James Paxton Tweaks His Cutter
10 months agoWith a suggestion from the team, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander James Paxton has modified his cutter this offseason to more of a bullet slider, which is a harder, tighter slider than the traditional slower sweeper. "It helps [Paxton] keep the ball down and underneath the swing of a right-handed hitter and down and away from a left-handed hitter," assistant pitching coach Connor McGuinness said. The oft-injured veteran southpaw will have extra rest to open the year as the Dodgers go with a six-man starting rotation, and he said his "body feels really good" in spring training. The 35-year-old made just six starts from 2020-22 but managed to make 19 starts in 2023. When healthy, Paxton's strikeout upside makes him worth considering as rotation depth in deeper fantasy leagues.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Source: Los Angeles Times