LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Matt Wisler needed just 17 pitches to get through two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday, an indication both of the Mets’ aggressiveness and his control.
Throwing almost exclusively fastballs, the young right-hander was sharp in his first appearance of spring training.
“Fastball command was there,” Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “I thought he was good. I think he only threw one breaking ball. He didn’t get to some changeups because they swung early, which is good. Means he was around the plate.
“Guys on the other team were swinging. So if you make quality pitches, you can get quick outs.”
He threw 11 strikes in 17 pitches – two breaking balls, the rest fastballs – and allowed one hit with one strikeout, facing the minimum six batters including a double-play grounder.
Wisler didn’t get around to throwing the change-up he worked on with Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine in Atlanta during the winter, but that pitch is expected to be a big part of his arsenal this season.
“A.J. and I, walking in (to the ballpark before the game), he asked me what I wanted to work on today and I pretty much told him, fastball command, first and foremost,” said Wisler, 23. “And the changeup would be a good pitch, too. I only threw two off-speed pitches today. They were swinging pretty early, putting balls in play, being aggressive, and I was trying to get ahead with fastballs. So it went a lot quicker than expected.”
Pierzynski said, “I remember last year when he came up (to the majors) the changeup was kind of his pitch. It was a little bit harder, and I think this one is going to be a little bit slower, change-of-speed. And we’re counting on him. He needs to start taking the next step, and it looks like he’s doing that. He’s matured a little bit off the field, from talking to him. He just needs to continue that process and continue to get better.”
Wisler had the best season among the Braves rookie starters last season, going 8-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 games (19 starts), including a 2.21 ERA and .219 opponents’ average in his last six games. He’s penciled in for one of the top three spots in the rotation, with opening-day starter Julio Teheran and veteran Bud Norris.
“Now I’m trying to establish myself, really work to becoming a guy who can go out there every fifth day and be a guy who can give us a chance to win every time, where guys feel comfortable with me pitching,” said Wisler, a former top prospect who was traded to the Braves from San Diego in the Craig Kimbrel blockbuster the night before 2015 opening day.
Between now and opening day, Wisler has plenty of things he wants to work on.
“I feel good right now,” he said. “Fastball command was pretty good today. I was throwing at the strike zone, which I was happy about. (But) I didn’t finish very well, considering I think a little bit of adrenaline going today, first time back out. I need to get the ball a little bit lower in the zone, work on my breaking ball and my changeup.”
He expects to break out plenty of those pitches in his next start.
“Next outing I think I’m facing Houston,” he said. “They’re a very good fastball-hitting team, so I’m definitely going to need my off-speed pitches in that game. I think going forward, too, I can go out there and throw 20 changeups if I want to. I can throw it just to get the feel for it and the confidence to throw it. That’s the luxury of spring training, if I need to work on it I can say, hey, I’m going to throw 50 percent changeups today, I don’t care too much about the results.
“I definitely have a lot of room to go, but I’ve got, I think, four or five more outings to get ready for the season.”
