Tayron Guerrero hit 100 mph 11 times vs. Braves. Here’s how he got his velocity back

Tayron Guerrero knows what an asset his fastball can be. The relief pitcher is open about his aspirations to develop into a closer because he knows pitcher’s who can regularly top 100 mph on the radar gun have a valuable tool.

Something was off in his first few appearances of the year, though, and Guerrero knew he had to fix it. In his first three outings of 2019, Guerrero’s average fastball velocity had dipped to 97.5 mph. On Friday, Guerrero finally got back to what he expects of himself.

“I feel like I’m building it up and the first couple of games that I threw, I felt good, but I didn’t let it go like today,” Guerrero said after the Miami Marlins’ 4-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park. “Today it was more like adrenaline, the game and all that stuff, and I think that’s why.”

Guerrero has now appeared in four games and thrown 3 2/3 innings for the Marlins (2-5) entering the second game of a three-game set with the Braves (4-3) on Saturday at 7:20 p.m. Because of his raw velocity numbers, Guerrero always was one of the most intriguing members of Miami’s bullpen, although he wasn’t pitching totally to his potential in his first three appearances.

Guerrero, who averaged 98.8 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2018, didn’t crack 100 mph in either of his first two appearance, then hit the triple-digit threshold once in a loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday.

On Friday, he broke through. The right-handed pitcher threw 18 four-seam fastballs, including the 15 fastest pitches of the game. Eleven of those pitches clocked in at at least 100 mph. At one point, Guerrero hit 100 on seven straight fastballs and 9 of 11. Guerrero averaged 99.8 mph on those four seamers. The reliever pitched a scoreless eighth inning with one walk and one strikeout on a 102-mph fastball.

The righty said there was a slight mechanical adjustment. In the first week of the season, Guerrero got away from some of what helped him be successful in 2018. He put in some extra work with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. to fortify his lower half, emphasizing balance on his back leg.

“Other than I’m feeling good, I was working with the pitching coach today,” Guerrero said. “They have been telling me, Hey, use more your legs, and I put in today, so I get more balance in my back leg and let it go.”

Right away, Guerrero knew he was back on track.

“The first that I threw to [Ronald] Acuna, I felt like, OK, this is what I was doing last year,” Guerrero said. “This what I’ll keep doing today.”

After 18 straight fastballs, Guerrero wrapped up his scoreless inning with the other pitch in his arsenal. Entering Friday, Guerrero was throwing his slider 37.8 percent of the time.

Tyler Flowers stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on first base thanks to Guerrero’s one walk. The catcher had already homered once on a breaking ball, but Guerrero trusted his. The 28-year-old whipped an 89-mph slider across the plate and Flowers lifted a fly ball to center field, which outfielder Lewis Brinson corralled to end the inning.

Guerrero knows his fastball is his biggest asset. He also knows he needs to find one more reliable pitch to reach his full potential.

“That pitch is coming very good. I’ve been using it, like I said, in the last three games that I have been pitching to and it’s getting better every day. I focus on that every day to keep working on it and that’s going to make my fastball a little better,” Guerrero said. “With the fastball that I have, if I pick another breaking ball, like my slider or two-seam, I expect to probably in the future be a closer. That’s what I want.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2019 at 12:36 AM.