ARLINGTON, Texas — Ever since the Angels’ bullpen sessions have gone high tech, the pitchers have been on a roll.
On the day the Angels fired pitching coaches Mike Maddux, Darryl Scott and Dom Chiti, the Angels had a 4.51 ERA. In the first eight games under interim pitching coach Tim Leveque and bullpen coach Michael Wuertz, the Angels have a major-league best 2.03 ERA.
An eight-game sample is nothing. It can be especially insignificant considering that in those games the Angels have faced three struggling lineups: the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros.
That said, Manager Kurt Suzuki and the pitchers agree that there have been some positives from the staff change that have shown up on the field.
The most obvious change is that now all pitchers throw all their bullpen sessions with the full complement of hardware, specifically Trackman devices. Under Maddux, the Angels used it in spring training, but sporadically in the regular season.
“In Baltimore, we used it a lot,” right-hander Grayson Rodriguez said. “I think it can help. For me, in the beginning of the year, I was struggling with my stuff. It wasn’t where it needed to be, with the movement patterns and different stuff like that. I wish I would have had it a little bit earlier. It’s a useful tool, for sure.”
Left-hander Reid Detmers said he started asking to use the Trackman more after the All-Star break – a few weeks before the staff change. Detmers came into Friday night’s start with a 1.83 ERA since the All-Star break.
Detmers said the benefit of the technology is “how to maintain, to see if everything is right.”
Right-hander Ryan Johnson said there has been a clear increase in the use of analytics to prepare the pitchers, although not to the point of becoming overwhelming.
“They aren’t bombarding me with all this information,” Johnson said. “It’s just telling me to go out there and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Simplicity is a core value of Leveque and Wuertz. They split the daily bullpen meetings into two, one for the righties and one for the lefties. That means the pitchers don’t have to sit through a lot of information that doesn’t apply to them.
Leveque has also created game plans for the pitchers that are more focused on a pitcher’s strengths, with less emphasis on the hitter’s weakness.
“The guys before did a really good job,” Suzuki said. “They put their work in and did a lot of good things that helped out. This is just a different philosophy, where we’re focusing on the pitcher’s strengths and try to simplify things for a younger group.”
Right-hander George Klassen, for example, was doing well on Tuesday night with his fastball and slider, so he essentially ditched his other two pitches. Of his 86 pitches, 82 were fastballs or sliders. Klassen pitched seven innings in a victory over the Astros.
“Just let them realize how good their stuff is and trust it,” Suzuki said. “Attack with it.”
Pitchers have taken to wearing T-shirts with the word “Attack.”
It also has helped that between Leveque and Wuertz, they know almost all of the pitchers from their time in the minors with the Angels.
“I have enjoyed it,” Johnson said. “I worked with Tim in Double-A, so I know him well. We got to know each other. He knows how I work and I know how he works. I think we did a lot of good things in Double-A that got me back to the big leagues.”
NOTES
First baseman Nolan Schanuel, who came out of Thursday’s game because of right side soreness, was not in the lineup on Friday. As of Friday afternoon, he was unsure whether he would be available to come off the bench. …
Outfielder Wade Meckler, who was hit in the head by a pitch on Thursday, was still undergoing tests for a concussion on Friday, so he was not in the lineup. …
The Angels still have not decided if left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will come off the injured list to start on Sunday. Kikuchi threw a bullpen session on Friday afternoon, and the Angels were set to make the decision after that. Suzuki said Kikuchi is ready to return to the rotation after more than three months out, but they haven’t decided which day he’ll pitch. …
Adam Frazier showed some controversial – but legal – baserunning in a moment that caught the attention of broadcasters and social media on Thursday. With a runner at third, Frazier hit a ground ball to first. He then ran well inside the first base line, to get in the way of first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr.’s throw to the plate. Frazier said he’s done it before, and it’s no different than what a runner going between first and second might do to try to prevent a double play. “It’s a risk of getting smoked in the face,” Suzuki said, “but it got us a run.” …
Catcher Sebastian Rivero was set to resume his rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday night. Rivero (fractured hamate) was pulled back from his rehab assignment last month because he was feeling soreness in his hand.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Ryan Johnson, 2-7, 6.41 ERA) at Rangers (TBD), Saturday, 4:05 p.m. PT, ABTV, 830 AM