite for work
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was asked if starting pitcher Marcus Stroman is as angry inside the clubhouse as he seems to be when he’s dealing with the media.
“An angry young man? No, I haven’t seen any of that,” Gibbons said. “It’s probably just you.”
Gibbons joked that perhaps Stroman, one of the shortest pitchers in the major leagues, is angry because the reporter who asked the question is taller than he is.
But, no, Gibbons said, Stroman isn’t angry — just motivated and confident, which makes him an outstanding young pitcher.
“He competes every time he goes out there, and most times he gives you a chance to win,” Gibbons said. “And he wills himself to do a lot of things. He’s got the good arm, he’s a young kid — you expect him to have a good, long career. The big thing at this level — when individuals think they’re good, that’s a big part of it.”
Stroman thinks he’s good, there’s no doubt about that. He lives by his Height Doesn’t Measure Heart motto and is confidence personified, even though he struggled at times last year, finishing the 2016 regular season with a 9-10 record, 4.37 ERA, and 166 strikeouts in a career-high 204 innings pitched. He led the Jays to victory in the American League wild card game against the Baltimore Orioles and pitched well in an ALCS loss.
The 25-year-old, who hails from the Long Island community of Medford, N.Y., said he is stronger this year than he’s ever been and his left knee, which went under the knife in early 2014 to repair an ACL, is feeling better than it has in years. With that in mind, he’s got some big numbers in mind for 2017.
“Definitely feel I can do much better this year, feel much stronger and looking forward to throwing 200-plus (innings) again and put my team in position to win each and every outing,” Stroman said.
“I take unbelievable care of my body … I pride myself on that. I’m 5-7 (funny, mlb.com lists him at 5-8), but that’s something that I’m very confident in, my body, and what I’m able to do out there. And I’m pretty sure I can go out there and throw 200, 220, 240 (innings). I feel like I can do that year in and year out. So that’s the goal, as well as being dominating each and every outing.”
Stroman was seventh overall in the AL in innings pitched last season with 204. The leader in that category was former Blue Jay David Price, who threw 230, so Stroman has his work cut out for him if he wants to get in the 240 range. He said his changeup has been a point of emphasis in the off-season, but feels good about all his pitches — his two fastballs, off-speed pitch, curve, change-up, cutter and slider.
“I’ve worked unbelievably hard this off-season, just a matter of getting in the work and doing everything I can,” he said. “Body feels at 100 finally. My knee feels great, so I’m excited for this year.”
Gibbons said he gives Stroman a ton of credit for straightening out his delivery in time for the playoff push after he struggled early last year.
“He was in that stretch, and I mean, there were people calling for him to be sent down,” Gibbons said. “(But) we thought he was going to work it out and he ended up hanging in there and really turned the season around at the end there. He started simplifying some things a little bit. I think when he had his struggles early in the year, his consistent breaking ball kind of deserted him a little bit.”
The key for Stroman is to recognize what’s working best on any given day and adjust accordingly, and not necessarily to stick with his complete repertoire.
“Mechanically, I kind of got out of whack at some point (last year) and I just simplified everything on my own at that point, and that’s something I’m going to stick with this year,” Stroman said. “It’s kind of in my delivery and my motion. Not lack of strength…
“Everyone forgets I came back in five months (in 2014) from full ACL surgery. I had to stop rehab to come back and pitch for September and the playoffs. I had to re-amp my rehab back up and start (again) in the off-season. So it’s no ideal process that you want to go through, ACL rehab. But this year, I feel 100 per cent.”