Littell hopes move to rotation just the start
PORT CHARLOTTE — Zack Littell reported to Rays camp last week with his arm feeling great, his body strong, his mechanics timed up and his pitches sharp.
The only thing off was a nagging feeling that he was behind where he typically would be to start the spring.
That was actually by design, as he altered his offseason workout regimen to better suit his different role.
And, ultimately, it was a very good thing.
The change was a product of the remarkable transition he made last July from a fringey reliever in danger of being dropped by a third team in a month to a key starter on a 99-win club that made the playoffs.
“It’s pretty wild,” Littell said. “It was a perfect storm of things.”
Littell, 28, has played parts of six seasons in the majors, and this is basically the first time he has headed to spring training penciled in for a key role.
Having first transitioned from starter to reliever in 2019 with Minnesota, Littell is used to being that guy who, typically on a minorleague deal, has to show up to camp ready to throw 40-some pitches in the first week of exhibitions while the team’s top pitchers ease their way into shape.
Now, joining Zach Eflin and Aaron Civale at the front end of the Rays rotation, his assignment is to build up to be ready to open the season in late March and work every five or so days for six-plus months. He consulted with his starting colleagues and Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder to come up with a workable plan, doing more weight work and reducing the volume of his throwing sessions, to take advantage of his extra time.
“It’s a little bit of a different feeling,” Littell said. “But I think the mindset is the same as far as making sure you’re ready to go for opening day.”
His drive also remains unchanged.
“We’re still going out there every spring game and competing like it’s your job,” Littell said “You fall in the mindset of like, ‘Hey, your spot is safe,’ that’s kind of when you get in trouble.”
What Littell did last season, after being claimed in May off waivers from the Red Sox (who had gotten him from the Rangers a week earlier), still seems under appreciated.
His tenure with the Rays didn’t start well. Littell posted a 5.51 ERA and allowed an .833 OPS in 12 relief/opener appearances around a three-week injured list stint (shoulder fatigue), which bought him time to get healthy and allowed him to get back on a normal routine.
“It would have been very easy for them to just move on and claim
the next guy, which I would have absolutely understood,” Littell said. “It’s just how it goes. It’s just crazy.”
Littell moved into the rotation July 19 and posted a 3.34 ERA and .503 OPS in 12 starts. He also had a 51-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in those 67 innings, and averaged nearly six innings per outing.
“I don’t know where we would have gotten without Zack Littell and the contributions [he made],” manager Kevin Cash said. “We have built starters up in the past from reliever to starter. That one was about as smooth a transition as you could ask for, and in pretty dominant fashion. He was efficient, threw strikes, got deep into ballgames. With all starters, that’s kind of their goal to do.”
Plus, he did it pretty much on the fly, with a contending team.
“Being a starter in baseball is hard,” said Jason Adam, who converted to reliever in 2017. “Being a starter in the big leagues is really hard. And then to make that switch and to build up your innings in season while dominating like he did, it’s a testament to him and his work ethic and his focus and just the kind of person he is.”
With a second child joining the family in January, Littell said he didn’t spend much offseason time reflecting on his success, but did appreciate that it was somewhat rare. More than anything, he was grateful for the opportunity.
The challenge now is to show it was for real, that having jumped from 59 ⅔ innings (majors and minors) in 2022 to 104 last year he can maintain his stuff in working 150-plus innings.
“I definitely feel like a starter,” he said. “I feel like I have proven that I can do it, now It’s just a matter of going out there and doing it over the course of a full season.
“The best starters in the league are the ones that have been doing it for seven, eight, nine years and posting 25-plus starts a year. So that’s hard in and of itself. I’m extremely capable of doing it. Now it’s just a matter of going and doing it.”