Phillies: Is Vince Velasquez finally putting the pieces together?
By John Town
Vince Velasquez has been one of the most enigmatic players for the Phillies the last two years. Is he finally putting things together on the mound?
Saturday marks the two-year anniversary of Vince Velasquez’s Citizens Bank Park debut, where he struck out 16 Padres in a complete-game shutout. That start, just his second in a Phillies uniform, showed the kind of potential he has.
Since then, Velasquez has struggled to fulfill that potential. He had a 4.48 ERA, 1.389 WHIP, and 3.5 walks per nine innings between 2016 and 2017. Last year was particularly rough as Velasquez only pitched 72 innings in 15 starts with a 5.13 ERA. Injuries and inconsistency plagued him all season long.
This season didn’t start any better. Velasquez was shellacked for seven runs in just 2.2 innings. The Braves scored three unearned with him on the mound as they went on to win 15-2.
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However, things have been different the last two times Velasquez has pitched. He allowed just one run in six innings to the Reds. He walked one, gave up four hits, and struck out six. With Philadelphia scoring five runs in the first inning and 17 by the end of the fourth, Velasquez was able to pound the zone with his fastball, the pitch he has the most confidence in. He didn’t have to worry about keeping the lead secure with such a wide margin.
Friday night against the Rays, Velasquez had his “A” game on. He and Jacob Faria both only allowed a single run as the two teams spent all game trying to break the deadlock. There was no room for error for Velasquez, and he didn’t need it. Velasquez gave up just one run on four hits the second straight outing. He went 6.2 innings, striking out seven and walking one.
The difference between Friday night and April 7 against the Marlins was Velasquez was using his changeup and he was using it well. He threw it 14 times, about 15 percent of the time. The Rays whiffed on 57.14 percent of the changeups they swung at.
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After the game, manager Gabe Kapler praised how consistent Velasquez stayed: [quote via J. Scott Butherus of MLB.com]
"“This was a big step forward for Vinny,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “To be efficient, to get stronger as the game went on. … His velocity maintained all the way through, location got better and he used breaking balls for strikes. Excellent performance by him.”"
Velasquez’s fastball averaged at least 95 miles per hour the entire game. It was still at 95.43 mph in the seventh inning. Velasquez hit his top fastball speed of 97.64 mph in the sixth. His other pitches all held their velocity throughout the game as well.
Seeing Velasquez incorporate more pitches than his fastball into his arsenal is always a plus. What’s even better is seeing him remain so consistent late into games. That has always been his issue in the major leagues; if he avoids that, he can do wonders.
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Of course, seeing Velasquez do this against a higher caliber of team would sure be nice. He gets a rematch with the Braves for his next start; hopefully, he has better results.