FORT MYERS, Fla. — Each spring, the media and Twins supervisor Rocco Baldelli have interaction in playful (to the media, at the very least) banter wherein the skipper is coaxed to disclose his Opening Day starter on the earliest doable comfort. So he obtained means out forward of issues and revealed the apparent a couple of days after the Twins had been eradicated from the postseason final October:
It’ll be Pablo López on the mound for Opening Day 2024. Duh.
Not that there would ever have been any thriller — that’s the remedy you get if you pitch a group to its first playoff win since 2004 — however there’s additionally no stress in any respect this spring, apart from the appreciable stress López at all times places on himself to maintain getting higher.
Contemplating López completed 2023 with the AL’s second-most strikeouts (234) and a 3.66 ERA in 194 innings — probably the most innings by a Twin since 2019 — the act of getting higher didn’t contain any wholesale modifications prefer it did final yr, when he added a wholly new pitch (the sweeper) however didn’t have time to extra absolutely experiment earlier than needing to get plenty of outs.
This spring, it’s all about that experimentation.
“Have a look at what Pablo did final yr,” Baldelli stated. “He did so many issues exceptionally nicely that even the issues that weren’t in that class, he nonetheless did them fairly good. He’s obtained some issues the place, most guys, you take a look at it and also you say, ‘What are his weaknesses?’ He doesn’t actually have weaknesses. It’s extra, as you say, refinement.”
Refinement typically appears just like the homers allowed by López in every of his spring begins — one by Baltimore’s Ramón Urías final Wednesday and one other by Matt Olson in Monday’s 4-3 win over the Braves.
He went to Driveline firstly of the offseason to see if there have been any inefficiencies to handle in his mechanics. However a big chunk of his work has revolved round with the ability to land all 5 pitches in or out of the zone, in any rely, in opposition to hitters from both facet.
“It is about not platooning your pitches,” López stated. “I wish to be sure that if I can throw 5 pitches, I can throw them to each lefties and righties they usually all come from the identical spot.”
López already did a greater job of that than most, however he did use his curveball primarily to lefties and his sinker principally to righties — and over the offseason, he spoke of utilizing his sweeper with the identical aggression each out and in of the zone. This spring, it’s the curveball that López is making an attempt to land extra persistently and aggressively.
“Each time I threw [the breaking ball] in an 0-2 rely, the pitch was extra aggressive. Each time I attempted to throw it for a strike, I might lose a few of my aggressiveness to attempt to get a strike,” López stated.
With all that in thoughts, López is pitching in ways in which he wouldn’t within the common season, testing his limits and seeing what extra he can get away with.
Working example: the 1-0 curveball he threw to Urías final week. Dangerous outcome, however the truth that it was within the strike zone was extra essential.
“Perhaps the outcome wasn’t it, but it surely’s similar to, ‘I do know I can throw it for a strike. Ideally, that will not occur, however now I do know I can do it,’” López stated.
Similar factor with the 0-2 sinker that Olson took deep on Monday. López knew he hadn’t thrown any 0-2 sinkers to lefties final season, so he challenged himself to strive it and see if it might think about at factors this season.
“It did not work out; he hit it like 600 toes,” López stated. “But it surely’s like, perhaps that is not the suitable man to do it if you are going to try a pitch like that.”
It’s extra about seeing the place and the way he missed, then setting his sights otherwise subsequent time, refining his location and persevering with the push and pull of experiential studying. Nothing issues till Opening Day — and López is essentially treating it that means till his ultimate few begins of spring.
“Pitching is an artwork; pitching is science,” López stated. “It is about having the instruments, having an concept of what you wish to work on, to be sure that’s what you are engaged on that day, stick with that factor. Subsequent bullpen, it should be one thing else and one thing else, after which it should be a giant ultimate product.”