Adbert Alzolay’s breaking ball started about waist-high on Royals cleanup hitter Ryan O’Hearn. Then it sliced downward. O’Hearn checked his swing, but the pitch caught the bottom of the strike zone.
Strike three. And that capped Alzolay’s first start of 2021 spring training.
“I’m happy with that,” Alzolay said of the slider.
Alzolay drew the start in the Cubs’ Cactus League home opener. He pitched just one inning of a 3-2 win against the Royals. But the outing marked the start of the 26-year-old’s spring campaign for a rotation spot.
“At this point for him, it's about going out there and competing on a daily basis,” Cubs manager David Ross said before the game. “He's gone through the prospect journey, and now it's time to take that step to be a big leaguer – which I think he is, and I think he thinks he is, which is always very nice to see.”
Alzolay grazed Royals leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield with his second pitch of the game, putting a runner on first to start the inning. But he retired the next three batters he faced. Andrew Benintendi flew out in foul territory. Salvador Pérez flew out to right field. Then, Alzolay struck out O’Hearn on three pitches.
Alzolay said he was mostly focused on his fastball command Tuesday, so he only threw two sliders and one changeup. He hit 95 mph with his fastball.
“My arm is in a really good position right now,” Alzolay said after the game. “I wasn’t paying attention to how hard I was throwing today. I was just executing pitches”
But he did add: “I’m pretty sure there is more in the tank.”
Alzolay’s velocity sets him apart from other Cubs starters, despite his youth. For example, Kyle Hendricks got the start Monday, and Zach Davies is scheduled to take the mound Wednesday. Their fastballs sit in the high 80s.
Alzolay’s slider, however, was the highlight of his development last season. Last year, he said, he was mostly just trying to throw it over the plate. But after some offseason work, Alzolay’s as confident in his slider as he is throwing his fastball and curveball.
Having a second breaking ball with a different shape, Alzolay said, “opens so many doors.”
He continued: “I can use my curve ball to go 0-0, I can use my curve ball to go 0-1. So, I can save my slider, which is my put-him-away pitch, to throw for a strike.”
On Tuesday, Alzolay continued to prove that his slider can indeed put him away.
Gordon Wittenmyer contributed to the reporting of this story.
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