2024-03-03 09:18:03
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – If left-hander Framber Valdez isn’t worried regarding making his first start in the 2024 Grapefruit League, then no one should be. The fact that the left-hander had a difficult second half of the season and a disastrous playoffs last year with the Astros has put him under the microscope in these camps, but it is too early to draw conclusions.
The Astros are counting on Valdez to return to the stellar form he showed between 2021 and 2022, when he was a workhorse for Houston, becoming one of the best left-handers in baseball. That was the same pace he had for the first part of last year, before seeing his efforts derailed in the final three months of the campaign. With ace Justin Verlander a little late in training due to shoulder discomfort, having a healthy Valdez is essential for the Astros.
Valdez was called to the All-Star Game in 2023 and went 12-11 with a 3.45 ERA, but went down in the second half. After going 7-6 with a 2.51 earned run percentage in his first 17 starts, he went 5-5 and 4.66 in his last 14, which included a no-hitter once morest Cleveland on August 1. He lost all three of his postseason starts, in which he posted a 9.00 ERA.
“It’s part of the past, but obviously we always want to work to improve what we did last year and try to be more consistent,” he said.
Here’s a look at the Dominican’s difficult last 14 starts, compared to his first 17:
– He was hit hard (with an output velocity of at least 95 mph) 44.6% of the time through his July 8 start, and jumped to 46.7% from there.
– Using Statcast strike zones, Valdez threw more strikes in the heart of the plate during his last 14 starts (29.4%) than in his first 17 (26.9%).
– Valdez talked at times regarding wanting to throw his sinker very hard. His average velocity with that pitch went from 93.9 mph in 2022 to 95.3 mph last year. According to Baseball Prospectus, he went from having 3.0 inches of vertical movement above average in 2022 to 0.3 in 2023.
There were no Statcast statistics for his Friday outing at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, in which Valdez allowed seven of the 11 Nationals batters he faced to reach base. He allowed three earned runs and five hits, including a home run, in 1.1 innings. Valdez said he was throwing with just 40-50% intensity.
“Obviously, it’s the first outing of the spring. I can’t go out and throw at 100%. I think that as the preseason goes by, I will increase the intensity.”
The Palenque native said he spent the offseason looking for consistency in his secondary pitches – curveball, changeup and cutter – that he combines with the sinker to help establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball when producing ground balls.
“I didn’t really change much, I just tried to focus on consistency and try to get a good release point on my pitches, so I can have a good feel when I make the throws.”
The main adjustment Valdez will make this season will be pitching with a new catcher. The left-hander has had Puerto Rican Martín Maldonado behind the plate during 79.4% of his innings. Maldonado signed with the White Sox, which leaves Valdez – and his teammate and fellow Dominican Cristian Javier – among Houston’s main arms trying to adapt to a new mask, in this case the Dominican Yainer Díaz.
“The most important thing is to know how to communicate and be on the same page, to do things well, thinking regarding the game,” said Valdez.
With that in mind, Valdez used the PitchCom device in his glove on Friday to help better communicate with Diaz when determining pitches. He said he plans to use PitchCom in the regular season as well.
“It felt very good, the same as if it was Yanier choosing pitches,” Valdez said. “When you’re in control of the game, it doesn’t matter who’s picking them – whether it’s him or me. The most important thing is to make the right shot in the right place.”
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