When Torey Lovullo informed Drey Jameson that he would be starting the season in the bullpen, the young hurler's reaction was "I don't give a sh*t, I want to win ball games". Winning ball games is something he has shown a knack for early in his career, with last night's win being his fourth in five total appearances.
In his first career relief outing, Jameson inherited a two on, two-out situation in the fourth inning after Merrill Kelly ran out of gas. After inducing a flyout to end the threat, he was able to pitch into the eighth inning in a game in which neither team ever held more than a one-run lead. That not only kept him stretched out for a possible return to the rotation, but also allowed Lovullo to use the backend of the bullpen in the best way possible to get the final four outs.
Jameson noted the differences in preparing for games as a reliever compared to as a starter. "The fact you're sitting down there, you don't know, the adrenaline is not there. You hear you name and you're like 'Oh crap'. It's a little bit of a different adrenaline". He also experienced firsthand how quickly a reliever needs to warm up in the game, especially with the pitch clock now in place. "When the phone started ringing, I kind of had a clue it was me but I wasn't 100% sure. So I ripped a weighted ball about three times and did a couple shuffles on the mound and then got a mound, 8-10 pitches, and then in the game."
Once into the game, Jameson showed improved stuff compared to his 2022 averages. His fastball was up a tick in velocity and his slider showed better spin and movement. Learning lessons from his victorious start at Dodger Stadium last season, he used his slider to great effect. His spin rate on the slider was up nearly 150 revolutions per minute (RPM) from 2406 to 2547, which resulted in four more inches of drop and three more inches of horizontal movement. The pitch generated eight of his 13 whiffs on the night, although he left one up for Mookie Betts to hit for a solo home run.
The outing also included some negatives, as Jameson walked three hitters and seven of the nine balls put into play against him registering an exit velocity of at least 95 MPH. The defense behind him was able to limit the damage, with Josh Rojas and Jake McCarthy taking away hits from the Dodgers to prevent a big inning. It followed a similar pattern to his 2022 season, in which batted ball data gave an expected ERA of 4.49, three runs worse than his actual ERA (1.48). That was part of the reason why Nelson was considered the leading candidate for, and ultimately won, the final rotation spot.
Overall, this game showed a glimpse of the type of impactful reliever Jameson could become if that's his long term role. In the bullpen, his plus-plus slider would play up with an upper-90s 4-seamer that showed a more vertical movement profile, and a sinker that offers the best in-zone utility. Theoretically Jameson could either be a closer or a high-leverage reliever that can handle multiple innings, but that's not likely the role the organization has in mind for him long term.
While Jameson doesn't have a long term role identified just yet, it's pretty clear that he'll find himself in a key role in either the rotation or bullpen.
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