Rick Porcello looking to add more variety to his throwing skills– MLB News
Rick Porcello had a relaxing offseason as he had a fair share of pleasure and recreation. He went to his native town for fly-fishing. Still only 23 years old, the guy has already pitched three big league seasons in his baseball career.
However, it will be fair to say that his best days at MLB are still to come. The Tigers brought Porcello into the 2007 draft after he displayed some high quality throwing skills in the minor league. Signing a $7.28 million contract with the Tigers, he had to turn down a scholarship offer from a university. The offer he received from the Tigers was even better than $7 million Josh Beckett got to sign with Florida Marlins.
After making it to Major League Baseball, Porcello pitched with great control and accuracy. With the ability to throw a mid-90s fastball, he looked to be the next flame throwing power pitcher for the Tigers. However, right from the beginning he has concentrated on his control rather than pace or speed.
"No doubt, it (winning) is something I need to get better at, and there's no reason I can't get better at that fairly quickly," Porcello said last week, speaking on the phone from his New Jersey home.
In his tenure with the Tigers, Porcello has made most of the available opportunities. He was in the Tigers 2009 opening day rotation at an age of 20 and he is one of the most talented prospects in baseball right now.
"The biggest thing for me is, on days when I don't have my best stuff, to step back and take a deep breath and work through hitters and keep our team in a game — and pitch as deep into the game as I can. That separates the great pitchers from the good ones: being able to compete even when you don't have your best stuff."
Porcello has not let the Tigers down since 2009 as he earned 14 wins in each of the last two seasons. However, he has not fully realised his immense potential and will be looking to pitch with a little better velocity to cause more problems for MLB hitters.
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