Time not on Meyers’ side with pitch clock
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A surprise pitch clock problem child has emerged in the Astros clubhouse. Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker’s prolonged routines between pitches are well known, but both discovered ways to avoid any major issues during the first weeks of Grapefruit League play.
Jake Meyers must mimic his two slow-working teammates. The pitch clock has turned one of his lifelong habits into a problem — and now it is costing him strikes. Meyers has appeared in five Grapefruit League games and already received three pitch clock violations.
“I’ve always had a longer routine by design,” Meyers said on Tuesday. “I like slowing things down, taking time in between (pitches), so I’ll have to make an adjustment.”
Meyers’ three violations came on different types of delays. He failed to get into the batter’s box in time before his first pitch against St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright on March 2 and started the at-bat down 0-1.
Meyers got dinged twice during Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox — once after hitting a foul ball and stepping out of the batter’s box and again after taking too long between pitches.
“I am a guy who tends to take a little bit more time. I don’t like to be rushed. But I know that’s going to be a part of the game,” Meyers said. “I did have it in Triple-A, but it seems to be a little quicker compared to when I had it back then. I think it’ll be a quick adjustment; you definitely don’t want to give away strikes especially in the big leagues.”
Meyers played 38 games last season at Class AAA Sugar Land, where the pitch clock had 14 seconds with empty bases and 18 with runners aboard. The major league clock currently has 15 seconds between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners aboard.
Hitters must be “in the box and alert to the pitcher” with eight seconds remaining or they’ll receive an automatic strike. The vague definition of “alert” has been a topic of conversation across the league and inside the Astros’ clubhouse. Meyers started another on Tuesday.
“The interesting thing, I think, is the (clock) is starting at different times,” Meyers said. “I know it’s supposed to start when the pitcher catches the ball and hits the dirt. But I’ve been watching here and there and it’s kind of iffy. It doesn’t start right at the same time, so if you’re not staring at the clock, you don’t know when the clock started and you don’t have that internal clock of when you’re supposed to be looking (at the pitcher).”
Nevertheless, Meyers must make a serious adjustment or risk starting some of his regular season at-bats at a disadvantage. He’s found a simple solution.
“Just not leave the box,” Meyers said. “For me, I need to stay in the box and stay ready and do everything I need to do to slow myself down in the box.”