Arden Zwelling

after the Arizona outing.

And he was very calm and matter of fact about what needed to be done.

He was very aware that he wasn't throwing his slider in the zone enough for strikes early in counts.

Same goes for his splitter.

He was very aware that his first pitch strike rate was too low.

He was just pointing to, look, I need to locate my secondary stuff better for strikes early.

I need to get ahead in more counts.

I need to stop giving away count leverage because if you look at the numbers, it's very clear that my plate appearances go in two very desperate directions depending on which side of count leverage I find myself on.

And these hitters are too good.

When I put myself, when I back myself into these corners where I have to throw fastball,

in fastball counts to hitters who are sitting on fastballs and I have to throw them on the plate, Corbin Carroll is going to hit grand slams.

Like these guys are too good.

And I'm in these massive spots against these great hitters who are just very good at executing when they have a pretty good idea of what's coming.

So he knows what he needs to improve, just as we all know what needs to improve.

And I think that

Over the next several outings, if you see that zone rate for his slider and his splitter increase, if you see that first pitch strike rate increase, I think that you're going to see the numbers get a lot better because when Jeff Hoffman's had count leverage, when he's had options and been able to throw different pitches and counts and hitters can't really sit on one thing and keyhole him,

We've seen a strikeout rate over 40% and we've seen his stuff be tremendously effective.

So he will be better.

I just think the Blue Jays need to win games right now and just need to have the option of throwing him in lesser leverage until he figures it out.

Yeah, it could be like this podcast, right?