Royals All-Star Hurler's Latest Pitching Adjustment Could Be Career-Altering
The Kansas City Royals have one of the best rotations in the league and it seems to be getting better as the club inches closer to the postseason.
Despite being a small market team, the Royals rotation ranks No. 3 with a 3.64 ERA and is largely responsible for Kansas City's success this season.
With the Royals being so competitive at the trade deadline, they were able to land a veteran hurler, who is pitching like never before since being traded to Kansas City.
"A pitcher like (Michael) Lorenzen — an established veteran with a large arsenal — is a pitching coach’s dream," The Athletic's Eno Sarris wrote Wednesday when discussing pitchers who changed their approach after signing with a new team.
Lorenzen has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.85 ERA, 17-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .202 batting average against and a 1.15 WHIP in 24 1/3 innings pitched since joining the Royals at this summer's trade deadline.
"He left a team (Texas Rangers) where the team doctor has come out against the sweeper as being a pitch that causes injury and landed on the Royals, where they immediately turfed his regular slider in favor of the sweeper. Batters are hitting .167 with a .250 slugging on this thing."
The All-Star pitcher posted a 5-6 record with a 3.81 ERA, 75-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .225 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP in 101 2/3 innings pitched for the Rangers before making the latest adjustment to his strategy.
It's too early to tell if utilizing the sweeper is going to turn Lorenzen into a front-end starter but so far, it seems to be working and it should be exciting to see how he finishes the season with Kansas City.
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NATE HAGERTY
Nate Hagerty joined "Kansas City Royals On SI" to expand his coverage beyond his work with “St. Louis Cardinals On SI.” Hagerty has been involved in baseball in some capacity since he was seven years old and began a career in sports journalism shortly after graduating from Bridgewater State in 2022. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org