Three Miami Marlins pitchers, high-end fastballs and a lot to prove in spring training
They’re at different stages of their careers, but there are a couple common factors among Miami Marlins pitchers Jose Urena, Jordan Holloway and Jorge Guzman as they make their way through spring training.
First, the obvious: All three possess flamethrower fastballs, with Urena touching 98 mph with his sinker, while Holloway and Guzman have hit triple-digits during their time in the minor leagues.
The second: Each entered spring training with a chip on his shoulder, something to prove as the 2020 season gets closer.
Urena was the Marlins’ Opening Day starter the last two seasons but missed two months in 2019 with a herniated disc in his lower back and finished the season as a reliever. He had to showcase that he’s not only healthy, but that he is also worthy of regaining a spot in the five-person starting rotation.
Holloway, the Marlins’ No. 18 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline, just finished his first full season in the minor leagues after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2017. Now, he has to show improved command in addition to his improved health.
And then there’s Guzman, the Marlins’ No. 16 overall prospect obtained in the Giancarlo Stanton trade. The organization still views him as a starter, but he has to show that he can throw strikes and be effective with more than just his fastball.
“There’s a lot of guys who have big arms,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s a matter of can you locate? Can you stay in good counts? Can you get something else over? That’s what we’re going to see.”
Urena from the stretch
The Marlins have seen plenty from Urena over the past few years. He was a workhorse for them since moving to the starting rotation midway through the 2016 season. He started 28 games in 2017, 31 in 2018 and made his first 13 scheduled trips to the mound in 2019 before a herniated disc sent him to the injured list on June 12.
Urena sat out the next two-and-a-half months before closing the season in the bullpen in an attempt to get him live action of some sort to close out the season.
While his attempt as a reliever had mixed results, there was one takeaway that he is carrying with him as he works his way to being a starter again.
Urena is pitching nearly exclusively out of the stretch. It became habit during that final month of the 2019 season. It hasn’t impacted his velocity either.
“I feel comfortable,” Urena said. “That’s something that I’ve been working on to get a good tempo. ... We hope to find a way to get the results I’m looking for.”
The results in spring have been promising. Urena threw three scoreless innings in the Marlins’ 7-1 win over the New York Mets on Sunday, striking out three batters. Of his three hits allowed, only one left the infield.
Through two spring starts, Urena has allowed just four hits and no runs or walks while striking out four. His sinker, the primary fastball he throws, is consistently hitting around 96 and 97 mph and he is mostly inducing weak contact.
“When he opens the whole zone, he’s a lot to deal with,” Mattingly said. “He became pretty predictable last year. ... We’re just trying to get him to use both sides of the plate, use some elevation, do some different things to open up both sides.”
Holloway’s ‘electric’ stuff
While Urena has established himself as an MLB-quality starter, the other two are still toiling in the minors.
Holloway, a 20th-round pick by the Marlins in 2014, finally gave them a glimpse of what he can become last season, his first since Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the back half of 2017 and all of 2018.
The 6-6, 215-pound righty played the whole season with the Marlins’ Class A Advanced affiliate, the Jupiter Hammerheads, and posted a 4.45 ERA while tossing a career-best 95 innings. He made all 21 of his scheduled starts and went deeper into games as the season progressed. Holloway made it to at least the sixth inning in each of his final five starts.
His fastball is generally between 95-99 mph and he balances it with a curveball that is generally between 79-81 mph.
A new addition this year: An improved change-up that sits in the low 90s that he worked on mechanically with fellow pitching prospect Edward Cabrera.
“I really wanted to get that in the mix,” Holloway said.
He threw about a handful of them on Sunday during his two shutout innings. He induced five groundouts and struck out Ryan Cordell with a 97 mph fastball.
“That stuff’s electric,” Mattingly said. “If we can get him in the strike zone as we move forward from this, that’s special.”
Guzman a work in progress
Guzman, meanwhile, looks to still be a work in progress.
He had a great close to 2019, putting up a 3.50 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 138 2/3 innings with the Double A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
But the 24-year-old is having trouble with his command early in spring. Guzman walked four of the five batters he faced Wednesday and has allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings of work over his first two relief appearances.
“We think there’s a lot of potential there,” Mattingly said. “With all those guys, they’re kind of the same. You want to see them progress, how they’re handling situations. Just getting Guzy out there, getting his reps up where he’s able to use his offspeed stuff.”
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