Don Kelly Thrilled With Pirates Starter, Looks To Future

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation is in good shape for the future. Paul Skenes is the best pitcher on the planet and headlines the group, but there are several productive young arms behind him.

One of the more veteran pitchers in the group is Johan Oviedo. Since returning from injury, the righty has been excellent. On Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles, he threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out five in the process on 85 pitches. It was his longest outing of the season in both innings and pitches. Oviedo wasn’t the pitcher of record in a 3-2 loss.

In 25 2/3 innings this season, Oviedo has registered a 2.81 ERA. His strikeout rate is much improved over previous seasons at about 27%, although he’s walking more hitters as well. Strike-throwing has always been a concern for the righty, but his stuff looks as sharp as ever.

Oviedo has two years of arbitration remaining before he reaches free agency. Although the Pirates have a plethora of young arms, such as Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft, fighting for spots in the rotation, Oviedo should be in line to win a rotation spot next season. His manager, Don Kelly, has been encouraged by his progress.

“He’s throwing the ball extremely well,” Kelly said. “He commanded the ball really well today and has shown that since he’s been back. The sustained stuff throughout his start today was really encouraging.”

The Pirates have been careful with Oviedo since his return from injury, and for good reason. The postseason is out of sight, and there’s no point in pushing a pitcher who will figure into next season’s plans past his limit.

In the veteran pitcher’s last season with the Pirates, he posted a 4.31 ERA over 177 2/3 innings. While he likely won’t hold a 2.81 ERA over a full season, he has made some improvements since then. He’s creating more vertical movement with his four-seam fastball from a lower arm angle, making it remarkably flat and difficult to hit. He commanded the ball to the top of the zone frequently today and was rewarded with 10 whiffs on 36 pitches.

His breaking balls have always been solid, it’s just a question of strike throwing. With an offseason of work, if Oviedo can command his four-seam better, he’ll become a dominant force in the league.

More MLB: Pirates Writer Raises Concerns Over Player Who Has ‘Dramatically Regressed’