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Red Sox pushed Connelly Early to get bigger so that he could get better
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- Red Sox pushed Connelly Early to get bigger so that he could get better
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Some pitchers go home for the winter with instructions about how to add a new pitch or refine an old one.
Not Connelly Early .
The Red Sox liked what they saw of him in September, and trusted him enough to give him the ball for Game 3 of the Wild Card round in Yankee Stadium.
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Instead, the organization advised Early last fall to focus on getting bigger and stronger.
Unlike his closest friend on the team, Payton Tolle , Early doesn't have the classic power pitcher build. And in order to maximize his stuff and maintain it deeper into outings, the Red Sox wanted him to concentrate on his body.
There was a revamped diet to start with, and lots of time in the weight room .
"I think we challenged him," said manager Alex Cora, "and he did (get bigger). I think he added 15 pounds. He's a lot stronger. That's going to help him raise the floor on his fastball, maintain the fastball throughout his outings. If he can accomplish that, it's going to be fun. It was fun last year."
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Early's fifth big league start came on the biggest postseason stage imaginable and he showed his poise by not wilting. Early fanned six in 3.2 innings in an elimination game for his team and though he was charged with three earned runs, that was misleading as the team committed several misplays behind him.
"It was a great experience, one that's going to make him better for his career," said Cora. "He didn't care (about the pressure). From the anthem all the way through when he took him out, he was under control."
Early's first major league spring training officially got underway Monday with two scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. He faced seven hitters, and retired six, charged with only a walk.
"I felt good today," said Early after a 2-1 Red Sox defeat. "Body felt good. I felt comfortable out there. Hopefully, a byproduct of (the added muscle and strength) is the velo ticking up. I think it was in a pretty good spot today, so hopefully, that continues to go up."
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Early said he didn't feel much differently on the mound with the added bulk and doesn't want to obsess about radar gun readings this spring.
"If we're getting swing-and-misses on (the fastball) and we're getting some chase," he said, "it's a good enough pitch. I'm not too worried about the velo. Honestly, it's more about holding the floor of the velo at a good spot and feeling good and being able to bounce back from starts."
The real test will come later in camp, when Early gets out to five and six innings and discovers whether he's able to keep the velocity up after 75 or so pitches.
In the meantime, the Red Sox will want to see Early refine his approach on the mound to pay attention to details: monitoring his tempo, keeping baserunners close and other less obvious facets of the game.
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"Polish," concluded Cora. "He has a good understanding of what he needs to do. His secondary pitches play at this level; they did last year. But there's more. There's some progression. He's not a final product. The physical aspect of it is going to benefit him."
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