BRADENTON, Fla. -- If not for his Pirates uniform, Mike Clevinger may have had some people questioning if the year is truly 2026.
Making his Pirates debut in Monday afternoon’s 4-1 Grapefruit League win over the Rays at LECOM Park, the 35-year-old right-hander struck out three, walked two and allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings. The most surprising numbers, though, were those popping up on the radar gun.
Clevinger's four-seam fastball averaged 95.4 mph against the Rays, well above his 93.5 mph average from the past two seasons. It topped out at 97.0 mph -- his fastest pitch since Sept. 13, 2023.
“I think it’s a lot to do with health,” Clevinger said. “There’s a lot of years I was battling health. … So it’s just finally being healthy.”
Therein lies the reason the Pirates took a flier on Clevinger: They know what he's capable of when healthy.
This is a guy who went 41-20 with a 2.96 ERA with the Guardians and Padres from 2017-20 before his ‘20 season was cut short by a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
“He brings an edge, and he brings that compete factor,” manager Don Kelly said. “He’s had a heck of a career, and he’s got the experience to go with it -- and that’s something that can help around the pitching staff.”
That procedure -- his second TJ surgery -- proved to be only the beginning of his injury woes.
After missing the entire 2021 season while rehabbing, he landed on the IL twice in 2022 -- missing a month with a right knee sprain, then later sitting two weeks with a strained right triceps. In 2023 it was right wrist inflammation (two weeks) and right biceps inflammation (three weeks). Then, in 2024, he made just four starts before ultimately undergoing disc replacement surgery in his neck.
“I feel like it's been years I've been fighting myself,” Clevinger said. “I had four [years] in a row that ended in a … surgery in the offseason or a surgery in the middle of the season that ended my season. So it's just good to have a full offseason of training and [health] isn’t the main factor I have to worry about.”
Though healthy entering last season, Clevinger shifted to a bullpen role with the White Sox -- but he struggled to a 7.94 ERA over just eight appearances (5 2/3 innings) before being sent to the Minors and shifting back to the rotation.
Monday's uptick in velocity was an encouraging sign, though it's not essential for a guy who -- even in his prime -- has never been a high-octane pitcher. During that successful run from 2017-20, his four-seamer averaged just 95.1 mph.
It was his breaking ball that took his game to another level. During that same span, opponents hit just .164 with a .265 slugging percentage against his slider and sweeper (the former evolved into the latter in 2018). That pitch accounted for a 43.1% whiff rate and registered a +34 Run Value, per Statcast.
In the years since, however, the whiff rate against his sweeper has dropped to 29.1%. Opponents are hitting .237 with a .397 SLG against the offering, which has accounted for a -8 Run Value.
But hey, a few extra ticks on his fastball would only help his other pitches play up a bit more. On Monday the main beneficiary was not the sweeper but the changeup. Clevinger induced seven whiffs (on just nine swings) with his changeup.
“The changeup has been huge,” he said. “That was my fourth or fifth pitch, and now, some days it could be my No. 1 or 2 pitch.”
Overall, Clevinger had a 42% whiff rate (10 misses on 24 swings). That's a rate he had reached just twice in his 50 starts since 2021.
The first four spots in the Pirates' rotation are likely set between Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft. Right-hander Jared Jones will begin the season on the 60-day IL as he continues his recovery from right elbow surgery. He hopes to be back in late May or early June.
As for Clevinger, he has a lot to prove over the next few weeks if he's going to jump presumed front runners José Urquidy (a fellow non-roster invitee) and Hunter Barco (MLB Pipeline's No. 96 prospect) for that final rotation spot in Jones' absence. A long-relief role is also in play.
“This is a great clubhouse with a great team,” Clevinger said. “Looking at this team, we could do something special. So whatever it is to help this team win -- whether it’s long relief, starting, [switching] back and forth -- just trying to get to October is the main goal.”