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Adam Ottavino calls Framber Valdez incident nefarious before ESPN debut
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- Adam Ottavino calls Framber Valdez incident nefarious before ESPN debut
Adam Ottavino has not worked a game in the ESPN booth yet, but the veteran of 15 years in the big leagues is not going to be nervous to call it as he sees it.
Just a year removed from the clubhouse, Ottavino made that clear on Wednesday, a day before his analyst debut with ESPN for the St. Louis Cardinals - San Diego Padres game. He didn’t hedge when asked about the controversy of the day: Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez drilling Trevor Story up and in with a 94-mile an hour fastball on Tuesday night, one pitch after the Tigers’ lefty surrendered back-to-back home runs to the Boston Red Sox . Benches cleared. Valdez was ejected and on Wednesday afternoon MLB suspended him six games . Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who was clearly unhappy with Valdez’s stunt, was suspended one game.
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Ottavino, who has been hosting his own podcast since leaving the game, did not hedge.
“Did I think it was intentional? Yes. Do I think it’s a horrible look? Yes? Do I know for sure? No,” Ottavino said in an interview with USA TODAY. “Whether this is intentional or not, it certainly looks awfully nefarious. It’s no wonder the Red Sox reacted the way they did. I think they were justified.”
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That is the kind of candor that Ottavino said he will bring to the booth.
“My goal is always to tell the truth,” the former Yankees and Mets reliever said. “I don’t make it personal, but I will let you know the truth of how things will be received.”
The 40-year-old Ottavino will work alongside Todd Frazier and play-by-play man Mike Monaco on Thursday, May 7 for the second game of ESPN’s doubleheader. He said preparing for a game in the booth as an analyst isn’t all that different from preparing as a pitcher: build a plan and be ready to pivot when the game demands it.
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He also has strong opinions and insight on the automated ball-strike system and how it is reshaping how pitchers need to think. Ottavino said he sees it changing behavior on both sides of the plate.
“Walks are up, and it’s not because of net challenges favoring the offense,” he said. “Batters have more trust that the strike zone is the strike zone. They can challenge if need be. We’ve seen guys chase less on borderline pitches knowing they have a challenge in their back pocket.”
The practical implication for pitchers is significant, he said. The ABS pickup point sits 8 ½ inches behind the front of the plate, which renders a whole category of previously productive pitches far less effective. Pitches that start in the zone and trend out, which hitters would chase, are far less effective. Under ABS, Ottavino sees an opportunity for pitches that start off the plate and trend back.
He said if he were still pitching, he would be using a high curveball more.
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“A ball that appears high and drops into the zone midway over the plate, that is going to clip the ABS zone and be called a strike pretty often,” he said. "You might see more people attempt that.”
Former New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino throws against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Sept. 24, 2024.
Ottavino said he loves ABS and favors keeping the challenge system as is and not moving to the fully automated calls.
“I love that players and umpires alike are getting humbled at times with their knowledge of the zone,” Ottavino said. “In a world where usually the more technology you add the more color you strip out of the game, I think this one actually added a little bit of that. “
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adam Ottavino comments on Framber Valdez incident ahead of ESPN debut
