Scott McGough is Moving Back Into a High Leverage Role

When you stand next to Scott McGough you get a reminder that baseball is the best game in the world. It's the great equalizer. It doesn't matter what your stature is, how tall or short, big or strong. There is a place for all types of athletes in this game. Perhaps generously listed at  5'11, 190 lbs., the 33 year old right-hander does not strike an imposing physical presence. But inside there is a quiet, humble determination that seems to have become the trademark of many of the players Mike Hazen has assembled on the first place Diamondbacks. 

Manager Torey Lovullo conceded he didn't really get to know who McGough was until a game on May 16th in Oakland, which became a turning point in his understanding of McGough both as a pitcher and a competitor. The D-backs bullpen had been overworked in recent weeks and just blown an 8-4 lead, allowing the A's to tie it up and send it to extra innings. McGough came into the 10th inning, having thrown 19 pitches two days before. He managed to work out of a 2nd and 3rd jam with two outs to send the game to the 11th.  He stranded the winning ghost runner at third base again.  

At that point Lovullo felt McGough he had already done his job.  But the following exchange between manager and pitcher was telling. Lovullo met him at the dugout steps,  "I said that's it, you're done. He says no I'm not. I 'm going back out there. I got this. We're going to win this game, I got this. When he came in and told me that and pulled my hand back I said , you're right, you do have it." 

By the time the game was over, the D-backs did not win, as the Ghost Runner came in to score giving the A's the 9-8 win in 12 innings. But McGough had taken one for the team, throwing 49 pitches, and showing his manager he was a pitcher he could depend on. From that game on McGough has been nearly un hittable, and earned his manager's trust. McGough has appeared in nine games, throwing 11.1 consecutive scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and four walks while striking out an eye popping 17 batters.  As a result Lovullo indicated today that we can expect to see McGough appear in more high leverage situations going forward. 

McGough feels he is ready for this challenge. He pitched for the Yakult Swallows in Japan, the last two as the full time closer. He racked up 69 saves those two years as they won a championship in 2021 with McGough closing for and came in second losing in the finals in 2022. 

"I feel like that put me in a good spot, because baseball is so loved over there. It's like a national sport for them....you have sellout crowds every night even for an inconsequential July game, the fans really get into it, they love cheering. It's fun because they care so much.  I feel like that really helped prepare me to come to Dodger Stadium and open up there because they have 40-50,000 there with the crazy sound system. It was not too overwhelming for me. I'm glad we played in the playoffs. It's just a different beast. I know it would be different if we're fortunate enough to make it [to the playoff] here as well."

If McGough does continue to pitch his way into some high leverage and save situations it will be because of his excellent splitter.  He is essentially a two-pitch pitcher, using a 94 MPH four-seam fastball and a very sharp split to get hitters to swing and miss. Batters currently are hitting just .083 against the pitch and he's inducing a swing and miss with it 40% of the time. 

He talked some about a former Diamondback from Japan that he pitched against over there as well, Yoshihisa Hirano.  "Yoshi" also threw a four seam and splitter and rode that pitch to great success in Japan and also here for Arizona in 2018. 

"Hirano is a great pitcher, faced him many times in Japan, he's a great dude. It's kinda cool coming to the same spot that he was at and throwing similar pitches.  How it worked for me was I threw a split before I went to Japan, but it was more like a sinker, it wasn't a swing and miss type pitch. So when I went over to Japan they changed a few things. Over there you just need slower breaking pitches, because you need a bigger spread between the off speed and the fastball. They also gave me a grip that worked and I started throwing that grip more and more and got accustomed to it "

The Splitter is almost like a National pitch in Japan. McGough said that while it may not be a guy's number one pitch, "everyone has one, every guy has it in their repertoire, every coach knows how to teach it, and they're very diligent in how they teach certain things."

McGough's 2023 season started of rough. Both Lovullo and pitching coach Brent Strom have conceded they might have asked too much of him too soon. He picked up a save in his second game, but in his third in San Diego he blew a save giving up back to back homers on splitters that didn't drop. Perhaps adjusting to balls that were less tacky than those used in Japan, he didn't quite have the feel for his trademark pitch in his first month.  Through May 6th he had a 5.87 ERA and had given up five homers in just 15.1 innings. But he's clearly turned it around. He hasn't allowed a home run since May 6th and dropped his ERA to 2.97 in 33.1 innings. 

McGough had multiple offers to return to MLB, including with some other winning teams, but chose Arizona in large part because of what he saw and believed could happen here in the desert.  While excited to be here, he's careful not to get too high or too low, noting it's a long season.  Towards the end of the interview we circled back to something that was important for him to express.

"I love talking about my time in Japan. I'm so thankful for that opportunity over there. It really changed the trajectory of my career. I am just very thankful for my teammates and my coaches in Japan. I'm very thankful for that opportunity for learning in life and in baseball and coming back and bringing that perspective here."

Listen down below to both Lovullo and McGough