New Guardians Reliever Shawn Armstrong Adding New Pitch To His Arsenal

New Cleveland Guardians reliever, Shawn Armstrong, has revealed that he has added a marque caller transportation to his arsenal.

Armstrong said connected Foul Territory TV connected Wednesday that he is adding a caller transportation that is simply a ‘secret’ and you request to tune successful to Spring Training to spot it yourself.

Armstrong gave Foul Territory big Erik Kratz a small preview, “It’s a akin variety of nan footwear change, its a seam-shifting weight variation,” adding, “We wanted thing that was going to beryllium beneath 7 vert, and if I tin get it beneath that pinch nan measurement my two-seam and four-seam plays and nan measurement nan sweeper is, nan horizontal activity is benignant of irrelevant. It's been beautiful good, we’ll spot really it plays erstwhile a batter stands successful nan box.”

That sounds for illustration a batch of mumbo jumbo to nan mean ear. Basically, what Armstrong is saying is that he has a caller transportation that is almost for illustration a changeup, but it has sinking action of astir 7 inches. 

Armstrong mentions nan usage of his 2 and four-seam fastballs. According to Baseball Savant, Armstrong threw a fastball, successful this lawsuit a four-seamer, a cutter, and a sinker, 76.6% of nan time, pinch nan remainder coming from his Sweeper. It is clear he wanted immoderate activity up and down alternatively than conscionable broadside to side. With this footwear change, he will apt beryllium capable to passageway it pinch his Sinker and Cutter, but it will beryllium overmuch slower, hence nan changeup part. 

This should summation his K%, which was already successful nan 76th percentile (26.1%) crossed each MLB pitchers past season. It will besides thief initiate anemic contact. Batters will beryllium retired up of nan ball, causing them to rotation it complete aliases propulsion it foul. 

Armstrong was already a awesome alleviation pitcher that has precocious hopes present connected this Guardians squad to clasp teams correct wherever they are, nary matter nan situation. Adding successful a transportation that he tin “throw beneath nan area to left-handed batters” and activity disconnected his fastballs will only use him successful nan agelong run.

For a squad that has had a quiet offseason, this is 1 of nan fewer moves they did make that will massively effect 2026, for amended aliases for worse. Fortunately, fans only request to hold little than a period to spot Armstrong successful action arsenic pitchers and catchers report connected February 12th successful Arizona.

It is ever bully to spot players, particularly caller acquisitions, moving connected improving and trying caller things up of camp. Then nan players tin usage campy to activity connected what they person been moving on, while besides getting into their accustomed routines to make judge they are fresh for nan agelong grind that is nan MLB season