New reliever Nick Sandlin speaks on joining the Blue Jays.
Get to know Toronto Blue Jays newest reliver Nick Sandlin.
"It's a really cool city, cool stadium and great atmosphere. I'm really excited to get up there and settle in." via MLB Network Radio
Sandlin spoke with MLB.com's Blue Jays beat writer Keegan Matheson about his elite splitter and his back to back 3.75 era seasons with the Guardians.
What gives the Blue Jays excitement, though, is the development of Sandlin's splitter.
It's becoming this team's trademark pitch and represents another level of upside for the Blue Jays to unlock in the right-hander, who will turn 28 in January.
As I was throwing it better this year, I just started utilizing it a lot more and then I started using it against both lefties and righties. I gained a lot of confidence with it.
Sandlin started to hold the pitch deeper in his hand last season and apply pressure at different points on the ball with his fingers. Finally, it clicked, and he was able to get the bite he wanted consistently, allowing him to throw it with confidence and keep the pitch falling below the zone, like you see from Kevin Gausman, Erik Swanson and Bowden Francis.
The result? An incredible 48.3% whiff rate on that pitch, which pairs very well with his slider.
«For me, it's been good to remain pretty healthy the last couple of years, get out there a lot and get a lot of appearances under my belt. Now, I'm just looking to improve my performance, be more consistent and put it all together.»
Sandlin has had contact with his new club in Ernie Clement, who seems to have been just as well-liked in his Cleveland days as he now is in Toronto.
Joining an already excellent defensive team, having Andres Gimenez come along with him added to the excitement for Sandlin.
He's awesome, somebody that everybody in the clubhouse likes. He's a pretty laid-back guy but just a very consistent player. I'm lucky to be on his team."
I feel like he doesn't talk too much smack or mess around with too many people on the team, but me and him have a funny relationship going back and forth. He's probably annoyed that I'll continue to follow him around.»
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 19 | 185 ANSWERS New reliever Nick Sandlin speaks on joining the Blue Jays. Do you think right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin will thrive with the Blue Jays in Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 140 | 75.7 % |
| No | 45 | 24.3 % |
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