BRADENTON, Fla. -- It’s normal for Martín Pérez to rewatch his starts during the offseason. Well, at least some of his starts.
"I like to watch when I have good games,” Pérez said. “I don't like to watch bad games.”
By Pérez’s admission, most of the videos he watched this offseason were from 2022. That’s partially because it was his All-Star campaign. Plenty of good games to pick from that year. Last season, not so much. His ERA ballooned to 4.45 with the Rangers and he was demoted to the bullpen after the Trade Deadline.
On Sunday, he made his first start since last July, going three innings of one-hit ball in the Pirates’ 5-2 loss to the Orioles at LECOM Park. He looked sharp, and he did it with the pitches that he really focused on during his offseason film sessions: The changeup and the cutter.
Of Pérez’s 31 pitches, 12 were cutters and 11 were changeups, which combined for five whiffs, six called strikes and all three of his strikeouts. He missed catcher Jason Delay’s target on an 0-2 cutter to Colton Cowser for his lone blemish of the day, a solo shot, but besides that, those two pitches were sharp out of the gate.
“Just got to be on top of the ball and everything's going to work,” Pérez said. “Everything was good. Location was good. I know people may be asking about velocity, but I don't worry about that. I'm here to pitch. I'm not here to throw 100. I feel great with the results today."
Pérez was slightly joking with the idea of him throwing 100 mph. He maxed out at 90.8 mph with his sinker Sunday, and will likely be around that range for most of the regular season. His success is dependent on movement and control, and the cutter and changeup play into that. He didn’t have those pitches last season.
In 2022, hitters had a .231 batting average and .290 slugging percentage against his cutter. In 2023, he got fewer whiffs, surrendered more hard contact and saw those numbers jump to a .342 average and .640 slug. His changeup was a reliable whiff and putaway pitch in 2022, but hitters made more contact against it last season and saw their batting average rise from .233 to .316.
The cutter and changeup make up about 50% of his pitch usage year to year. Executing those two offerings is what can make him a successful pitcher.
“100%, because he's working to both sides of the plate,” manager Derek Shelton said. “He can cut the ball in on right-handers and then go changeup on the plate or off and start to strike the ball. That's really important. I don't know if he could have done it any better than he did it today."
While it’s a small sample size, Pérez showed a much more consistent release point with those pitches Sunday. There will be fluctuation over the course of a season, but the range last year was noticeable:
On Sunday, the changeup came from almost the exact same spot each time, while the cutter was on roughly the same level:
“That’s what you’re looking for,” Pérez said about his release. “You’re trying to throw every pitch in the same tunnel and they’re gonna do the movement that you’re looking for. I think what we’re doing right now is the same, throw everything in the middle of the tunnel and it’s gonna move where you want it.”
The Pirates have had success recently with veteran pitchers in the same mold as Pérez. José Quintana and Tyler Anderson were also softer tossing lefties who found success by revamping their changeups with the Pirates. If Pérez can follow their lead, he could be a much-needed veteran arm for a young rotation with some question marks.
Talking postgame, it is clear that Pérez is also approaching the game in a good spot mentally. Being demoted to the bullpen during a World Series run was tough, but with a firm spot in the rotation in place, he seems to have that 2022 approach to the game.
“I was talking to [pitching coach] Oscar [Marin] during the game and I told him the confidence I have now is big,” Pérez said. “That’s one thing I was trying to get back, and I think I have it right now. When you feel that way, it means you’re gonna go out there and perform.”