Batters know what to expect from Wander Suero when they step up to the plate. And Suero knows those batters know. He sees them crowd the plate, anticipating the cutter he throws more than 80% of the time, the pitch with a late bite to take it away from a right-handed hitter.
“It’s my best pitch,” Suero said Thursday, when asked if he enjoys throwing the cutter as much as he does.
The issue for Suero, though, is when he doesn’t locate the cutter. Or when batters are so aware of what’s about to leave his hand — even with the late break on the low-90s heater — that they’re waiting for it, ready to exploit Suero’s one-dimensional approach.
Suero still anticipates throwing his cutter the bulk of the time. That’s the pitch that got him to the big leagues. But what will keep Suero at this level — and what could stabilize his inconsistent results — is the development of several secondary pitches, used just enough to keep a batter guessing.
Putting too much stock into spring training statistics is a dangerous game. But in his first six innings this spring, Suero has struck out nine batters while giving up three hits. If Suero can perform anywhere near that level for the Nationals come April 1 and beyond, Washington’s middle relief unit will appear vastly improved.
“I feel like I’ve been able to compete at this level with just one pitch,” Suero said Thursday through an interpreter. “But this spring, as you’ve noticed, I think the biggest difference is my secondary and off-speed pitches have developed and have gotten much better.”
Suero threw his cutter 81.1% of the time in 2020, with his changeup (13.6%) and curveball (5.2%) making up the rest. Those numbers might stay around the same this season, but Suero expects better production from his secondary pitches this time around.
He feels more confident in using his curveball to drop in a first-pitch strike, although Suero said he’s most comfortable with his changeup. He’s thrown it longer, and the release point is similar to that of his cutter. Against a right-handed batter, especially, the progress from his changeup could prove particularly effective.
While his cutter breaks slightly away from a right-handed batter, his changeup comes back toward the hitter, creating the potential for a strong complement between the pitches.
“Any kind of pitch that even in a slight way moves in the opposite direction [of the cutter] is gonna make their timing and swing [off],” Suero said, “because that’s now what they’re expecting.”
Suero was serviceable last season, with a 3.80 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his 23⅔ innings. But it’s often a matter of consistency with him, whether he can locate his cutter or not. And when the wheels come off, issues tended to compound.
He gave up four hits and three runs in his second appearance of the season and labored through much of August, allowing 16 hits and eight runs in 13 frames. Then Suero went a span of nine innings in September in which he struck out 10 batters and allowed just two hits and one run.
But Suero feels his placement is better than last year, especially when throwing inside. Manager Dave Martinez said his changeup looks “really, really good.” Coupled together, Suero hopes to find more consistency.
Martinez also challenged Suero to build strength in his core and legs, aiming to keep Suero fresh later in the season. What Martinez saw when Suero arrived at spring training was encouraging, but the manager told the right-hander to keep his workout regimen going during the season, preparing for big innings down the stretch.
“We’re going to need him later on, and we’ll need him to pitch big innings later on,” Martinez said. “I think he understands now how long the season is, and what he needs to do to prepare to play in October, because that’s the ultimate goal.”
For Washington to play into October, the development of Suero’s off-speed secondary pitches could play a part. He’ll still be the cutter-first pitcher that brought him to the majors. But the improvement of his changeup and curveball gives him more options — and could keep batters guessing just enough, inching them off the plate.
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