The changes Marcus Stroman has implemented in his pitching windup this year have at times confused umpires, angered some hitters and baffled others.
But it’s also earned respect from the opposition.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria praised the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander in a Players’ Tribune article on Tuesday, listing him among the five toughest pitchers to face in the American League East.
Longoria entered the season hitting .364 (8-for-22) in his career against Stroman with two home runs and four RBIs, but this year it’s been a different story — he’s got just a lone single in five at-bats against the 26-year-old hurler.
“He’s a different guy this year,” Longoria writes.
The third baseman and veteran of 10 major-league seasons has been impressed by the different leg kicks and pauses that Stroman has added to his windup. Longoria likens it to a pump-fake in basketball.
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Stroman began toying with the alterations during the World Baseball Classic in March and has since used them with confidence during the 2017 season; he currently sports a 3.69 ERA over 15 starts.
“He’s already tough to hit because his stuff is so electric. But when he adds a pause or a stutter to his motion, it gives him a whole different advantage,” writes Longoria. “So many pitchers work on having a repeatable motion. But Stroman has enough confidence in his stuff, and in his ability to locate his pitches, that he’s not afraid to deviate from his normal delivery.”
Stroman, who’s set to start Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, joined Chris Sale, Dellin Betances, Craig Kimbrel and Zach Britton on Longoria’s exclusive and impressive list. His ability to spin the ball also sets him apart, says the slugger.
“The main thing that you want to do as a hitter is to pick up ball spin out of a pitcher’s hand early,” he writes. “And when a guy spins the ball really hard like Stroman, it can be tough to pick up and adjust to what you think the ball is going to do. Throw in a higher-than-normal leg kick, or a slide step, or that pump-fake of his, and there’s suddenly a lot of information to process in basically a split second.
“Hitting is all about timing. Stroman is one of the best at throwing that off.”
