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Analyst Fires Brutal Shot at Cleveland Guardians Pitcher
Apr 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) receives a new ball after giving up a home run to Oakland Athletics third baseman Abraham Toro (not pictured) during the first inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Analyst Fires Brutal Shot at Cleveland Guardians Pitcher

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Matthew Schmidt  |  Last updated Feb 23, 2025 11:44 AM ET

The 2025 MLB campaign will be an absolutely pivotal one for Cleveland Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie, who is looking to rebound after a disastrous season.

McKenzie showed some positive signs during his first spring training start on Saturday, going two innings against the Cincinnati Reds and touching 95 mph with his fastball.

Velocity is obviously paramount, particularly for pitchers to rack up strikeouts. Earlier in his career, that was exactly what McKenzie did.

So, there was understandably some genuine excitement seeing the 27-year-old throwing a pretty effective heater in his February debut.

However, MLB analyst Mike Kurland does not think we should put the cart before the horse and threw a bucket of cold water on McKenzie's initial outing.

Essentially, Kurland is pointing out that McKenzie's issues go beyond his velocity, which is definitely a very valid point.

McKenzie went 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA over 16 starts last season before being demoted. He allowed 69 hits and an alarming 19 home runs while registering 74 strikeouts over 75.2 innings of work. His peripherals didn't exactly improve his case, either, as he logged a 6.46 FIP.

To make matters worse, the right-hander struggled mightily with his control, issuing 49 walks. That resulted in an average of 5.8 free passes per nine innings and strongly contributed to his awful 1.559 WHIP.

McKenzie has been a terrific pitcher in the past. Back in 2022, he registered a 2.96 ERA and a sparkling 0.951 WHIP, but injuries have sapped him since then.

The hope is that the Brooklyn native will be able to rediscover his former stuff this year and represent a major piece of the Guardians' rotation once again, but he definitely has a long road ahead of him.

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This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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