Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Adds new pitch to mix

Rodriguez is working on implementing a two-seam fastball for 2024, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Rodriguez leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball in 2023, and while he had a hearty 97.4-mph average on it, opponents also hit .342 and slugged .535 off the pitch. Rodriguez's goal for the two-seamer is to make it more of a running fastball relying on horizontal movement rather than vertical break, since he is not interested in having a sinker. The right-hander is also expecting to use his cutter less -- he threw it just 5.8 percent of the time last season with poor results. Rodriguez is looking to improve upon the 4.35 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 129:42 K:BB he posted over 122 innings last season, especially since he finished 2023 strong with a 2.58 ERA over his last 13 starts.