Patrick Corbyn has finished his 2023 campaign (11th season in the majors, fifth year of a six-year/$140 million contract with Washington.) 5.20 ERA, 5.28 FIP, 57 walks (2.85 BB/9), 124 strikeouts (6.20 K/9), .293/.344/.481 batting average, and allowed 33 home runs in 180 IP. (1.65 HR/9).
“I think his pitching has improved.” GM Mike Rizzo told 106.7 The Fan on Sports Junkies in D.C. At the end of this last season. “I think his pitching has improved a little bit and that’s reflected in the numbers.”
Corbin started more than 30 games for the fourth time in four full seasons in the Nationals’ rotation. Of course, he struggled again at times, but while he put together some solid games, he just couldn’t find the form he showed in 2018. diamondbacks In 2019, his first season with the Nationals, he helped the club win a championship. world series After signing as a free agent that winter.
“You know, the numbers don’t indicate he was doing well,” Nats manager Davey Martinez said after Corbin’s last game of the year. ”
“We were able to give him the ball every five days,” Martinez continued. “He works really hard. He works hard in between starts. The guy’s going to eat innings for you. Overall this winter, he’s trying to figure out his identity, what he wants to do going forward. I think we need to figure out what to do.”
“I still have confidence in my abilities,” Corbyn told reporters late in the 2023 campaign.
“I’m healthy. It’s good to finish the season and I think everyone here is looking forward to taking some time off and getting ready to go again.”
As Corbin has often struggled since 2019, his manager stressed the need to stay in the zone and build on previous successes.
“He’s very good when he has the ball,” Martinez said. “We have to get him to understand that he has to hold the ball and use his changeup. His changeup is a good pitch. His slider was good. Overall, looking back, I thought he pitched some tough games and kept us in a lot of games. So we’ll build on that and hope he comes back even stronger next year. ”
It may seem far-fetched that the 34-year-old, entering his 12th season, would be establishing a new identity after four years of struggle, but Martinez explained what that means. .
“He needs to understand that when he throws the ball down and uses his changeup, everything else gets better,” the coach said. “That’s true. His fastball, his two-seamer down, everything is going well, and as we saw, he’s making a lot of weak contact there, and as soon as he gets the ball up, the ball goes hard. It was struck.”
But if the messaging and coaching hasn’t had the desired effect to this point, what are the chances he’ll turn things around at this point in his career?
“He still has some good stuff,” Martinez said.
“You can see that in a lot of swings, a lot of misses, a lot of soft contact, but he’s got to trust it, he’s got to trust the process, he’s got to commit to it, he’s got to be convicted of it. Hopefully. Next year, we’ll talk to him again and discuss how he feels he’s in the situation right now, and we hope he’ll come back and let us pitch another 150-plus innings and do what he’s supposed to do. I hope.”
What Corbin has been doing in the nation’s capital is regularly getting the ball in post-ups, even if he hasn’t produced the results everyone expected from him when he signed.
“He’s a professional,” Martinez said in mid-September when discussing Corbin’s starting role and role in the clubhouse. “He’s going to take the ball away every five days, but when he’s not doing so well, you wouldn’t know it if it was those players the next day. He keeps them going and keeps them engaged. . He’s an incredible leader in the clubhouse and the young pitchers are very fond of him and they talk to him a lot about different things because he’s been through everything.
“Obviously, you guys know he came out of the bullpen for us out of the bullpen. world series, so he knows a lot about this game and pitching. I’m so proud of him because he’s never heard me complain. When things went wrong, he said, ‘I’ll be ready in five days,’ and he’s been like that ever since I’ve known him. ”
Martinez believes Corbin can continue to make an important and meaningful contribution to the club and said the manager is already doing everything he can to help his team-mates.
“He’s already been an important presence. He’s really embraced the young players and talked to them about certain things, how to compete here. He’s been really good. I’m proud of him. I said it last year. But he comes in every five days and takes the ball and does everything we ask him to do. So I hope things turn around for him. And I really think so, because he still has some good stuff.”
