What's Wrong With Kevin Gausman?

[PressBoxOnline]

After a strong finish to the 2016 season, Kevin Gausman is now, statistically, one of the worst starting pitchers in the American League. So what's wrong with the right-hander? 

A major league scout and Jim Palmer weigh in:
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/05/25/whats-wrong-with-orioles-starter-kevin-gausman

[thezeroes]

Gausman has the same issue as did Jake Arrieta.  The gray matter between the ears has not been properly adjusted to maintain a high balance with the talent that is located within the body it self.

[Cumberbundy]

No off speed pitches finish in the strike zone and no pitch challenges the top of the zone. He may be slowing his arm for some off speed, it looks like he does. 

[Cumberbundy]

43 minutes ago, PressBoxOnline said:

After a strong finish to the 2016 season, Kevin Gausman is now, statistically, one of the worst starting pitchers in the American League. So what's wrong with the right-hander? 

A major league scout and Jim Palmer weigh in:
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/05/25/whats-wrong-with-orioles-starter-kevin-gausman

That's a good article, PBO. Thank you.

[Tony-OH]

"Whether it's mental, mechanical, emotional, you have to come back and either find it again or get in touch with it," Palmer said.

Notice two of the three are similar and you can read between the lines for what Palmer is trying to see here.

[Frobby]

His first 2-3 games, I thought Gausman had the best breaking ball I've seen from him, but his fastball command was a little off.    I was very encouraged and thought that when his fastball command returned to last year's level, we'd have a superb pitcher on our hands.     But since then, his FB command has remained shaky and his breaking ball hasn't looked as good as it did early in the year.  

There's still time for him to right the ship.     I think his performance the rest of the season will decide whether we stay in the race or not.  

[sportsfan8703]

10 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

"Whether it's mental, mechanical, emotional, you have to come back and either find it again or get in touch with it," Palmer said.

Notice two of the three are similar and you can read between the lines for what Palmer is trying to see here.

The article gave credit to Dom Chiti for helping him being mentally tough.  Wasn't Roger Mcdowell fired from Atlanta for being too tough on pitchers?  

Big start tonight for Gausman.  For a guy that has his stuff he should not be behind in every count and becoming predictable.  That's what Arrietta did.  He'd have great stuff but have runners on every inning.  Eventually he'd have to give in and that's when the three run homers came.  Gausman is similar that way.  

I hate this saying but it applies, he needs to get his swagger back.  Challenge hitters early and trust his stuff.  

[esmd]

I think he'll be fine.  Whatever it is, they'll get it figured out.

[TouchemAll]

Easy NO GOOD Breaking stuff and too much lack of command of his FB.

Till Gausman get's a good breaking ball what you see is what you get.

 

[LookitsPuck]

Not commanding his fastball which makes his splitter worse. Also his slider/curve have not progressed.

[Sessh]

The biggest thing wrong with KG are the expectations put on him by fans. They are expecting too much, but if he ever leaves Baltimore, he'll turn into Jake Arrieta. He gave up 28 home runs last year and eight already this year.

[Aristotelian]

25 minutes ago, Sessh said:

The biggest thing wrong with KG are the expectations put on him by fans. They are expecting too much, but if he ever leaves Baltimore, he'll turn into Jake Arrieta. He gave up 28 home runs last year and eight already this year.

This. Home runs are usually caused by mistakes in the zone. Most often hanging sliders.

[FlipTheBird]

29 minutes ago, Sessh said:

The biggest thing wrong with KG are the expectations put on him by fans. They are expecting too much, but if he ever leaves Baltimore, he'll turn into Jake Arrieta. He gave up 28 home runs last year and eight already this year.

Are you being serious?

O's fans, by and large, would be happy if the guy was simply an effective starting pitcher. This year, he's been hot garbage, and if not for Ubaldo being Ubaldo, he'd really be even more under the spotlight.

[FlipTheBird]

As others have noted, KG's real problem is a total loss of command of his heat, and lackluster secondary stuff. It's just kinda disappeared, which is baffling.

That's created a situation where he's also not confident in his own stuff, so he nibbles.

One of the joys of watching Dylan Bundy pitch is that he has total faith in his arsenal, and goes after batters time after time. He's the only starting pitcher on this club that has confidence in his own talents.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Sessh said:

The biggest thing wrong with KG are the expectations put on him by fans. They are expecting too much, but if he ever leaves Baltimore, he'll turn into Jake Arrieta. He gave up 28 home runs last year and eight already this year.

Is it unreasonable to expect him to do about what he did last year, maybe slightly better?    Because that's what I expected.    And I don't feel that was unreasonable at all.    Our standards as fans have gotten so low because we haven't produced a consistently good starting pitcher out of our farm system in 25 years, that we've come to believe that's normal.   Well, it isn't.