Cleveland Indians right-hander Triston McKenzie remains one of the most promising young pitchers in MLB.
The road hasn’t always been rosy, and he has a 5.12 ERA in 84.1 innings.
However, he has been much better in July and August and looks like he could be a future ace.
A Tale Of Two Seasons
McKenzie had a rough first half of the season, one that made everybody wonder whether or not he can be the ace he appeared to be last season when he made his MLB debut.
Through June 12, he had a 6.38 ERA in 42.1 innings, and he just couldn’t find the strike zone consistently.
He conceded an extremely high 8.29 walks per nine innings, when a successful pitcher is usually around two or three.
The lack of control prompted the Indians to send him to Triple-A, to work on his delivery and mechanics.
Cleveland has an excellent track record of getting the best out of their pitchers, evidenced by the recent success of Aaron Civale, Shane Bieber, and Zach Plesac in 2020, among others.
Once he came back in July, he showed immensely improved control.
His walks per nine innings decreased dramatically, all the way to 2.32, much more in line with a top-tier pitcher.
In 42.2 innings in eight starts since returning from Triple-A, McKenzie has a much better 4.01 ERA.
He is still prone to giving up homers at a high rate, but he looks poised and composed on the mound.
Earlier in the season, his control and command were non-existent.
At the moment, he looks like an ace in the making.
He has allowed three runs or less in six of the eight starts he has made since coming back from Triple-A.
In his last start, on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, McKenzie flirted with a perfect game and was incredibly dominant.
In eight innings, he allowed just one hit and no walks, while striking out 11 foes.
It was by far his best start of the season.
Prospect Development Is Not Always Linear
McKenzie’s story goes to show that prospect development is not always perfect.
McKenzie had an impressive debut in 2020, and one would think that he was ready to dominate right out of the gate in 2021.
That was not the case, however, and he needed a lot of work with his mechanics before he could take the next step in his development.
Cleveland was patient and proactive with their prized young pitcher, and he now looks like he will be a contributor for 2022 and beyond.
His raw talent, electrifying fastball, and projectability certainly make him one to watch for the future.
Trust the Cleveland org with talented young arms more than probably any other team, which is why I've always been so high on Triston McKenzie. He could be a future ace, but also could just be their next Danny Salazar.
— Collin Whitchurch (@cowhitchurch) August 15, 2021
In addition, his track record in the minor leagues always made him look like a future ace.
He consistently struck out over 11 hitters per nine innings while limiting walks.
In his MLB cameo last year, he had a fine 3.24 ERA in 33.1 innings.
Austin Hedges had the best seat in the house for Triston McKenzie's career-best 8 inning, 11 strikeout shutout performance on Sunday. He comments on @T_eazy24's outing and facing Miggy on the verge of history.
"He was so chill, so under control, so confident. I loved it." pic.twitter.com/6fUM2oFZGW
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) August 15, 2021
It took a bump in the road that virtually lasted half a season, but now that he can consistently throw strikes again, he can build from there and keep developing until he scratches his considerable ceiling.
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