John Means spent the entirety of last spring training worried that each day would be his last at big league camp.
A longshot to make the roster, the biggest question Means had to answer was, simply, who he was.
This season, one of the only questions surrounding Means is whether or not he’ll start on Opening Day against the Yankees.
The 26-year-old made the roster last year not seemingly permanently, as one of the final additions to a pitching rotation that figured to have turnover throughout the season. Instead, Means became the lone solidifying presence on the worst pitching staff in baseball.
“This spring is a little bit different for me than last year, coming in and just trying to make the team and trying not to get cut,” Means said. “It’s a little different, now we get a little bit more on a schedule, we get more of a routine in everything. It’s a little bit easier to do your workouts, have your scheduled bullpen, scheduled outings.”
Means posted a 3.60 ERA in 31 games and 27 starts with a 1.135 WHIP. He allowed eight hits, 1.3 home runs, 2.2 walks and seven strikeouts per nine innings as well. With question marks across the rotation — specifically on the back-end — Means represents the spot that the Orioles can feel comfortable about.
“He was a cool customer from the get-go here last year,” Orioles general manager and executive vice president Mike Elias said. “He was very confident. Carried himself relaxed, there wasn’t a lot of pressure on him, there wasn’t a lot of expectations. Just came into camp and won a job and took it from there.”
Means was one of just two starting pitchers to post a winning record on the second-losingest team in baseball.
“Last year at this time, I barely knew who John Means was,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He was just one of the pitchers I was trying to get to know. Then he broke camp with us because he was able to pitch multiple innings when we were going to New York. I hope we have 10 of those guys step up and be a nice story like John was last year.”
Now, Means is set to prove that his first season as an Oriole won’t be his best.
“I had a curveball, but it was more of a ‘Get-me-over’ pitch,” Means explained. “It wasn’t too much of a swing and miss. I’m trying to get that a little bit sharper and harder, which was kind of the goal this offseason.”
With Means, Asher Wojciechowski and Alex Cobb figured to headline the Orioles top three rotation pitchers, and with the bottom two spots for the opening roster still to be decided, those three are as safe as can be headed into the season. But for Means, he’s still got a lot to prove.
He no longer has to worry about being sent down to minor league camp each time a player is added to the 40-man roster. His job also isn’t on the line each time he takes the mound anymore.
But he’s certainly going to act like it is.
“I still like pitching like my back is against the wall, I still want to try like I’m trying to win a spot, try to act like I haven’t just made it,” Means said. “That’s the last thing you want, is to get comfortable. You never want to take anything for granted.”
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports. Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream Capitals and Wizards games easily from your device.
MORE ORIOLES NEWS:
"last" - Google News
March 10, 2020 at 04:10AM
https://ift.tt/39EWaF7
John Means is now at the top of the Orioles rotation - NBCSports.com
"last" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2rbmsh7
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "John Means is now at the top of the Orioles rotation - NBCSports.com"
Post a Comment