Cincinnati starting pitchers explain secrets to their early-season success
One week into the season last year, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Wade Miley was on the injured list, Jeff Hoffman was in the Colorado Rockies bullpen and Jose De Leon was at the Cincinnati Reds alternate site in Mason, Ohio.
Entering Friday’s game, the Reds had made a full turn through their starting rotation and allowed just five earned runs in 28 combined innings. Each of the Reds starters has made an adjustment that worked in his most recent start.
Luis Castillo
In freezing temperatures on Opening Day, Castillo was blowing on his hands throughout the game. On the mound, his fastball was the pitch the weather impacted the most.
Last season, Castillo threw his fastball 27.1% of the time, and it averaged 97.4 mph. On Opening Day, Castillo’s average fastball was 94.4 mph, and he threw only 10 of them. Castillo leans on his fastball to get ahead in the count, but he leaned on his sinker and slider much more often than usual in his first start of the year.
In his next start, Castillo exclusively threw fastballs and change-ups in the first two innings. With his fastball at 97 mph, Castillo had one of the most efficient starts of his career. On Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Castillo threw the fewest pitches per inning in a start in his career that lasted at least seven innings, and he didn’t allow a run.
Since he was so successful with his fastball and change-up, Castillo said he didn’t throw any sliders, and allowed only four hits in seven innings.
Tyler Mahle
After his first start of the season, Mahle said he didn’t have as much control over his slider and splitter as he would have wanted. He still allowed just two earned runs and four hits while striking out nine in five innings Saturday against the Cardinals.
Mahle demonstrated an improved fastball. Last season, Mahle’s average fastball was 93.9 mph, and he struck out 30 with his fastball across his 10 starts. In his first start of 2021, Mahle touched 98 mph with his fastball, and he used that pitch for six of his nine strikeouts.
Jeff Hoffman
Heading into his last start of spring training, Hoffman made some mechanical changes that impacted his weight transfer from his back foot to his front foot.
Hoffman used those adjustments to throw five innings against the Cardinals and allow just one run and three hits.
After his start, Hoffman said the success he had was a result of the adjustments he made. In the first inning, Hoffman said he could tell he was landing his pitches on the right side of the plate.
Jose De Leon
During spring training, manager David Bell said De Leon’s fastball “was some of the best fastballs I’ve seen in a while.” In De Leon’s first regular-season start since 2016, his fastball was even more effective.
On Monday against the Pirates, De Leon threw five innings and allowed two runs, both off solo home runs in the first inning. Pirates hitters went 1 for 11 against his fastball, and he used that pitch for seven of his nine strikeouts. With that pitch working so well for him, 59 of De Leon’s 81 pitches were fastballs.
Wade Miley
When Miley pitched in spring training games, he said he often missed over the plate when he tried to throw inside to hitters. After he pitched six scoreless innings Tuesday against the Pirates, Miley said he flipped that script.
“I was able to work from the inner half toward the right-handed hitter,” he said. “That’s when I feel like I’m at my best.”
Miley allowed only two hits, and he mixed his cutter with change-up more often than he did in 2020.