San Francisco Giants 2011: 5 Reasons Why the New Barry Zito Is for Real

San Francisco Giants fans can expect more starts like the one last Tuesday from Barry Zito.

The southpaw impressed in his first start back from the disabled list, allowing four hits and two runs over seven innings to earn the win.

After four, rocky years of Zito that have ranged from inconsistent to downright awful, the Bay Area is tempering their expectations of the $126 million man.

But Big Z really has turned it around this time. He was throwing the ball great in Fresno and showed the organization he has made some significant adjustments in his time off.

Here are five reasons why the new Barry Zito is for real.

Improved Fastball Command

Since his fastball tops out around 87 mph, Barry Zito has to have fantastic command of his pitches to be effective.

He had been locating his fastball well in his rehab starts and did so again against the Cubs, hitting corners on both sides of the plate. His pinpoint accuracy compensated for his lack of velocity.

Even if it maxes out in the mid-80s, a well-placed fastball can be extraordinarily useful in setting up the off-speed stuff.

Simplified to 3 Pitches

Getting rid of his slider is the best thing Barry Zito has done since he signed with the San Francisco Giants.

Early in his career, Zito only used three pitches: fastball, curveball and changeup.

In the years after he won the AL Cy Young, he added a two-seam fastball and a slider to his arsenal.

The two-seamer disappeared relatively quickly, but by 2009, Zito was utilizing his slider even more than his changeup.

While rehabbing in Fresno, Zito decided to go back to the pitches that made him successful. He pitched much better as a result.

Getting rid of the slider was a brilliant move—not only was the pitch ineffective, but it forced him to mess with his mechanics.

Reverted to Original Arm Slot

This picture was taken in spring training this year and shows Barry Zito using a three-quarters delivery.

Earlier in his career, Zito used an over-the-top motion. When he started throwing a slider, he had to change his release point.

It is virtually impossible to throw a slider using an over-the-top motion. To get the slide action of a slider, Zito had to lower his arm angle.

In Fresno, Zito raised his arm slot back up, which he could do because he was no longer throwing the slider. He enjoyed increased command of his pitches and a resurgence of his deadly curveball.

With his over-the-top arm angle, Zito can throw a much better 12-to-6 curve: the north-south movement of his arm is much more conducive to creating the sharp downward break than the three-quarters delivery he had been using.

The big looping curveball is Zito's staple—not many pitchers can paint a pitch on the outside corner that looked like it should have been at eye level.

By reverting to the motion that made him successful in the first place, Barry Zito is giving himself a great chance to return to Cy Young form.

Excellent Mix of Pitches

Barry Zito is deadly when he can keep hitters off-balance.

He did just so on Tuesday, utilizing all three of his pitches (fastball, curveball and changeup) effectively.

It's not important that Zito's fastball is slower than Brian Wilson's slider. All that matters is the difference in speeds—when a hitter is expecting the big looping 72 mph curveball, the mid-80s fastball might as well be over 100.

Throw in the low-70s changeup that looks like his fastball, and it's easy to understand how Zito won a Cy Young in 2002.

Zito needs to make sure he can keep his fastball in top shape. As long as he can place the fastball, his curveball will be lethal.

If he can't locate the fastball—well, we know how that goes.

Staying Loose and Having Fun

Although it sounds like something you would hear in little league, the biggest reason Barry Zito will revive his career is because he has loosened up and is having more fun.

If you are skeptical, look no further than the Tim Lincecum of 2010. He hit a bit of a rut in early August and decided it was time to make some changes.

After a couple of tries at making both mechanical and mental adjustments, Lincecum threw everything out the window and went back to what he knows works for him.

The difference was night and day. In August he went 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA, and in September, he rebounded to go 5-1 with a 1.94 ERA.

Granted, Barry Zito's August has been four years. It's a little more than a temporary funk.

But let's put it all in perspective. For the first two years of his contract, Zito was expected to save the struggling Giants franchise and take the team to the playoffs, all by himself.

Watching Zito talk to himself on the mound, you can tell he's a thinker. It's unsurprising the weight of pressure and expectations brought him down.

Now the pressure is gone. San Francisco won the World Series without him even on the roster, and most fans think of him as the weak link of a star-studded rotation.

According to Mlb.com, Bruce Bochy has noticed a renewed focus and a better attitude from Zito since his return from the DL.

Zito attributes the change to being around minor league guys who play with such joy, even without all the amenities of the major leagues. Zito says the experience has given him perspective and helped him to relax and enjoy the game.

It sounds like Zito's sprained foot is the best thing that's happened to him in four years in San Francisco. A strong second half looks to be in store for the embattled southpaw.