BRADENTON, Fla. -- There is so much data surrounding baseball in this era that sometimes it is hard to understand which numbers matter more than others.
However, one statistic stood out about Joe Musgrove last season that did not require an advanced degree in mathematics to understand. According to Baseball Info Solutions, he was the only pitcher in the major leagues last season who threw over 1,000 pitches with at least 70 percent being strikes.
Musgrove smiled when I relayed that factoid to him during the Pirates’ minicamp that wrapped up Thursday at Pirate City.
“I always want to fill up the strike zone,” Musgrove said. “I don’t like walking people and I don’t like (hitters) running deep counts. My ideal game is to go eight innings, throw 85 pitches, and be able to go out there for the ninth inning if they want me to.”
Throwing a lot of strikes does come with some risks. Hitters are seemingly more comfortable when they know many pitches are going to be around the zone and, at least in theory, hittable.
“I understand hitters are going to more aggressive, but it also plays in my favor sometimes because if I get ahead in the count. Then I can try to execute pitches on the edge of the strike zone,” Musgrove said.
Sometimes it worked out that way for Musgrove last season, his first with the Pirates after being one of four players acquired from the Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade. Other times, things didn’t go according to plan.
Musgrove had 11 quality starts -- allowing three or fewer earned runs in six innings or more -- in 19 outings last season. However, he gave up at least five earned runs in five of his other eight starts.
“You have some teams that are going to try to jump on you early and be aggressive,” the 26-year-old said. “I had that happen to me plenty of times last year. I need to do a better job of avoiding those starts.”
Overall, Musgrove had a 6-9 record with a 4.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.
Musgrove feels the best way to counteract opponents’ aggressiveness is to become a little more comfortable pitching behind in the count and pitching out of the stretch when runners are on base.
That is where the 6-foot-5, 230-pound former high school defensive lineman from San Diego believes his athletic ability comes into play. Musgrove has become increasingly better at holding runners and fielding his position throughout his three seasons in the major leagues.
The athleticism also leads to him being able to repeat his delivery consistently and has kept his throwing mechanics intact. Consequently, that leads to more strikes.
“Those are ways you can balance some things out, make up for some of your weaknesses,” Musgrove said.
While Musgrove has good body control for a big pitcher, he has also sustained his share of injuries.
He strained his pitching shoulder in spring training last year and did not make his Pirates’ debut until May 25. Musgrove also sat out a week in July with an infected right index finger.
Then, in October, he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his pelvic bone and a tear in his abdomen. Musgrove admits the pelvic fracture was painful but downplayed its impact on his performance.
“There are very few times during the season that a pitcher isn’t going through stuff,” Musgrove said. “If you cried wolf every single time you felt something, you’d hardly ever get on the mound. It’s a brutal job sometimes, but we’re professional baseball players. I try to be a professional at all times, and part of that is playing through pain. I didn’t feel great, but I felt good enough to pitch.”
Musgrove is feeling much better now and considering changes to his in-season workout routine to lessen the injury risk.
“I feel like I’m right on schedule with the process,” Musgrove said of his rehab. “I don’t necessarily have to be ready for Day 1 of spring training, I have to be ready for Day 1 of the regular season. When you look at it that way, it removes a little bit of the pressure and a little bit of the stress about hitting a certain timeline. I know if I just stay consistent with my work that I’ll be fine.”
