Kansas City Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney’s eyes lit up when discussing new acquisitions Bailey Falter and Ryan Bergert.
From the moment the trades were announced, Sweeney was already at work trying to devise a pitching plan for each. The wheels in his mind began to turn: What can we do with Falter’s extension? And, What about Bergert’s command?
A wealth of ideas followed. Fleeting thoughts became noteworthy and previous scouting tape spun new perspectives. Sweeney shared his input with assistant pitching coach Zach Bove and others on the coaching staff.
The Royals had an area of focus in mind. However, they needed a few starts to see both pitchers up-close — the traditional eye test.
Falter was first up against the Boston Red Sox last week at Fenway Park. It wasn’t his best start, as he allowed seven earned runs in four innings. He showed some encouraging signs but couldn’t command the strike zone.
Bergert fared better in Boston. He surrendered two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings while striking out two.
Both starters had shown their baseline. And the Royals had more information to work with in order to get them moving in the right direction.
An improved pitch design
Sweeney actually worked with Falter in the minor leagues. He was Falter’s first pitching coach during rookie ball in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Falter, who stands 6-foot-4, has impressive extension with his pitches. But the Royals recognized a way for him to hone in more on his command. They landed on improving the efficiency of his slider.
“I think most importantly, he’s open to experimenting ...” Sweeney said. “His slider was kind of verti (vertical, displaying a lot of height) and it had more vertical movement than we would want. So just a little shift in that grip and his slider actually got down to the zero line with less vertical break.”
The Royals encouraged Falter to throw his slider more. He was able to generate more swings-and-misses by utilizing a different grip on the baseball.
In his final start with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 29, Falter registered six swings and no whiffs with the slider. Those numbers skyrocketed in his first two starts with the Royals. He has recorded 28 swings and six whiffs in eight innings.
“I think the whole repertoire changed because of the slider,” Sweeney said. “So we’re trying to solve the problem of strikeouts and swing-andmiss for him.
“It was a good thing for him the other day. He went from 12 percentile to double that because of the slider. So he is solid. Maybe it wasn’t his favorite day of pitching the other day, but you can take the positive out of that outing.”
The Royals took a different approach with Bergert. And it has required a collaborative effort to help him succeed with his modified kick changeup.
The kick change, as it’s referred to by pitchers, is thrown like a hard slider or fastball. A pitcher aims to generate more velocity as the baseball kicks forward upon release to home plate. It’s designed to catch more in-flight air resistance and potentially dive toward the hitter at a lower spin rate.
Bergert has experimented with the idea for a while. He told the Royals he began using it frequently after the All-Star break and wanted to continue to do so in Kansas City.
“That’s the product of us getting him and this being a new pitch,” Sweeney said. “Now it’s helping him refine it, and you know the movement is good. He just has to get comfortable with the pitch and understand when and how to use it.”
Bergert believes his kick change can be a potential difference maker. In his first two starts, he has thrown 16 changeups. He has thrown that specific pitch primarily to left-handed batters, offering a different look at the plate.
“It’s never quite been the bread and butter (for me), honestly,” Bergert said. “I’ve always thrown it and I’ve been trying to figure out a grip that works that I’m comfortable with. And one that gets the right movement profile that we’ve been wanting.
“I think we are starting to get on that line and on track for that.”
A renewed focus
The Royals acquired both Falter and Bergert to aid their starting rotation. At the time, the club was without injured starters Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Michael Lorenzen.
That veteran trio helped comprise one of the best staffs in baseball this season.
Lorenzen will return on Saturday, pitching against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. As a result, Falter will head to the bullpen.
Bergert, meanwhile, will remain in the rotation. He is expected to pitch in the series finale on Sunday.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Bergert has solidified a starting role. The Royals look forward to seeing more from him after he allowed four earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.
“Just trying to put the best rotation out there right now and also give us the best chance to match up out of the pen,” Quatraro said. “Give us a little more left-handed depth.”
Both pitchers are willing to do what’s needed to help the team. Falter looks forward to a playoff race after spending years with the Pirates.
