Just A Thought: A New Role That Might Benefit Oviedo and Kuhl
It is now the third time through the Pirate's starting rotation, and Pirates fans watched as Chad Kuhl once again struggled through the first inning. It took him 37 pitches to get through the first inning and he gave up two runs to put the Pirates in a hole. The Padres could have made it much worse, loading the bases before a Luis Campusano groundout ended up ending the inning. Kuhl gave up a leadoff home run for the second consecutive start and just couldn't find his cool in the inning, no pun intended. He would give up just two more runs, one earned over his final three innings of work before being pulled after the fourth inning. He threw 92 pitches altogether on the day, with over 40% of those coming in the first inning. Kuhl's first-inning ERA now sits at 24.00 and it is starting to become a liability for the Pirates.
Then, as I was watching the game, something Derek Shelton said about Luis Oviedo the previous night came into my head. Shelton blamed himself for Oviedo's bad outing saying in an interview with Jason Mackey that it was "on him for not pitching him in six days." This led to an idea for a new role for both pitchers that could help Kuhl get through the first inning while helping Oviedo get more consistent time on the mound. The Pittsburgh Pirates experimented with an opener last season, using Montana DuRapau and Michael Feliz in that role. However, with Luis Oviedo having starting experience, why not use Oviedo as an opener for Kuhl. It would allow Oviedo to get more regular time on the mound in a low-pressure situation while getting Kuhl through the first inning. We take a deeper look into what this new role would entail and how the new role may help the Pirates in the long run.
Oviedo Back to Original Role
With most Rule 5 Draft picks, the team tries to hide them on the roster in order for them to stay there all season. However, the Pirates have shown that have faith in Oviedo after two strong outings to start his Major League career. If they can throw him into a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning, why not try throwing him out there to start the game. He has been a starting pitcher throughout his Minor League career, so this would give him a taste of what being a starter in the Big Leagues is like. His fastball is averaging in the upper 90s to begin the year, and seeing that kind of heat right out of the gates could leave hitters off balance. Plus, if the Pirates are serious about keeping Oviedo around, they will probably send him to the Minors and make him a starter anyways. It is a spot where the 21-year-old is comfortable and where he can continue to develop.
2019 was the last time he played a full season when he was with the Lake County Captains in the Cleveland Indians Organization. He made 19 starts for the Captains that year and went 6-6 with a 5.38 ERA over a career-high 87 innings of work. During that time, he was able to strike out 72 batters but lacked control by walking 40 leading to some of his struggles during the year. However, in short stints, he has shown that he can paint the ball on the corners, and that could be a benefit for the Pirates. Oviedo has two distinct deliveries to the plate, one quick and one slow, that can hold an opposing pitcher off balance. In a high-pressure situation, this can throw a hitters timing off, but at the beginning of the game, it can completely mess with their approach.
Another benefit of using Oviedo as an opener is that he can get into a sort of routine. He would know that every five days he is starting the game and can prepare himself accordingly. It would allow Shelton to give him regular work and not have to worry about putting him into a high-pressure situation just because he hasn't pitched in a while. He is guaranteed to get his work in and can go either one or two innings depending on how effective he is. That way, if he does have an outing like he did on Monday night, the Pirates still have plenty of time to dig themselves out of a hole. The move could work to get Oviedo onto a routine and help him as he continues to develop as a future starting pitcher.
Kuhl Gets Out Of The First
One of Chad Kuhl's biggest problems this season has been the first inning as he has an astonishing 24.00 ERA. Yesterday was more of the same as he gave up a leadoff home run for the second start in a row, and put the Pirates behind 2-0 right from the start. It was the third straight start where he needed at least 30 pitches to get out of the first inning, which wasn't helping his efficiency later into the game. He has lasted just four innings in each of his last two starts, and he probably would have been able to go longer had he had a more efficient first inning. Using an opener like Oviedo could alleviate that first inning pressure and allow Kuhl to ease into things.
He got a taste of this last season when he and Steven Brault were used in tandem for the first couple of starts of the year. Brault would porch the first two innings, and Kuhl would come in to get the team into at least the sixth or seventh inning. In the two starts last season where they used this formula, Kuhl performed pretty well. The first came during the 2020 Pirates Home Opener and Kuhl came in and threw 3.2 innings allowing no runs on three hits in his first love action since undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He followed that out in his second piggyback outing allowing a run in 1.2 innings of work. He walked three and struck out five in those outings and seemed to be more relaxed when he came out of the bullpen.
With Oviedo taking some of the pressure off of Kuhl's shoulders, Kuhl can focus on using his stuff effectively. Now, the success of this tactic would depend on how effective Oviedo can be in that starting role as opposed to coming on in relief. If he is anything like he was in his first two outings, it may help the Pirates essentially shorten the game by using Kuhl to get to the back-end of the bullpen. Of course, if Kuhl comes out and pitches in the second or third inning like he does in the first, that ruins the plan as well. However, in a season where the Pirates are looking for development, this may be a tool they can use to get Kuhl going. If Kuhl starts to get going and can hit the strike zone more consistently, it could be a big boost for this Pirates team.
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