Guardians' Triston McKenzie Struggles In Arizona Complex League

Forbes

2 days ago

Command and control continue to haunt Cleveland Guardians right-hander, Triston McKenzie.
McKenzie, 27, struggled mightily in his brief appearances with the Guardians this season.
To put McKenzie's background in context, he was a former Cleveland Indians 2015 first round draft pick out of Royal Palm Beach Community High School in Florida.
McKenzie made just four appearances for the parent Guardians in April. His ERA of 11.12, and 2.47 WHIP came in 5.2 innings on the mound.
In his appearances, McKenzie walked seven, struck out four, and yielded one home run among the seven hits he allowed.
The Guardians designated McKenzie for assignment on April 21..
McKenzie was not claimed by another organization. He cleared waivers, and accepted an outright assignment to the team's Triple-A Columbus club.
Prior to reaching Columbus, McKenzie was initially sent to the Guardians spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, to work on his mechanics.
McKenzie, 6-5, 165 pounds, had been dealing with shoulder/elbow and arm related issues for the past few seasons.
McKenzie decided not to have any type of corrective surgery, opting instead to rest, rehabilitate his throwing arm, and try to recapture the volume of work he enjoyed in 2022, his best season with Cleveland.
McKenzie, nicknamed 'Dr. Sticks,' because of his long, lanky frame, won 11 games for Cleveland in 2022. He threw 191.1 inning in 30 starts.
McKenzie flashed 'electric stuff' that year, and the Guardians hoped they had developed a reliable starter for years to come.
It never materialized.
McKenzie was sent to the Arizona complex to work with Cleveland's highly regarded pitching coaches and tutors.
Columbus would have to wait.
Then, on Friday, May 30, McKenzie entered an Arizona Complex League game for the Guardians team. He started the second inning of the game.
Here are his statistics from that Rookie League appearance in the Arizona desert:
1.1 innings pitched
1 hit
2 runs, both earned
4 walks
3 strikeouts
1 home run
1 Wild pitch
1 batter hit by pitch
Of the 45 pitches McKenzie threw, only 21 were strikes.
He faced a total of 10 batters.
The results of his first appearance with the Rookie League team were discouraging, to say the least.
Once again, command and control escaped McKenzie in the outing.
The Arizona Complex League is populated by young, mostly first-year professionals who are playing for their first professional team.
It is a time to learn the ropes of becoming a professional baseball player.
Many of the players were international selections, and are stateside for the first time.
There is an occasional veteran who shows up on a rehabilitation assignment.
That was the case with Shane Bieber, who made a start in the Arizona Complex League as he works his way back to the Cleveland major league mound.
When healthy, McKenzie flashed excellent life on his fastball, and a good 'feel' for his secondary pitches.
Sadly, his shoulder/elbow/arm issues were never treated with a surgical procedure, and the impact of those injuries may still linger when he throws.
McKenzie is working on a one-year, $1.95 million contract.
While that isn't a great deal of money in today's baseball landscape, it is a Guardians financial investment with no immediate return.
Baseball fans everywhere are hoping McKenzie can find the command, control, and pitching mechanics that have eluded him for quite some time.
Perhaps his next appearance in the Arizona Complex League will be better than his first.