Angels Throw Young Pitcher Into 'Chaos' Drill to Hone Mechanics

The 23-year-old struggled in his first spring training outing, prompting pitching coaches to take action.

Ben Joyce's Cactus League debut couldn't have gone much worse. 

In the Angels' Feb. 26 exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants, Joyce walked three batters then allowed a grand slam to Tyler Fitzgerald.

In response, Angels pitching coach Barry Enright and bullpen coach Steve Karsay designed a novel back-field drill. As manager Ron Washington described it:

“They put a little thing together for him that we call 'chaos.' He was on the mound, had all sorts of noise going and fans trying to rattle him, but he got through that. And then [Tuesday] night, you saw what he did.”

— Angels manager Ron Washington, via

MLB.com

Joyce went three up, three down in his only frame against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his most recent spring training outing.

Speaking to reporters in Arizona, Joyce said he doesn't get nervous in games but sometimes feels "amped up," causing him to rush and lose control over his mechanics. Perhaps it's no surprise that a pitcher who famously hit 105.5 mph with his fastball in college tends to go fast. 

According to multiple reports, the "chaos drill" is designed to simulate real-game situations, with coaches calling out different situations such as having runners on base, calling for pick-off throws, and attempting to hold runners on while the music blares and fans cheer.

To hear Joyce tell it, his strong showing on Tuesday was no coincidence.

“I enjoyed it. I think it was a beneficial thing to do to slow the game down and keep focus on what I need to do. I think it helped get my head where it needs to be, to fine-tune my mechanics and still have a game situation going on around me.”

— Angels pitcher Ben Joyce, 

via the Orange County Register

The Angels took Joyce in the third round out of the 2022 draft. He debuted last year and went 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 games (10 innings) out of the bullpen. He missed all of August and part of September due to ulnar neuritis in his right arm.