Trey McGough Adjusting to Double-A After Promotion
While we were watching Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds start in the 2021 All-Stat Game, the Pirates Minor Leaguers were still getting down to business. Being that their season was delayed by a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minor League teams ended up playing through the All-Star break to get their full seasons in. It is also an exciting time in the Minor Leagues because the mid-season promotions will be happening as we see players get a chance to move up the ladder. One player who got this opportunity a little earlier in the year was starting pitcher Trey McGough. McGough began his season with High-A Greensboro, where, in six appearances, five starts, he posted a 2.00 ERA over 18 innings of work. He ended up being promoted to Double-A Altoona in June and got thrown into the starting rotation full time.
Out of the gate, McGough had struggled as he allowed two earned runs or more in every start during the month of June, leading to a 4.87 ERA. It started with an outing on June 4th, his first career Double-A start, where he was tagged for three earned runs over 3.2 innings of work. He followed that up with a start in which he allowed four earned runs over four innings, and there were questions as to whether or not the move to Double-A was warranted. After that, McGough knew he needed to work harder than ever if he were to stay in Double-A, and the 23-year-old did just that. Over his last four starts in Altoona, the right-hander has gone 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA over 22.2 innings of work. He has found his out pitch, and that has made all the difference against more advanced hitters. Today, we look at McGough's progression to this point and how he has handled the jump to Double-A Altoona.
Finding His Groove
When he was with High-A Greensboro, one of the things that made McGough so successful is his spot-on control. In his first 18 innings of work with the Grasshoppers in 2021, he walked just four batters while striking out 13 batters. He also was holding opponents to a .197 opponent batting average leading to his promotion to Double-A. When he first got to Altoona, he still had his spot-on control, but he wasn't missing bats nearly enough to be successful. In his first Double-A start, he was tagged for five hits in 3.2 innings of work for an opponent batting average of .333, with the big blow being a two-run home run that advanced the deficit to 4-1. He also had a season-high two walks in that game and followed up the effort by walking three batters and allowing four hits in five innings his next time out. Whether it was the pressure of the promotion getting to him, or he just didn't have it, something would have to change if he wanted to stay in Altoona.
His third Double-A start came on June 18th, and this was the moment that McGough showed that he belonged with the Curve. He threw a season-high 5.2 innings of work giving up just two runs on six hits while striking out five batters. His control was back, as he threw 75% of his pitches for strikes and was able to scatter six hits. He did once again give up a home run, but it was just a solo shot, and he was able to work around it. It was a big bode of confidence for the right-hander, but unfortunately, his team couldn't earn him a win. He ended the month of June one-upping his previous start, by going 6.0 innings on June 24th, allowing two earned runs, but it still wasn't enough to grant him his first Double-A win.
He would finally accomplish the feat in his third Double-A start, after getting all the momentum on his side. It came on July 2nd against the Hartford Yard Goats in what was a rain-shortened affair. Even though it was a shortened game, McGough came out and had the best strikeout game of his career, setting nine batters down on strikes in his five innings of work. He earned his first Double-A win and probably would have gone longer had it not been for the rain. In his last start, he pitched 5.0 innings once again, this time allowing six hits and one earned while striking out two. He earned a no-decision in the game but dropped his opponent's batting average down to .265 on the season. He is making his third start of July for Altoona tonight and is looking to build off his success from his last four Double-A starts.
Control and Finesse
While most pitchers in today's game, are power arms, that does not fit McGough's pitching style. His fastball hits anywhere between 90-92 mph and he builds off of it with his curveball. The thing that McGough does really well that makes him so effective is his changing of speeds. His curveball comes in at around 70 mph, offering a 20 mph difference. His curveball stays straight all the way until the end before completely dropping off the table. To a hitter, the pitches look very similar until the very end. This leaves batters constantly swinging over the top of his pitches. He has a high chase rate, which also attributes to some of his control success.
Because he can't fire his stuff by anyone, McGough relies on his finesse to get pitches by batters. He never has very high strikeout numbers over the course of a whole season, but at times he can have those numbers. He showed that with his nine strikeouts performance in his first start of July in five innings of work. McGough kind of lives by the teachings of the old regime where you pitch to contact, but he is a pitcher who thieves in those scenarios. With defense being a top priority for Ben Cherington and his staff, it is helping to set a guy like McGough up for success. If he keeps pitching the way he knows how to pitch and relies on his defense to get outs.
McGough is beginning to show he can handle Double-A hitters, but it is likely that he stays there the rest of the season. It has taken him a year and a half to get this far, and at 21-years-old, he is right on track in terms of development. It is a harder road for the soft throwers, as they have to figure out how to get his stuff past more professional hitters. McGough is beginning to find his groove as he has set down 28 batters in 30.1 innings of work. His opponent batting average is the highest it has ever been at .265, and if he can get that a little lower he could have success. McGough has a harder road than most, but with hard work, he could find his way to the Majors in the near future.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (34-56) kick off the second half of the season when they take on the New York Mets (47-40) tomorrow at 7:05 pm. The Pirates have not yet named their starter for the game while Marcus Stroman (6-7, 2.75) takes the hill for the Mets. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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