5 years agoCleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach Plesac has been spending time refining his curveball accuracy and usage this offseason. Plesac struggled to locate his curveball in 2019 and only threw it 10 percent of the time. “I was spiking it last year. I think it was causing my wrist to get loose and I was getting underneath the ball, spinning it,” Plesac said. “So now I’m finally on top of it, breaking it off over the plate. I threw some good ones today that I felt good with.” Plesac threw two innings in Monday’s 12-8 Cactus League loss to the Colorado Rockies. If he can find more control of his curveball, it would be a big step for the 25-year-old pitcher. The right-hander finished his rookie campaign with respectable numbers, going 8-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 21 starts. While his rookie numbers look promising, he has trouble missing bats, evidenced by his 9.9% swinging-strike rate and 6.8 K/9. Plesac will compete for a spot in the Indians rotation in 2020. He could be worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts, particularly in dynasty leagues, although his upside may be limited unless he can refine his curveball as a complementary pitch.--James Stokke
Source: Ryan Lewis (Beacon Journal)