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Joe Ross knows he’s needs a third pitch to keep his spot Joe Ross knows he’s needs a third pitch to keep his spot
(about 2 hours later)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — When you have a fastball that sinks as it speeds through the zone the way Joe Ross’s does, and a slider that swerves out of reach like his, you can get major league hitters out. If you’re a rookie, and opposing hitters have not seen you before, as was the case for Ross last season, you can dominate them, for a time.KISSIMMEE, Fla. — When you have a fastball that sinks as it speeds through the zone the way Joe Ross’s does, and a slider that swerves out of reach like his, you can get major league hitters out. If you’re a rookie, and opposing hitters have not seen you before, as was the case for Ross last season, you can dominate them, for a time.
But hitters have seen Ross now, and they will see him repeatedly if he locks down a slot in the Nationals’ rotation. He can get by with that electric fastball and that biting slider, maybe even shut teams down in the short term. But he and his coaches and his teammates agree: Ross needs to develop his change-up. If he does, well . . .But hitters have seen Ross now, and they will see him repeatedly if he locks down a slot in the Nationals’ rotation. He can get by with that electric fastball and that biting slider, maybe even shut teams down in the short term. But he and his coaches and his teammates agree: Ross needs to develop his change-up. If he does, well . . .
“Oh my God,” said Max Scherzer, enthusiastically imagining how much a reliable change-up could help the 22-year-old right-hander.“Oh my God,” said Max Scherzer, enthusiastically imagining how much a reliable change-up could help the 22-year-old right-hander.
“You start adding that third pitch, really show feel for it, and you can pitch with it and throw it in counts when they’re anticipating fastball, it changes the game,” Scherzer said. “When you can throw it to left-handed and right-handed hitters, it really changes the game.”“You start adding that third pitch, really show feel for it, and you can pitch with it and throw it in counts when they’re anticipating fastball, it changes the game,” Scherzer said. “When you can throw it to left-handed and right-handed hitters, it really changes the game.”
[Jonathan Papelbon teaches Joe Ross a split-fingered fastball][Jonathan Papelbon teaches Joe Ross a split-fingered fastball]
When a pitcher has two pitches, a fastball and a breaking ball, hitters can sit on one or the other, and therefore be assured of being on time for at least one of them. But when a pitcher adds an off-speed option, hitters cannot be sure they will get a fastball in a fastball count, cannot pick one speed to sit on, and therefore cannot find as much comfort.When a pitcher has two pitches, a fastball and a breaking ball, hitters can sit on one or the other, and therefore be assured of being on time for at least one of them. But when a pitcher adds an off-speed option, hitters cannot be sure they will get a fastball in a fastball count, cannot pick one speed to sit on, and therefore cannot find as much comfort.
“There are pitchers in the big leagues that get away with two pitches,” Nationals Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba said. “But I think [Ross] is somebody that’s going to continue to evolve with that change-up.”“There are pitchers in the big leagues that get away with two pitches,” Nationals Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba said. “But I think [Ross] is somebody that’s going to continue to evolve with that change-up.”
Ross has a change-up. In high school, he said, it was far better than the slider that helped him accumulate 69 strikeouts in his first 76 2/3 major league innings.Ross has a change-up. In high school, he said, it was far better than the slider that helped him accumulate 69 strikeouts in his first 76 2/3 major league innings.
“I could probably throw [the change-up] more for a strike than a fastball,” Ross said. “When I first started playing pro ball I was throwing it a lot more, but I was really working on my slider, so I kind of shied away from throwing the change-up.” “I could probably throw [the change-up] more for a strike than a fastball,” Ross said. “When I first started playing pro ball, I was throwing it a lot more, but I was really working on my slider, so I kind of shied away from throwing the change-up.”
Change-ups require feel, which is probably best explained as “inexplicable,” but amounts to the trust that comes with successful repetition. The Nationals called up Ross from Class AA Harrisburg last June. According to Brooks Baseball, he threw the change-up for 11 percent of his pitches that month — a month in which he struck out 23 batters and walked two. He used the pitch less and less, month by month, as the season went on. By September, he was hardly throwing it at all. Change-ups require feel, which is probably best explained as “inexplicable,” but amounts to the trust that comes with successful repetition. The Nationals called up Ross from Class AA Harrisburg last June. According to Brooks Baseball, he threw the change-up for 11 percent of his pitches that month — a month in which he struck out 23 batters and walked two. He used the pitch less and less, month by month, as the season went on. By September, he was hardly throwing it at all.
“He got so hot with his slider that he was able to get through some lineups,” said Nationals Assistant General Manager Doug Harris, who oversees the Nationals’ minor leagues. “But over the course of a year, you see clubs five, six times, you’re going to need that [change-up].”“He got so hot with his slider that he was able to get through some lineups,” said Nationals Assistant General Manager Doug Harris, who oversees the Nationals’ minor leagues. “But over the course of a year, you see clubs five, six times, you’re going to need that [change-up].”
Coaches motion to Ross about the change-up as he goes by. His teammates know he is trying to hone it. Jonathan Papelbon suggested Ross learn a split-fingered fastball, aware of Ross’s efforts to add a third pitch. Coaches motion to Ross about the change-up as he goes by. His teammates know he is trying to hone it. Reliever Jonathan Papelbon suggested Ross learn a split-fingered fastball, aware of Ross’s efforts to add a third pitch.
“[Papelbon] knew I was struggling with . . . or working on . . . the change-up,” said Ross, his quick self-correction unable to hide the challenge the pitch poses.“[Papelbon] knew I was struggling with . . . or working on . . . the change-up,” said Ross, his quick self-correction unable to hide the challenge the pitch poses.
Part of building “feel” is building comfort with the grip, which Ross works on during team meetings, gripping and re-gripping a ball with what could be called a semi-circle change-up grip. His is not as drastic as the traditional circle change-up grip some pitchers use, in which the thumb and pointer finger form a closed circle on the side of the ball. His thumb and pointer finger form more of a backward “C.” Part of building “feel” is building comfort with the grip, which Ross works on during team meetings, gripping and regripping a ball with what could be called a semi-circle change-up grip. His is not as drastic as the traditional circle change-up grip some pitchers use, in which the thumb and pointer finger form a closed circle on the side of the ball. His thumb and pointer finger form more of a backward “C.”
“There are times when I grip it, and in my head I’m thinking, ‘that’s not right, I wanna throw it, but this doesn’t feel great,’ ” Ross said. “And then the whole time in the back of your mind you’re like . . . ehh.” “There are times when I grip it, and in my head I’m thinking, ‘That’s not right. I wanna throw it, but this doesn’t feel great,’ ” Ross said. “And then the whole time in the back of your mind you’re like . . . ‘Ehh.’ ”
[How Joe Ross went from trade afterthought to Nats starter][How Joe Ross went from trade afterthought to Nats starter]
Monday, Ross said he rotated the ball a bit in his hand, and in so doing found a more comfortable spot. He threw the change-up more successfully and struck out a couple Astros with it. Scherzer, who watches his fellow starters carefully, said he saw promising “depth and life” to the pitch. On Monday, Ross said he rotated the ball a bit in his hand, and in so doing found a more comfortable spot. He threw the change-up more successfully and struck out a couple Astros with it. Scherzer, who watches his fellow starters carefully, said he saw promising “depth and life” to the pitch.
“The action’s there. Now it’s developing feel,” Scherzer said. “. . . The biggest thing is he’s got to trust it . . . trust that over the long haul, the results will be in his favor. Not: Oh, I threw a change-up, I gave up a home run, and I will never throw a change-up again.”“The action’s there. Now it’s developing feel,” Scherzer said. “. . . The biggest thing is he’s got to trust it . . . trust that over the long haul, the results will be in his favor. Not: Oh, I threw a change-up, I gave up a home run, and I will never throw a change-up again.”
Ross is not assured of a spot in the rotation. Bronson Arroyo is pitching well and he could feasibly bump Ross or Tanner Roark from the back of the rotation. Ross has a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings this spring and has struck out eight, working on the change-up by throwing it in situations where he wouldn’t normally — to right-handers, or in fastball counts, for example. Ross is not assured of a spot in the rotation. Bronson Arroyo is pitching well and he could feasibly bump Ross or Tanner Roark from the back of the rotation. Ross has a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings this spring and has struck out eight, working on the change-up by throwing it in situations where he wouldn’t normally — to right-handers or in fastball counts, for example.
“I think the more I do that, the more comfortable I’ll get, and hopefully it’ll come back to me like it was before,” Ross said. “Then I’ll have three good pitches.” “I think the more I do that, the more comfortable I’ll get and hopefully it’ll come back to me like it was before,” Ross said. “Then I’ll have three good pitches.”