Once one of baseball's most promising young pitchers, Plesac, 29, is replacing his four-seam fastball and slider with a two-seamer and a version of a sweeper
TEMPE, Ariz. — Zach Plesac is trying to get back his old self, with a new repertoire.
Plesac spent part of his winter remaking himself at Driveline, the high-tech baseball training center.
Plesac, 29, said he’s replaced his four-seam fastball with a two-seamer, and he’s changed his slider into more of a sweeper, which he hopes will help induce more swings and misses.
If it works, the Angels could get a steal for the $1 million, one-year deal they gave Plesac last month.
Plesac had a 3.32 ERA in his first two big-league seasons with Cleveland. The past three years, though, saw him post a 4.72 ERA, including a 7.59 ERA in a nightmarish five-start season in 2023. He spent the second half in Triple-A.
Despite the recent struggles, Plesac clings to the positives within those forgettable seasons.
As recently as 2022, for example, Plesac’s ERA was 4.31, which included 11 quality starts. His 46% quality start rate was higher than the major-league average of 35%. Angels starters had quality starts in just 30% of their outings in 2023.
Last season, Plesac had two starts in which he gave up at least five runs and three in which he allowed three or fewer.
The numbers from his past few years tell a story of a pitcher who is sometimes very good, and sometimes very bad, which offers just enough hope for him and the Angels.
“It could have looked different on paper, but that’s just the mind game that this game is,” Plesac said. “You have to just continue to be confident in yourself. As soon as you lose that confidence, it’s way harder.”
Plesac said he’s viewing this spring as a “fresh start” with a new team, and a chance to reclaim who he was in 2019 and 2020.
“It’s really just remaining confident and just knowing that my stuff is good and not trying to do too much,” Plesac said. “It’s not like I’m far off from being the dominant pitcher in the league that I was.”
Angels manager Ron Washington said he likes what he’s seen so far from Plesac.
“The guy has some pitching skill,” Washington said. “I think more than anything the past couple years he got in his own way. Hopefully this spring, he can get out of his way so the talent he has to offer can show up daily.”
The Angels are stretching Plesac out to be a starter. He currently needs to pitch his way into a five-man rotation that tentatively includes left-handers Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth.
If Plesac doesn’t make the Angels rotation, he is likely to start at Triple-A. He could also pitch out of the bullpen.
The Angels’ gamble on Plesac has significant upside because he would still be under control for at least two more seasons after 2024.
Washington said he’s planning to use “every single guy” from his projected major-league roster in the Cactus League opener Saturday, although some of them may get only an at-bat and not play in the field. Right-hander Victor Mederos will pitch the first two innings, followed by right-hander Davis Daniel. …
Washington said he’s expecting Brandon Drury’s defense at second to be much improved this season. “You’re going to see a different guy out there,” Washington said. So far, Drury has worked out only at second base, but Washington said he will get some time at first and third this spring. The Angels prefer to move Luis Rengifo around and have Drury remain in one place.
