Yankees News: Where has Dellin Betances’ velocity gone?
In 2014, New York Yankees rookie reliever Dellin Betances took the baseball world by storm with a dominating fastball that touched 100 MPH, and a devastating curveball. Betances, once a top prospect as a starter, was an All-Star as he set the record for most strikeouts by a Yankees reliever (including Mariano Rivera).
Betances’ performance caused most people to forget that he was considered a long shot to even make the team entering last spring, after struggling in limited big league action between 2011 and 2013. Following 12 1/3 spring innings in which he only surrendered one run (0.73) and struck out 11, Betances was given the final bullpen spot.
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He quickly showed that the organization had made the right move posting a 5-0 record with a 1.40 ERA, 135 strikeouts, and only 14 earned runs and 24 walks over 90 innings. Betances finished third in the Rookie of the Year race, and instilled enough confidence in the front office that they allowed David Robertson to walk, while Betances seemingly would become Rivera’s long-term heir.
While Andrew Miller was brought in to compete with Betances for the closer role, most felt that the role would be the New York born Betances job to lose. Through 5 1/3 innings thus far in spring, Betances seems as if he wants to lose the job.
He has posted an ERA of 6.75, allowing four runs, and only striking out four. He’s given up a run in his last four outings, and over that span has allowed six hits (including a home run in his last outing), over just 3 1/3 innings, going since March 11 without a strikeout.
While spring numbers don’t mean much, as players feel that it is more about timing and mechanics than results, the dip in velocity is alarming. Maybe Betances knows that he has a roster spot, and doesn’t want to blow out his arm, as his fastaball has hovered in the low-to-mid 90’s.
Betances says he isn’t worried about the decline in velocity, blaming it on his lack of innings, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com:
"The velocity will come. It’s the same thing as last year in Spring Training. I just trusted it. This year I’m trying to do a little extra with whatever I have instead of just trusting it. I just have to pitch more, the more I pitch, the better I feel. That’s always been (the case), ever since I moved to the bullpen. The more I’d get to pitch, the better I’d feel."
Manager Joe Girardi is not concerned in Betances’ declining velocity, and won’t increase the 6’8 reliever’s workload:
"There’s no concern for me now. If it was to go on for a long time you’d be concerned, but, I mean, he wasn’t throwing 97, 98 (mph) this time in Spring Training last year. Power pitchers usually take a little bit longer to get going. I think he’ll have a hitter or two tomorrow, the first time these guys will go back-to-back. We’ll keep it consistent. It’s a long year. We’ll keep it consistent with what we’ve done in Spring Training. He’ll be ready to go."
Betances lack of velocity should not be an issue, as it is better that he saves his arm for the regular season, when games count. As the season goes on, pitchers velocity tends to increase, as they gain more strength. It is unlikely that Betances will stay in the mid-to-low 90’s all year, unless something is wrong with his arm.
The Yankees need Betances to repeat his All-Star performance from a year ago, if they want a dominant bullpen. In order to do so, he must have his velocity, and it seems that both Betances, and Girardi, are not concerned with the dip in velocity.
The Yankees have significant bullpen depth and Betances is a key part of that. For now, this is not a major issue, however, if it continues into the season, then it will be alarming.
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