Drew Rom is underneath no guise that reaching triple digits along with his four-seam fastball is feasible. He’s working with Tread Athletics this offseason in an effort so as to add velocity, however that flashy benchmark isn’t for him.
The Orioles minor leaguer has heard sufficient folks name him a “soft-tossing lefty” to know it will likely be troublesome to interrupt utterly from that mould. So as a substitute, as Rom makes a push towards a serious league debut in Baltimore, he’s targeted on including some velocity — simply sufficient to have him sit within the mid-90s — whereas perfecting his changeup.
It’s the latter pitch, Rom believes, that would make his fastball really feel sooner and depart batters off steadiness. It labored in Triple-A Norfolk, the place he tinkered with the grip and located a rhythm with that pitch after his late-season promotion. And now, as a member of the Orioles’ 40-man roster, it’s the changeup that would show to be a pivotal piece in his bid to make the massive leagues.
“This offseason is going to be a big changeup year, and just kind of really hammering that home,” Rom mentioned. “I started using it more and more down the stretch, and I think I found that it’s going to be a weapon.”
What Rom confirmed down the stretch helped persuade govt vp and common supervisor Mike Elias to guard the 22-year-old from the Rule 5 Draft. And by including him to the 40-man roster, the southpaw can construct on the very best minor league season of his profession up to now.
Rom completed with a 4.43 ERA in 120 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, placing out 144 batters whereas solely strolling 47. The 2018 fourth-round choose has seen the group develop in a approach most younger prospects haven’t, both, and by shopping for into the focal factors laid out he’s bettering his consistency.
His largest enchancment within the final two years comes from his mechanics, and the way his decrease half operates throughout the windup and supply. Rom has added velocity by bettering that space, and he hopes so as to add extra this offseason whereas working with Tread. But because the previous regime filtered out and Elias and assistant common supervisor Sig Mejdal took over in Baltimore, Rom observed a shift in how the group’s prospects developed.
The “old-school” throwing and lifting applications have left, changed by an emphasis on lengthy tossing to construct arm power. The prototypical pitch mixes — fastball in, curveball down — have given strategy to extra superior considering.
“Everything we do has a purpose backed by analytics,” Rom mentioned. “We always have a reason and a rhyme for everything that we do.”
So Rom’s concentrate on the changeup isn’t by chance. The emphasis begins with pitching coach Chris Holt and continues by Mejdal and trickles by the group. And upon seeing the info supporting using the changeup, Rom and others purchased into the pitch.
“I think we found a lot this season and a lot last season that changeups were very effective to both sides of the plate, and then also having something that would differentiate speed but look the same out of your hand, was kind of the biggest thing they were harping on,” Rom mentioned. “Everyone that was developing a changeup or already had one really saw their changeups take steps forward this year.”
On a workforce with few established left-handers within the rotation or the bullpen, Rom admits “it’s in the back of my mind” that there may very well be extra alternatives for him to succeed in the majors. But to take action, the soft-throwing southpaw is aware of this offseason will likely be essential for the addition of some velocity — even when it’s only a tick — in addition to a changeup he deems to be a “weapon.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com