In the fourth year of his six-year, $140 million deal with DC, Washington Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin went 6-19 overall with a 6.31 ERA, 4.84 FIP, 49 walks (2.89 BB/9), 321/.374/.513 line against veteran starters with 128 strikeouts (7.55 K/9) and 152 2⁄3 IPs in 31 starts.
Corbyn showed signs of life in the second half of 2022, but the Nationals signed Trevor Williams to bring him another rotation, but the Nationals will see him bounce back in 2023 and trust the club with a relatively young rotation. It provided nut executives with reason to believe it might offer an arm that can…a proven starter to the mix.
Manager Davey Martinez spoke early in spring training about what he hoped to see in Corbin to have a successful spring at camp.
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“One is to be healthy by the end of camp,” Martinez told reporters. he threw the ball We saw some grounders today and that’s where we need him. I’m not really worried about him hitting guys. With him is a lot of weak contact when he’s really good. But the main focus is on 1 health, 2 moving the bottom of the zone and utilizing his slider the way we know it.
“Last year, at the end, he threw some really decent sliders towards the end, so we want him to keep doing that.
Overall for 2022, Corbin posted a .310 BAA on sinkers, threw 43.5% of the time, .309 BAA on sliders (29.4%), and .346 BAA on four-seamers (18.8%). ), .380 BAA (8.3%) on changeup.
But in Corbin’s last few outings, he showed signs of improvement.
“He struggled early on, as we all know,” admitted Martinez, summarizing Corbin’s 10th season in the majors late last year.
“Then all of a sudden…the final 5-6-7 kicked in and he started to understand what he needed to do, how he needed to pitch, throw the ball well, keep us in the game. It was great and it’s a testament to him continuing to work with us. [Pitching Coach Jim] Hickey. I thought Hickey did a great job of making him realize he needed another pitch. He started throwing more changeups. I thought some of his sliders today were really, really good and really sharp. He now understands that he needs to keep the ball effectively. I have a good feeling that next spring he will come around and be in good shape and ready to see another Corbin, the Corbin we saw in ’19. ”
The southpaw is, of course, a different pitcher than his first year at the club after signing a free agency contract and helping the Nationals win a championship. world seriesGM’s Mike Rizzo told reporters earlier this spring.
“I think he’s a different pitcher than he was in ’17, ’18, ’19,” Rizzo said.
“He’s struck out more players. He’s a pitch-to-contact player now with the ability to strike out when he needs to, but he has to stay within himself and have to believe. I don’t think so.” His stuff yet. I think he has to hit his zone to strike, you’ve heard me say it for the past two years, he has to pitch in, he has to pitch aggressively, he has to You have to make contact quickly. [it] Will help him out, but the responsibility is on him, pitch better, take advantage of his stuff, and trust his stuff again like he did when he voted for Cy Young several years in a row.
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As the GM added, I continue to be impressed with how Corbin has treated himself during his struggles on the mound over the past three years.
“Again, I give him credit. He gets the ball every game, he sits in his locker, he answers your questions every day. He’s a true pro,” Lizzo said. told the group.
“He’s contributing to the young players, which is a plus for him, but he has to perform better.”
Corbin posted a K% of 30.8% (11.07 K/9) in 2018 while still in Arizona, and a K% of 28.5% (10.60 K/9) in his first season with the Nationals in 2019. ). Over the past three seasons, these figures have decreased significantly (20.3% K% in 2020, 8.22 K/9, 19.0%/7.50 in 2021, 18.0%/7.55 in 2022). A lefty, even if he’s a different pitcher now, still has the ability to beat hitters when needed, and doesn’t have to rely solely on inducing weak contact.
“I think he can do a little bit of both,” Skipper said. “It’s true. If his slider spin gets back to what we think it is, he can strike out. As they are, they swing well, so the first few balls are important to him.
“When he puts the ball up, that’s when he gets in trouble on the first pitch. So he has to work in the zone.”
