http://dynamicsportstraining.com/blog/lees-blog/scott-kazmir?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
would be nice if he had a Kyle Loshe like turn-around this year
The first thing everyone wants to know about Kazmir is his velocity. After his release, Scott’s velocity had dipped into the low 80’s. I know. I've caught his bullpens since his release from the Angels. I can say that the last time we got on the radar gun, he registered 93mph on the gun with only his warm-up pitches being under 90mph. That was this fall. Reports were that he was clocking in as high as 94-95 in his brief stay in Puerto Rico this winter. Also of note, Edwin Rodriguez, one of the Indians minor-league managers, managed Kazmir in Puerto Rico this winter and said his velocity is back. Our most recent series of bullpen sessions leading up to him leaving for camp were the best I had personally seen him by a long shot. The tempo in his delivery, which was very slow and off-balance last year, has returned to the smooth, athletic-looking delivery and follow through that Rays fans had been accustomed to watching
The next thing people want to know is about his slider that was so dominant at one time. When he was released, it was a cement mixer with little break if any at all. As of the last bullpen he not only has depth and lateral movement back, but it is very sharp. In addition to that, he has since added a sharp 12-6 curve that he throws for strikes, and has tinkered with a variation of a splitter that he calls his “knuckle split” that behaves like a change/curve hybrid. He also has a changeup that is very useful. These pitches in addition to his 4-seam and his darting 2-seam makes 5 pitches compared to his former 2-pitch arsenal
His physical condition has also improved dramatically as well. He was once weighing as high as 205 lbs. With hard work with Lee Fiocchi and myself at DST in Houston, TX, Kazmir has gotten his weight down to an athletic 185, lowering his body fat under 10%. It took every bit of this time out of the MLB to work his way back. I remember early on, we tested Scott’s vertical leap. We use this as a test of instantaneous power output. His first jump was 31 inches. His second was 29 inches, and his last was around 27 inches. He then gave the hand motion that he was done. Most recently, we measured his vertical jump at 39.6 inches that he wrote on the board in our weight room, jokingly informing everyone that it was a world record. His loss of weight has not been a detriment to his strength, as he likes to deadlift as heavy as 450 lbs. After one bullpen, his agent said that he had never seen him look so good, even at his best. Joking that he was “boy band status
His confidence has also made a comeback. Early on, Scott seemed confused and lost, knowing he still had it in him, but didn’t know what to do. As of late, he definitely has been confident. In a recent interview, he said that he believes he can be one of the best pitchers in the game, today…and he definitely believes that, and you can see it by the way he carries himself. This isn’t a cocky swagger, but a confidence that comes from hard work…HARD WORK. Confidence from working with Ron Wolforth who helped him with his mechanics that led him back into the 90’s. This is confidence from the sweat of noon bullpens in the summer time of Houston, TX and a few dawn bullpens at 6 a.m., before the sunrise, because we were working on things and couldn’t miss an opportunity to perfect what we were working on. It comes from being drenched in sweat after workouts focused on regaining his explosiveness.
Lastly, is a topic of his command and ability to miss bats. When I first started catching him, neither of us had any idea where the ball was going. One out of every 5 throws found its way 30 feet into the fence along side the bullpen. Most recently, without exaggeration, there have been 'pens when I haven't had to move my mitt. This past season in the Atlantic League, his K/BB ration wasn’t even 2/1, but as recent as this winter, playing in Puerto Rico, His K/BB ratio was about 4/1. This shows an improved command and strikeout ability.
would be nice if he had a Kyle Loshe like turn-around this year
The first thing everyone wants to know about Kazmir is his velocity. After his release, Scott’s velocity had dipped into the low 80’s. I know. I've caught his bullpens since his release from the Angels. I can say that the last time we got on the radar gun, he registered 93mph on the gun with only his warm-up pitches being under 90mph. That was this fall. Reports were that he was clocking in as high as 94-95 in his brief stay in Puerto Rico this winter. Also of note, Edwin Rodriguez, one of the Indians minor-league managers, managed Kazmir in Puerto Rico this winter and said his velocity is back. Our most recent series of bullpen sessions leading up to him leaving for camp were the best I had personally seen him by a long shot. The tempo in his delivery, which was very slow and off-balance last year, has returned to the smooth, athletic-looking delivery and follow through that Rays fans had been accustomed to watching
The next thing people want to know is about his slider that was so dominant at one time. When he was released, it was a cement mixer with little break if any at all. As of the last bullpen he not only has depth and lateral movement back, but it is very sharp. In addition to that, he has since added a sharp 12-6 curve that he throws for strikes, and has tinkered with a variation of a splitter that he calls his “knuckle split” that behaves like a change/curve hybrid. He also has a changeup that is very useful. These pitches in addition to his 4-seam and his darting 2-seam makes 5 pitches compared to his former 2-pitch arsenal
His physical condition has also improved dramatically as well. He was once weighing as high as 205 lbs. With hard work with Lee Fiocchi and myself at DST in Houston, TX, Kazmir has gotten his weight down to an athletic 185, lowering his body fat under 10%. It took every bit of this time out of the MLB to work his way back. I remember early on, we tested Scott’s vertical leap. We use this as a test of instantaneous power output. His first jump was 31 inches. His second was 29 inches, and his last was around 27 inches. He then gave the hand motion that he was done. Most recently, we measured his vertical jump at 39.6 inches that he wrote on the board in our weight room, jokingly informing everyone that it was a world record. His loss of weight has not been a detriment to his strength, as he likes to deadlift as heavy as 450 lbs. After one bullpen, his agent said that he had never seen him look so good, even at his best. Joking that he was “boy band status
His confidence has also made a comeback. Early on, Scott seemed confused and lost, knowing he still had it in him, but didn’t know what to do. As of late, he definitely has been confident. In a recent interview, he said that he believes he can be one of the best pitchers in the game, today…and he definitely believes that, and you can see it by the way he carries himself. This isn’t a cocky swagger, but a confidence that comes from hard work…HARD WORK. Confidence from working with Ron Wolforth who helped him with his mechanics that led him back into the 90’s. This is confidence from the sweat of noon bullpens in the summer time of Houston, TX and a few dawn bullpens at 6 a.m., before the sunrise, because we were working on things and couldn’t miss an opportunity to perfect what we were working on. It comes from being drenched in sweat after workouts focused on regaining his explosiveness.
Lastly, is a topic of his command and ability to miss bats. When I first started catching him, neither of us had any idea where the ball was going. One out of every 5 throws found its way 30 feet into the fence along side the bullpen. Most recently, without exaggeration, there have been 'pens when I haven't had to move my mitt. This past season in the Atlantic League, his K/BB ration wasn’t even 2/1, but as recent as this winter, playing in Puerto Rico, His K/BB ratio was about 4/1. This shows an improved command and strikeout ability.