Rogers makes pitch for spot in rotation: ‘I’ve definitely earned a spot’
Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers shut down the Washington Nationals in his third spring start, then made his case to be in the Marlins’ starting rotation.
Trevor Rogers is a new man this year for the Marlins.
His neck is thicker. His left arm feels stronger. He’s making a real push for a spot in the starting rotation despite pitching just 28 innings above Double A.
He’s also brimming with newfound confidence, especially after he shut down the Washington Nationals for four innings in a 4-3 win Tuesday in West Palm Beach.
“I think with all the work I’ve put in,” Rogers said, “I’ve definitely earned a spot.”
He looked the part in his latest Grapefruit League start at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Staring down a lineup full of Nationals regulars, Rogers scattered four hits across 60 pitches and surrendered one earned run, while walking one and striking out five. His velocity hovered between 93-95 mph. His spring ERA is back down to 4.32 after it ballooned to 6.23 when he allowed three runs in 2 1⁄3 innings Wednesday at in Jupiter.
With a little more than two weeks until Opening Day, Rogers believes he has positioned himself as the frontrunner for one of the final spots in the rotation and
Don Mattingly loves to hear how brash his rookie starter is.
“He should be confident,” the manager said. “I’m glad to hear it, honestly, because the biggest step in being able to perform here and being really good is believing that you are.”
Mattingly sensed a different Rogers from the day the left-handed pitcher arrived in Jupiter for spring training.
Rogers flashed throughout a brief, 28-inning appearance in MLB last season, striking out hitters at a 30-percent rate, but his ERA wound up north of six and opponents hit .283 off him. It was, in a lot of ways, the season Miami should have probably expected from a tantalizing prospect who was still clearly growing into his body.
Mattingly, though, couldn’t help but notice Rogers’ neck the first time he saw him last month.
“His neck was like thickened up and filled up,” he said. “You’re kind of just taken aback by the appearance and the change.”
Rogers, who’s now a top-100 prospect in both ESPN’s and Baseball Prospectus’ rankings, wasn’t shy about sharing his secret. His top priorities for the offseason was “crushing calories,” he said March 5. It didn’t even matter if they were good calories.
He housed pizza and pasta to go with protein shakes, and the occasional healthy meal and added somewhere between 5-7 pounds to his 6-5 frame. He said he feels “a lot more comfortable” in his new body and he’s trying to bulk up even more to become more durable and prepare himself for the grind of the 162-game season he expects to be involved in.
The competition for the last few spots in the rotation are crowded, though. Rogers is making a strong case to be the No. 5 starter, but so too have Nick Neidert and Daniel Castano, and veteran pitcher Gio Gonzalez lurks as a dark horse after he signed a minor-league deal March 3.
Sixto Sanchez’s slow build could mean there are actually two open spots to start the year — the star rookie got a late start to camp because of a visa issue and a false positive COVID-19 presented a minor setback earlier this month — and Rogers has his sights set on the more solid of the two.
It’s why he relished his opportunity Tuesday. He struck out star outfielder Juan Soto and star shortstop Trea Turner, plus Washington outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Victor Robles. He got through three innings unscathed before allowing a run in his final inning.
“If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” Rogers said. “I just want to give this coaching staff every opportunity to make this decision that much harder, I want to go out there and compete, and show them that I can get outs with big-league hitters and be successful.
“I still want to keep my head down and keep working until that spot’s officially mine.”
Rogers’ offseason was transformative, but it started with his brief call-up last season for the COVIDravaged Marlins.
“I talk about it a lot: Guys that get that opportunity here in camp and then they get a chance in the big leagues — what they take away from that can be huge for their career, and obviously he was able to take something into his winter program,” Mattingly said. “It just tells you what can happen when a guy gets that first opportunity and understands that, Hey, I can play in the big leagues, or, I can pitch and perform in the big leagues. That belief takes you a long way.”