In these uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught up in how you can’t really evaluate much in a paltry 60 game season. Players are making their major league debuts in their spring training jersey numbers, the major league home run leader is something called Luke Voit with a 1995 Mike Blowers-esque 21, and even this here blog is grasping at straws on what to say about this team with a handful of spicy thinkpieces.

That said, we, the Mariners viewing public, have been given a unique opportunity to watch a few players play in the same amount of games as they did last year, and have given us a chance to see improvement year over year. And while it’s fun to talk about how Kyle Lewis is probably the Rookie of the Year, or how Dylan Moore all of the sudden got good after finding a nearby squat rack, I wanted to focus on Justus Sheffield.

Sheffield was clearly the centerpiece coming back from New York for James Paxton in the trade that cut down the maple forest that was growing in the left field bleachers. Optimistic projections had Sheffield plugged into the Mariners rotation as early as mid-2019. A few tune up starts in Tacoma, and job done, right? Well, not exactly, as Sheffield was sent to Double-A Arkansas to get some reps in and work on his control. After pulling it together in Arkansas, Sheffield was brought up to pitch for the remainder of the 2019 season with the big league club.

Whoever drew the short straw and is editing this, or heaven forbid, the reader, is probably wondering “what happened to that beginning part about comparing two years?” [Ed’s note: sigh] Well here it is. [Ed’s note: yay(?)] Sheffield had seven starts in 2019 and now has notched nine starts in 2020. And my, what a difference a year makes. 

The biggest thing here with Sheffield, similar to Peter’s piece on Marco Gonzales a few weeks back, he’s been reducing his walks substantially. This is an ongoing trend going back to Sheffield’s time in Arkansas. The other side of this that twirls the propeller on the top of our collective beanie has been his pitch selection. 

Since the calendar hit September, Sheffield has increased his changeup usage from 15.6% to 24.8%. It’s worth noting this coincides with Sheffield’s best month in MLB. He has logged three quality starts in a row and not allowed more than two earned runs in those starts. This new found confidence in his third pitch could be the reason why he’s been pitching so well as of late. This isn’t even mentioning his very above average slider, which he uses in all counts, and peppers all over the strike zone. 

When Sheffield came over in the Paxton trade, the reviews were mixed. The big wrap on him was an average fastball (with below average spin rate, which is a new hot term I totally understand which is why I mention it here, sorry you do not) and well above average slider, but if he wasn’t able to develop a third pitch, he was destined for the bullpen. Shout out to whoever has worked with him in the clubhouse (Go Zags) to develop the confidence on the mound to start CHANGING IT UP A BIT. Get it? Because of his changeup.