Starting Pitchers Trying to Reinvent Themselves This Spring

Pitchers are ever evolving, constantly altering mechanics, tweaking their deliveries just so or even working on adding new pitches.

Spring training is the best place to try to implement those changes, because the exhibition season presents game situations that don't actually count.

All of the work, none of the mess.

Here's a look at a batch of pitchers who are using the spring to make some adjustments.

David Price, LHP, Detroit Tigers

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Just named the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day starter, David Price has spent the offseason and exhibition season reworking his curveball. He learned the new grip from Oakland Athletics ace Sonny Gray, a fellow Vanderbilt alum who is known for his hook.

"He's the one who showed me the grip this offseason," Price said, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. "Me and him worked on it quite a bit."

Consider that a sign that Price, who is entering his walk year, could increase his curveball usage after throwing it just 5.6 percent of the time, the lowest of his career, per FanGraphs' PITCHf/x.

"Any way I can adjust, that's what I'm trying to do," Price said. "This game is constantly evolving and if you don't evolve with it, it'll be tough."

If the 29-year-old can put together another stellar season to match any of his past seven, then Price would be in position to seek a $200 million contract in free agency. Improving his curveball at this stage of his career could make Price that much scarier—and maybe that much richer eight months from now.

Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, New York Yankees

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Nathan Eovaldi's fastball is among the fastest in the game at 95.5 mph, but he has yet to translate that into even average strikeout stats. The 25-year-old whiffed just 6.4 per nine in 2014.

No wonder Eovaldi, whom the New York Yankees acquired via trade from the Miami Marlins this winter, is working on His splitter.

As Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News writes, "The Yankees are hopeful that the splitter—which pitching coach Larry Rothschild is attempting to help him refine—can serve as a complement to Eovaldi’s slider as out pitches."

"I want to be a swing-and-miss guy, but contact, if you locate the pitch you should get quick outs," Eovaldi said. "That's really the main goal; limit the pitches and try to get guys out as fast as possible."

Either way, the splitter could help that. If it becomes a real weapon, the strikeouts will jump. Otherwise, the result could be weaker contact—Eovaldi did give up the most hits in the NL last year (223 in 199.2 innings)—and the offering should result in a higher ground-ball rate (career 44.5 percent), which is another way to get batters out.

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cleveland Indians

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Trevor Bauer didn't quite break out in 2014, but he came close. The former No. 3 overall pick (2011), Bauer posted a 4.18 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 8.4 K/9, showing occasional flashes of dominance but not all that much consistency.

The good news is his control finally was at least passable at 3.5 walks per nine, and so far through 15.1 innings this March, the 24-year-old has issued exactly zero free passes.

Part of the problem in the past has been too many options. Bauer is known for having a lot of offerings to work with, as many as "eight pitches in his repertoire (or nine, if you include the two grips on his changeup)," as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes.

Now, however, Bauer has been focusing on getting his tailing two-seamer just right. "One of the main (focuses) was the two-seam...trying to get the two-seam to move the correct way," he told Bud Shaw of The Plain Dealer about his offseason work.

"Before heading home for the offseason, Bauer collected some high-definition video of [Corey] Kluber's two-seam fastball to study," Crasnick writes.

Modeling himself after the breakout pitcher of the year—and reigning AL Cy Young winner—while trying to have a true breakout? That's probably a good idea.

Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Taijuan Walker looks ready not only to make the Seattle Mariners but join Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma at the top of one of the game's better rotations.

The 22-year-old former top prospect has thrown 12 scoreless innings this spring, striking out 13 along the way. Even if Walker winds up starting out back at Triple-A, he's going to make an impact for the M's one way or another in 2015, and to help him get there, he has done away with his cutter in favor of a slider.

From Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times:

"

The similarities in throwing the cutter and slider pitches should make the transition somewhat easier. Walker likes the action on the slider compared to the cutter.

"There’s more depth to it and more break to it," he said.

"

Walker also has been tinkering with his curveball, as Keith Law of ESPN points out: "He has junked the cutter, a pitch he used too often last season, and has restored the curveball...The curveball, which used to be a plus pitch for him, was more of a slow-roller at 72-74 mph, not tight and with a grip change that hitters should be able to pick up."

So, Walker might still have some work to do to get his breaker back to where it once was. But the results have been promising, at least so far. And anyway, a little cleanup is what spring is all about, right?

Statistics are accurate through Saturday, March 21 and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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