Guardians’ Gaddis focusing on having attack mindset on mound
CLEVELAND — Hunter Gaddis has made it a priority to stop thinking on the mound. He just wants to throw, and throw hard.
It’s working wonders. Gaddis made the move to the Guardians bullpen full-time this spring. And with Trevor Stephan (surgery), James Karinchak (shoulder) and Sam Hentges (finger) hurt, the team has needed someone to step into a larger, high-leverage role.
“It takes a certain personality to be able to take the ball in those high-leverage situations and come in and say, ‘Here’s what I got. I dare you to hit it,’” manager Stephen Vogt said.
So far, that’s been Gaddis. “He’s going to give everything he’s got for 20 to 25 pitches and it’s coming right after you, and that’s what you want out of a leverage bullpen guy,” Vogt said.
That mindset seems to suit Gaddis. Through his first nine appearances, he had allowed only four hits and struck out 12 in 82⁄3 scoreless innings.
“I really enjoy that part, just going in and attacking you the best I can,” Gaddis said. “You’re not trying to ease into a lineup like when you’re (a starting pitcher), so I think that’s really nice, just coming in at 100 percent, no matter what.”
Gaddis tinkered with his mechanics
over the course of 11 games with seven starts last season, and he finished with a 4.50 ERA. Now that he’s able to focus on coming out of the bullpen, he can simplify his approach and not bother so much about technique.
“One thing I don’t do well is when I’m thinking about mechanics while I’m on the mound because then that takes away from the attack mindset,” Gaddis said. “So part of it is also not worrying about mechanics ... and then it’s just trying to produce as much power as I can.”
That power, perhaps more than anything, is behind Gaddis’ strong start to this season.
Many pitchers see bumps in velocity when they switch from being a starter
(or a hybrid, as Gaddis was last year) to a reliever. Gaddis is a prime example.
Last year, his four-seam fastball averaged 93.4 mph. This year, that’s up to 96.5 mph. His slider is averaging 89 mph, up from 85.3 mph a year ago. And his changeup is slower, which makes it an even better complement to his other pitches.
He was in the 91st percentile in whiff percentage (34.6) and 95th percentile in strikeout percentage (37.5).
By all accounts, he’s practically a new pitcher, one who doesn’t need to think about turning over a lineup multiple times or what he’s doing mechanically as a game progresses. It’s simpler, now: Just throw hard.