He has as severe a set of “reverse splits” as any pitcher you’re likely to encounter, but Braves left-hander Jesse Biddle has ultimately been quite effective since making his belated major league debut.
And a weary bullpen would be much more so now if he wasn’t part of it.
The 26-year-old rookie, a former Phillies first-rounder who overcame a veritable glossary of injuries before reaching the majors, has allowed just one hit and three walks in six scoreless innings during four appearances over the past week, lowering his ERA to 2.54 and his opponents’ average to .192 in his first 23 big-league games.
“He’s done a great job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after Biddle got in and out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning of Monday’s 5-4, 11-inning win against the Reds. “It’s been a really good thing to see. You never know who that guy is, who those guys are that are going to burst onto the scene when they get an opportunity and run with it.”
After being called up from Triple-A in late April, Biddle allowed two earned runs twice in his first nine appearances. But since then he’s posted a 2.08 ERA and .140 opponents’ average and .543 opponents’ OPS in his past 14 games, allowing just eight hits, four earned runs and 10 walks with 18 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” the 6-foot-5 Philadelphia native said. “You just get confidence when you come up here and you have a little bit of success, and the team is having success and there’s just a lot of good vibes going around. I’m just trying to ride that wave for as long as possible.”
What’s so unusual about this lefty are the splits: Right-handed hitters have hit just .094 (6-for-64) with one extra-base hit and a .326 OPS against Biddle, while lefties have hit .371 (13-for-35) with six extra-base hits and a 1.178 OPS against him.
He had reverse splits in the past, but never anything close to this, and there’s not a trick pitch or devastating change-up or cutter that Biddle can point to as the equalizer that’s made him so effective vs. righties and not lefties so far in the majors.
“I think there’s probably a few things,” he said. “One, maybe just trying a little too hard, knowing that a big reason why I’m up here is to get lefties out. Maybe forcing it a little bit, and maybe once I started to see a pattern I tried even harder. But I think really, I think it’s just kind of been a weird couple of months. My whole career I’ve been pretty good at getting lefties out, and whenever I see a lefty come up to bat I’ll aways think to myself that I’ve got the upper hand. It’s not like I’m feeling defeated or anything.
“I’ve been working a lot with (pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and bullpen coach Marty Reed) in the bullpen and I think I’m definitely turning the corner and ready to get some guys out.”
Braves veteran catcher Tyler Flowers, when told what Biddle said about trying too hard against lefties as a reason for the reverse splits, said, “I guess I can kind of feel that. He’s not the first lefty to be used in that role and struggled with getting ahead of guys and even at times just throwing strikes to guys. I think that’s something you kind of have to grow into, but I think it’s a great thing to be able to get righties out, too. I would suspect that’ll start to even out.
“This guy’s been through a lot and he’s getting up here for the first time, he’s probably still trying to internally figure out if he really belongs or not. Once he realizes that he does, I think we’ll see him take out even more than he has.”
In a refreshingly candid admission, Biddle said two months in the big leagues haven’t made it seem normal to him.
“No. I mean, I was in the minor leagues for a very long time, so a couple of months up here is definitely still not normal,” he said. “I’m used to the long bus rides and the not-so-good food (of minor-league life). Just a different environment. But I’m definitely having a good time. I’m enjoying every day and it’s just been so much being part of this team and playing with these guys every day. You can’t ask for much more out of a rookie year.”
It was a long and winding road for Biddle between his years as a Philadelphia high-school sensation and finally reaching the majors eight years after he was drafted.
Once an elite starting-pitcher prospect, he’s dealt with ailments and procedures ranging from plantar fasciitis and whooping cough to a torn lat muscle and Tommy John elbow surgery, and played for 10 different minor-league and winter-league teams before getting to the big leagues with the Braves, who claimed him on waivers two years ago.
There were times he questioned whether he’d ever make it to the big leagues, but now that he’s here the wait has been worth it for Biddle. And the Braves are glad he endured the trials and tribulations to get where he is, with the Braves and with his role increasing by the week as he’s been used in more high-leverage situations and thrived.
“He’s really stepped up in some big spots,” Flowers said, “and I think he’s earned himself some more difficult situations and stuff and he’s continuing to rise to the challenge.”
Flowers thinks part of what makes Biddle so effective against righties is his size and velocity – 94-95 mph fastballs – coupled with a good curveball and slider and his ability to keep hitters off-balance by altering his delivery, quickening the pace sometimes, using a slide-step on one pitch or lifting his front leg higher on another.
Braves veteran reliever Peter Moylan noted the same thing – “He messes with guys’ timing” – said Biddle has been an important part of the team’s success.
“He’s been huge. Unbelievable,” said Moylan, who didn’t know Biddle until the lefty was called to the big leagues, since Biddle was in minor league camp for much of spring training. “I don’t remember seeing him or meeting him before he got here. So for a guy that wasn’t even on the radar, I guess, to come up and do what he’s done, it’s huge. It’s been really huge.”
Biddle has improved steadily as the weeks have passed. In eight June appearances, he’s allowed just four hits and two earned runs in 11 1/3 innings for a 1.59 ERA and .111 opponents’ average. He’s been particularly effective in three extra-inning games, allowing just two hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings including a pair of three-inning appearances.
With runners on base, Biddle has limited hitters to a puny .135 average (5-for-37) and .516 OPS. In close-and-late situations he’s allowed a .143 average (5-for-35) and .474 OPS.
He’s never been used as frequently as he has this season, because he was a starter for most of his minor league career and then was utilized in a carefully monitored schedule as a reliever as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Now he’s healthy and has been used in back-to-back appearances on three difficult occasions this season, something he never did last season after moving to a bullpen role at Double-A Mississippi. After pitching three perfect innings in Friday’s 15-inning loss to the Orioles, Biddle made third and fourth appearances in a one-week span when he pitched a scoreless inning apiece in wins Sunday against the Orioles and Monday against the Reds.
He admitted to feeling some fatigue when he gave up a hit and walk to the first two batters in the 10th inning Monday, but one sacrifice bunt and intentional walk later, Biddle got out of the bases-loaded jam by getting Jesse Winker on an infield pop-up and inducing an inning-ending ground-out from Jose Peraza.
“I left it all on the field last night, you could say,” Biddle said Tuesday, when he would have a rest day and was told not to so much as play catch before the game. “I honestly wasn’t as locked in as a I should’ve been (Monday). I think I was a little bit tired. I had (warmed up) in the sixth inning and then I come in to pitch in the 10th. I’ve gone back-to-back twice up here; that was my third time.
“I was a starter in the minors, last year was my first time relieving in Double-A and they had me on a specific (rest) plan. So this is the first time I’ve ever really done this. The team has been unbelievable about talking to me and helping me learn the ropes and giving me a chance to compete every day.”
