FILL 'EM UP
Baseball America|March 2020
The Mariners’ gas camp gets big results for a plethora of pitchers
JOSH NORRIS
FILL 'EM UP

The Mariners made progress in 2019. The change wasn’t always perceptible in the big leagues, where the team finished last in the American League West and missed the playoffs for the 18th straight season, but there were flashes toward the end of the year of the good things that were happening down on the farm. Take righthander Reggie McClain as an example. Seattle’s 13th-rounder out of Missouri in 2016 got hit around at high Class A Modesto for the first two full seasons of his career and returned there to begin 2019, albeit in the bullpen.

Something was different this time, and he suddenly found success. He made just six appearances at Modesto before moving to Double-A Arkansas, where he continued mowing down the competition. In 31.2 innings between the levels, McClain struck out 38 and walked just four hitters.

McClain’s success continued at Triple-A Tacoma, which led to his first big league callup on Aug. 2. The first five pitches out of his hand that day came in at 94, 93, 94, 96 and 94 mph. And while that velocity might be standard-issue in the big leagues these days, it represented a stark change for a pitcher whose fastball typically sat in the 87-91 mph range in college and throughout his first few pro seasons.

So where did that extra velocity come from? It might have started in the 2018 offseason during a program designed to help Mariners pitching prospects make gains. The program, informally called “Gas Camp,” lived up to its name with McClain, who increased his average fastball velocity roughly six miles per hour from 2018 to 2019.

“It changes everything for a pitcher. It changes the mentality. It changes what he’s willing to throw in what counts, and it changes how he attacks the strike zone,” Mariners farm director Andy McKay said, explaining Gas Camp. “All of those things were happening really right in front of us.”

この記事は Baseball America の March 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Baseball America の March 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

BASEBALL AMERICAのその他の記事すべて表示
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Baseball America

Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.

Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.

time-read
2 分  |
August/September 2024
ROAD BLOCK?
Baseball America

ROAD BLOCK?

Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha

time-read
4 分  |
August/September 2024
ROYALS REVIVAL
Baseball America

ROYALS REVIVAL

A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound

time-read
6 分  |
August/September 2024
SUMMER STANDOUTS
Baseball America

SUMMER STANDOUTS

The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft

time-read
7 分  |
August/September 2024
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Baseball America

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10

Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.

time-read
6 分  |
August/September 2024
IN WITH THE NEW
Baseball America

IN WITH THE NEW

The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.

time-read
3 分  |
August/September 2024
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
Baseball America

WALCOTT BLASTS OFF

It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.

time-read
2 分  |
August/September 2024
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Baseball America

A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS

Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft

time-read
4 分  |
August/September 2024
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Baseball America

K.C.MASTERPIECE

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.

time-read
7 分  |
August/September 2024
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
Baseball America

HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS

When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.

time-read
2 分  |
May 2024