Washington Nationals Newcomer Runs Into Trouble During Second Spring Outing
Shinnosuke Ogasawara got his second start of the spring in his fight to make the Washington Nationals Opening Day starting rotation on Friday against the New York Mets.
In his first start, he pitched one inning and gave up only one hit against the Mets, but in his second outing, he struggled a bit with four runs, two of which were earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 1.2 innings pitched.
He threw 42 pitches in total, 16 four-seam fastballs, 12 changeups, 10 curveballs, two sweepers and two sinkers. The four-seamer was consistently 90-92 mph and topping out at 92.4 mph.
Three of the four hits were given up on those fastballs while the other was on a hanging curveball. Three of the four hits also had exit velocity of 100-plus mph including Juan Soto’s opposite field home run.
Ogasawara is never going to be a guy who blows hitters away with velocity, so his issues mostly came from misses within the strike zone.
The final pitch from Ogasawara appeared to be a four-seamer aimed at the inside corner, but it leaked middle-away. With it belt high, Soto drove the ball to left center with an exit velocity of 106.1 mph because he was able to get his arms extended.
The same can be said for the other hits allowed.
Jared Young’s base hit had an exit velocity of 101.9 mph when he served a 2-2 fastball into center. It was the seventh pitch of the at-bat and the fifth consecutive four-seam fastball. The pitch was up and in the middle of the plate.
Luis Torrens’ knock was off of a first pitch curveball that hung.
Lastly, Lindor led off the game hitting a pitch that wasn’t terrible, but was belt on high on the outside corner.
For a pitcher like Ogasawara to be successful in MLB, he will have to locate all of his pitches and change speeds to keep hitters off his four-seam fastball.
The good news for Ogasawara is that giving up a home run to Soto, who may be the best hitter in baseball, isn’t something to get down about.
It is still February, so pitchers still need time to get a feel for all of their pitches.
One thing to keep an eye on will be if he starts to use his sinker more to induce early groundballs.
The Nationals rotation has not been decided by any means, so Ogasawara will get more chances to lock in his stuff and put together better showings throughout the spring.
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I am a lifelong sports fan with a deep passion for Wisconsin sports. Born and raised in Milwaukee, I have always lived in this sports-crazed city and state. With over 25 years of experience coaching baseball and football, as well as a background in business, I have gained invaluable life lessons from my time playing these sports through college. I love engaging in daily banter with fellow sports enthusiasts, approaching each game as if it were a life-or-death experience, because for many fans, it truly can feel that way. Having previously written for OnMilwaukee.com, I’ve been sitting in the bullpen, waiting for the call to once again share my old-school views on the daily sports grind.