New York Mets: Marcus Stroman’s Art of Pitching, Passion, and Love for the Game

When the New York Mets acquired Marcus Stroman at the July 31st deadline, they were getting much more than a pitcher. Stroman separates himself from the rest of the league in regards to heart, confidence, and his mechanics.

Art of pitching

Stroman understands that pitching is about timing, so he has a few tricks. He’ll add pauses, quick pitches, and hesitations into his windup to have batters uncomfortable and moving in the box.

Stroman also has an arsenal of pitches to keep hitters guessing. He’s a “sinkerballer,” which is his go-to pitch for when he needs a swing and miss. Stroman also flashes a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup.

Passion

Stroman is arguably the most passionate pitcher in the major leagues. He shows raw emotion when he’s on the mound. Even though this could create some controversy, Stroman ignores that and will show when he’s pumped up and when he’s frustrated. He was asked about his emotion possibly being misconceived when he’s on the mound when he was in Toronto, where he said “I’m an emotional guy. I’m gonna continue to be myself regardless of who doesn’t like it, who likes it, I’m always gonna be myself.” He added, “I’m emotional, I’m gonna pitch. That’s what I pride myself on, which allows me to my best out there.”

The Duke graduate also prides himself on a message he sends to kids around the world: “Height doesn’t measure heart.” The five-foot-seven pitcher even has this motto tattoed on his wrist.

Mechanics

The 28-year-old’s mechanics is something he prides himself on. His ability to repeat it over and over is what sets him as one of the premier pitchers in the league. Stroman uses his body effectually which allows him to throw in the 90s consistently.

Even though he’s not known for being a flame-thrower, Stroman’s game is to get players to get themselves out. This season with both Toronto and the New York Mets, he gets 54.8% of the batters to ground out (FanGraphs).

Gold Glove

Stroman is a tremendous athlete. He just understands how to use his body completely and is very fluid in everything he does. With a Gold Glove in 2017, Stroman is known for making not-so-easy plays off the mound. Stroman lands off his delivery very balanced which allows him to get to these kinds of plays.