Guardians’ Hentges adds two-seamer over winter, now an effective reliever
Sam Hentges has found his role in the Guardians’ pitching plans thanks to a two-seamer he spent the winter crafting and improving.
In 2021, Hentges went back-andforth between roles as a starter and a reliever. The former was due to the rash of injuries sustained by the rotation. The latter was due to Hentges’ inconsistency as a starting pitcher.
It didn’t help that Hentges was trying to expand his pitching repertoire on the fly, only to simplify again near the end of the season. He occasionally displayed flashes of brilliance, but he struggled to get through lineups multiple times.
This spring he entered camp with a clear job description in front of him, and through the first month-plus of the season, Hentges has been brilliant
in it.
Working exclusively as a reliever in 2022, Hentges has allowed one earned run, given up just seven hits and struck out 17 batters in 13 innings, good enough for an ERA of 0.69.
Hentges finished last season as a reliever, largely throwing his fastball, curveball and slider. He worked over the winter on revamping his two-seamer as a needed addition, particularly against right-handed hitters. (It had appeared in 2021, along with a changeup, but wasn’t quite as effective as he wanted.)
“Especially to right-handed hitters last year, there was an element of all my pitches coming into a righty, and I had nothing that was going away,” Hentges explained.
There’s also the element of Hentges being a different pitcher as a reliever as opposed to a starter. Last year, he owned a 7.90 ERA in a starting role. Now, he’s an electric option in the bullpen. The difference? Hentges doesn’t need to try to pitch deep into the game or worry about facing hitters several times. He can simply attack.
“He’s not just trying to pitch away from contact,” said manager Terry Francona. “He’s being aggressive in the zone. That’s really — he should be fine if he does that.”