Chase De Jong Dazzles in Bucs Debut, Shakes Up Pirates Rotation
In the early part of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt with injuries, especially to their starting rotation. Chad Kuhl has been out since the end of April and recently Trevor Cahill recently went on the IL with a calf strain. Because of this, the Pirates needed a starter for the series final with the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Going with what the Pirates had done already this season, there was speculation that it would be Miguel Yajure, Cody Ponce, or Chad Kuhl coming back from the IL. Yajure was on four-day rest and Ponce was on five-day rest, making him the most likely option. However, the Pirates surprised everyone when they promoted Chase De Jong to the Major Leagues, and designated Ildemaro Vargas for assignment to male room on the 40-man roster.
De Jong had a great Spring Training, with a 1.88 ERA over 14.1 innings of work, and was the ninth different starter for the Pirates this season. However, in the past, his Major League numbers had not been that good with an ERA of 7.16 over 15 games, 10 starts. He was looking for a new start with the Pirates and did just that in his debut. He ended up going 5.0+ innings of work giving up one earned run on three hits while walking two and striking out five batters. Unfortunately for him, he got a no-decision as the Rockies came back to win the series finale 4-3. However, he pitched well enough to earn another opportunity with the Pirates. Today, we look back at his impressive Pirates debut and how it may impact the Pirate's rotation moving forward.
De Jong Dazzles in Debut
After the successes of guys like Miguel Yajure, Wil Crowe, and Cody Ponce, De Jong had some pressure coming up to the Big Leagues. After revitalizing his career at Triple-A Indianapolis, he is back in the Major Leagues and looking for success. He got the first inning jitters out of the way really quick when he retired the Rockies 1-2-3 in the first inning. That success continues through the early portions of the game as he allowed just one batter to reach on a walk through the first three innings. He allowed his first, and only run in the fourth on an RBI Triple by Charlie Blackmon. It was one of the only hard hits off De Jong all day, and he would go on to face one batter in the sixth before being lifted for the bullpen.
The key to De Jong's success was his ability to attack the strike zone consistently throughout the afternoon. He needed 82 pitches to get through his 5.0+ innings of work and threw just over 65% strikes. He had just two three-ball counts through the first three innings of the game, but as he got more worn out, his location began to leave him. His night came to an end when he allowed the leadoff man to reach in the top of the sixth, only the second time on the day that the leadoff man reached against him. His fastball was averaging in the low 90s throughout the afternoon, and he was seemingly able to put the ball wherever he wanted to throughout the night.
De Jong lives off his fastball, and he did so once again throughout his first Pirates start. Each of his first seven pitches were four-seam fastballs, and each averaged around 93 miles per hour. He used it particularly early in the count and threw it mostly at the bottom of the strike zone. While his fastball velocity isn't that impressive, it is the speed difference that his curveball brings that makes him really effective. His curveball averages right around 77-78 mph and he likes to drop it high in the zone. He starts it at the batters eye level and has it trail away from righties and into lefties. He sometimes gets in trouble when he hangs the pitch, but today it was working well and gave him a nice balance between his fastball and the breaking ball that kept the Rockies off balance.
De Jong Moving Forward
The Pirate's new philosophy of attacking the strike zone has seemed to be working as the pitchers from Triple-A are attacking the zone. That is exactly what De Jong did today, and out of all the Pirates debuts we have seen this season, De Jong's was by far the best of the bunch. At just 27-years-old, De Jong is still a relatively young pitcher and could be a part of the Pirates rotation moving forward. With Chad Kuhl set to come off the Injured List today, it is likely that De Jong will be the one optioned to Triple-A. However, he has definitely made a good first impression and earned more opportunities. The other option for the Pirates is to send Wil Crowe down to Triple-A and give De Jong the opportunity in the rotation.
De Jong is an older option than Crowe and has more experience, however, his track record in the Major Leagues overall is not that great. It is only one start, and De Jong still needs to prove he has what it takes to be a successful starter in the Big Leagues. The initial numbers are good and have definitely earned him another shot, but there is still more he has to prove. Can he do it consistently, and what will he do on a night he doesn't have his curveball or his fastball? He also mixes in a slider, that comes in around 85 mph, but it isn't nearly as effective as his other two pitches. It has gotten hit at a .300 clip or higher every season so far and was not used much by De Jong in yesterday's game.
I'm more optimistic about De Jong than I was when he was originally called up for yesterday's starts. Spring Training numbers are good, but in the regular season, his track record hasn't been the best. In order for him to continue to be successful, he is going to have to keep pounding the strike zone and changing speeds effectively. Like many of the Pirate's current pitchers, he isn't a power guy that is going to blow many pitches by you. However, what he is going to do is work consistently in the strike zone, and try and change speeds throughout the at-bat. The 30 mph difference between his fastball and his curveball is a big plus for the right-hander and is hopefully a way for him to complete his journey back to Major League Baseball as he helps the Pirates try and win ball games.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (20-32) start a brief two-game road trip as they head to Missouri to take on the Kansas City Royals (25-26) at 8:10 pm. Chad Kuhl (0-1, 6.32) makes his return from the Injured list when he takes on Mike Minor (3-2, 4.83) for the Royals. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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