Rick Porcello Developing Along with His Aresenal

What was wrong with Rick Porcello? Early in the year it was likely a combination of factors. This very corner of the interwebs speculated on Porcello’s abandonment of a curveball and flip-flopping on the ratio of two-seam to four-seam fastballs.

Word came out following today’s game that Porcello worked on more than his original arsenal during his time in Toledo.

The Toronto Blue Jays were kept off balance and Porcello was able to escape mistake pitches unscathed in part because of the effectiveness of his new cutter-slider. It was so good that Alex Avila had to be careful how he called the game early on:

"That pitch was so good early on that I had to stay away from calling it too much"

The adaptability of Porcello’s portfolio of pitches should do him well as he develops and looks to stay ahead of Major League hitters. We have seen how a limited arsenal can stunt the development of a young promising pitcher in Jeremy Bonderman.