Drew Smyly Fine-Tuning His Mechanics
2 years agoChicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly is feeling great this spring and changed how he attacked hitters in his last two Cactus League outings to prepare for the regular season, but pitching coach Tommy Hottovy also pointed out that Smyly's arm was dropping in his delivery. He said the difference in his mechanics were minimal. The 33-year-old southpaw used his curveball 42.9% of the time in 2022, more than any starter in baseball. He threw his sinker at 92.6 mph last year and was already hitting 93-94 mph late this spring. When Smyly's elbow is higher, he's able to get on top of the ball better, which in turn leads to better spin on his breaking ball and more carry on his heater. Durability is always an issue for Smyly, but he can provide some decent rotation depth in deeper leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Sahadev Sharma
Source: The Athletic - Sahadev Sharma