Gavin Williams couldn't have asked for a better rookie season with the Cleveland Guardians. However, he came out of his first major league season unsatisfied and went to work in the offseason.
The 24-year-old revealed after his first start of 2024 spring training that he developed a new windup for this season. He said the goal of this new pitching motion is to increase his already strong velocity and help maintain it throughout his start.
The windup adjustment the Williams debuted last Thursday is minuscule when comparing it to what it looked like last season. Look at these two videos. The first one is from his September 17, 2023, against the Texas Rangers and the second is from February 29, 2024.
Williams' Windup 2023
Williams' Windup 2024
The biggest difference here is that Gavin no longer slides his left foot to the side before kicking his knee up. He goes from the set position right into the knee kick. Williams' strength is his fastball which can easily hit triple-digits. If this small modification will help him maintain that deeper in the game then it's more than worth the change.
Williams still had a strong rookie season despite him making this adjustment so early in his career. He had a 3.29 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a K% of 23.5 in 16 starts last season. He still has the potential to be a rotation ace and this adaptation could elevate him there even quicker.
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