Nathan Eovaldi Continues to Evolve

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for the Yankees, who have not galvanized the fanbase with mostly uninspired play. However, there is Nathan Eovaldi. Yes, his 4.40 ERA leaves a lot to be desired. But the 26-year-old starter continues to show signs of turning himself into more than just a pitcher with a blazing fastball, and that should have the franchise and its fans feeling enthusiastic.

Eovaldi had been exasperating to watch for most of his first season with the Yankees. Despite being blessed with an arm that many would expect to belong to an ace, Eovaldi failed to showcase more than a blazing fastball. In the second half that began to change as he incorporated a splitter into his arsenal. Eovaldi was able to turn the splitter into a legitimate secondary pitch, something he had previously lacked, throwing it 25.4% of the time in his nine starts following the all-star break. According to Fangraphs, Eovalidi’s splitter saved him 2.1 runs in that timeframe, second only to the 2.4 runs saved by his fastball.

The frustration that oftentimes comes with watching an Eovaldi start has not been totally eliminated in 2016. He began the season 0-2 with a 6.11 ERA through three starts. The poor start coincided with an ineffective splitter. The offering cost Eovaldi 1.7, 2.6 and 0.3 runs in those three outings. In other words, the pitch was a net negative. But in his five starts since, he’s 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA; capped by a six-inning, one-hitter on Wednesday in Arizona. Eovaldi featured a steady diet of splitters in those five games, throwing it 22% of the time, and it was worth a total of 3.1 runs.

This trend is likely more than just happenstance. Eovaldi’s turning the corner has everything to do with his splitter being more consistent.

In fact, it’s been his most effective weapon in that handful of starts. This is an encouraging sign because it shows what happened at the end of last season may not be an aberration. Eovaldi can be more than just a run-of-the-mill starter when he has something other than an upper-90s fastball to hang his hat on. What he has yet to show, though, is any sustained dependability or success throughout his big league career.

The question with Eovaldi, until he proves otherwise, will always be whether or not he can shake his up-and-down reputation. He possesses portions of the remedy: unquestionable talent and an evolving secondary pitch. All that’s missing is a pinch of consistency. Perhaps the missing piece is starting to present itself. The prospect of Eovaldi finally putting it all together is one thing to be excited about in 2016.