Cole Irvin: “I’m not saying I’m in the best shape of my life”

[emmett16]

20 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

I have a sneaking suspicion that Irvin is going to deliver a monster season.  Bear in mind, this is about as Kool-Aid as I ever get, it's spring and I still find this part of the season incredibly boring.  Spring Training is, quite frankly, exhausting.

The Orioles picked him up late last offseason, I don't think he really had a lot of time to get used to whatever the Orioles wanted to do with him from an analytics, pitch mix, etc, perspective.  I also don't think those changes happen overnight which maybe explains why he started so poorly last year.

But when he came back in the second half, he was markedly different.  IIRC, the velocity was up.  The breaking stuff was better.  

So it's my hope that after the 2nd half of last year and an entire offseason of being able to work with the Orioles, he can put together a whole season that's more in line with the 2nd half of 2023.

I've always appreciated and agreed with @Just Regular when he uses the assets allotted to a player as a read on how much the front office values and thinks of that player.  Elias gave up a legit talent, at a premium position, to obtain Irvin.  I think the front office believes in him and foresees him having success.  I think when the Irvin book in Baltimore has been written, it'll be a very positive one.   

[RZNJ]

Sounds to me like Irvin took it upon himself to make changes (perhaps suggested by the Orioles. Maybe not) to improve his conditioning and refine his mechanics (he went to a Driveline type of place and changed his diet).  He also changed his lifting regimen.   Kudos to him.  He wanted to be better.  Better than he was last year.  Better than he was in Oakland.  I hear the phrase uttered by Oriole minor leaguers and coaches “trying to be the best version of myself”.    Maybe that attitude rubbed off on a veteran from another organization.   In the end, Irvin deserves most of the credit and I hope he has a career year and makes it impossible for the Orioles to take him out of the rotation once Means and, hopefully, Bradish come back.   A good start to, potentially, a great story.

[emmett16]

6 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Sounds to me like Irvin took it upon himself to make changes (perhaps suggested by the Orioles. Maybe not) to improve his conditioning and refine his mechanics (he went to a Driveline type of place and changed his diet).  He also changed his lifting regimen.   Kudos to him.  He wanted to be better.  Better than he was last year.  Better than he was in Oakland.  I hear the phrase uttered by Oriole minor leaguers and coaches “trying to be the best version of myself”.    Maybe that attitude rubbed off on a veteran from another organization.   In the end, Irvin deserves most of the credit and I hope he has a career year and makes it impossible for the Orioles to take him out of the rotation once Means and, hopefully, Bradish come back.   A good start to, potentially, a great story.

I could’t agree more.  I love these stories, even when they don’t always translate to on the field improvement.  As they say “it’s the journey not the destination”.  I think we are also stumbling on what the Orioles seem to prioritize; obtaining players who have the make-up & drive to make themselves the best version of themselves. 

[Frobby]

29 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

I've always appreciated and agreed with @Just Regular 

I often do, when I can decipher what he’s saying.  He’s the T.S. Eliot of the Hangout.  (That’s a compliment, I think.)

[wildcard]

22 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

 

This is good interview with Irvin.  Really shows his personality.   Including his love for NASCAR.  His 5 dogs and two horses.  And 4 changes to his pitches that he worked on this off season.

https://glennclarkradio.com/2024/02/26/cole-irvin-says-he-was-pretty-pissed-off-about-his-not-good-enough-2023-season-went-about-adding-to-his-arsenal-in-offseason/

 

[Frobby]

Irvin is an extremely easy guy to root for.  

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Irvin is an extremely easy guy to root for.  

…on a team full of them.

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I often do, when I can decipher what he’s saying.  He’s the T.S. Eliot of the Hangout.  (That’s a compliment, I think.)

Obfuscation is the is the greatest form of expression because it leaves so much between the lines (pun intended).

[Just Regular]

2 hours ago, bobmc said:

Obfuscation is the is the greatest form of expression because it leaves so much between the lines (pun intended).

I do lean on the community's knowledge and probably take too much stuff for granted sometimes entering decoder zone.

The group here's a gift where you don't have to start like...I like baseball.   I like Orioles laundry.    I hope those pajamas do the best.    Bill James, Moneyball, the atomization of run prevention, Michael Lorenzen not being able to find a job and Cole Irvin trying to throw faster than ever in his life.

Even many baseball diehards if Josh Bell came up any given day would think the fan on the internet was talking about the Marlin that the MLB clubs figured was America's greatest high school slugger way back when.

But I know @Frobby is talking about the half the George Sherrill trade guy who one day hit a couple homers off Cliff Lee when he was the best pitcher in the world, and so do many of you.

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, Just Regular said:

I do lean on the community's knowledge and probably take too much stuff for granted sometimes entering decoder zone.

The group here's a gift where you don't have to start like...I like baseball.   I like Orioles laundry.    I hope those pajamas do the best.    Bill James, Moneyball, the atomization of run prevention, Michael Lorenzen not being able to find a job and Cole Irvin trying to throw faster than ever in his life.

Even many baseball diehards if Josh Bell came up any given day would think the fan on the internet was talking about the Marlin that the MLB clubs figured was America's greatest high school slugger way back when.

But I know @Frobby is talking about the half the George Sherrill trade guy who one day hit a couple homers off Cliff Lee when he was the best pitcher in the world, and so do many of you.

That’s what I’m talking about!  But wow - “the atomization of run prevention “.  Perhaps a re-parlance of Bill James or @Gurgi.  I dunno but keep bringing it.  We love you!

[sportsfan8703]

A nice line from Irvin on Saturday. 3 IP 0 ER 52 pitches 3 H 1 BB. Did anyone get a chance to see it? After doing a quick Twitter search, I saw he said he’s trying to become more of a groundball pitcher this year. Via Baltimore Sun.  

[jabba72]

Recently, ESPN wrote about 10 young players that scouts are buzzing about so far in spring training. They also included five more to watch.

For the Orioles, that Top 10 player was pitcher Cole Irvin.

The Orioles have some rotation issues, with an elbow injury to Kyle Bradish and a longer timeline to be ready for the season for John Means. So they have a couple of spots open. Irvin is a prime candidate to help.

Irvin didn’t have a great year last season. He went 1-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 24 games, 12 of which which were starts. But he’s not the soft-throwing left-hander who joined the Orioles in 2019. His fastball once topped 90 mph. He reported to Orioles spring training with a 94 mph fastball. He even clocked one on the cusp of 96 mph.

Why is that important? Velocity like that is something that few left-handers have, per ESPN. Last year only four threw harder than 96 mph in a game, and one was Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Scouts Buzzing Over O's Lefty in Spring Training (msn.com)

Velocity as a LH starter seems to be an extremely rare thing, it will be a big deal if Irvin can maintain this once the season starts.

[dystopia]

48 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Recently, ESPN wrote about 10 young players that scouts are buzzing about so far in spring training. They also included five more to watch.

For the Orioles, that Top 10 player was pitcher Cole Irvin.

The Orioles have some rotation issues, with an elbow injury to Kyle Bradish and a longer timeline to be ready for the season for John Means. So they have a couple of spots open. Irvin is a prime candidate to help.

Irvin didn’t have a great year last season. He went 1-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 24 games, 12 of which which were starts. But he’s not the soft-throwing left-hander who joined the Orioles in 2019. His fastball once topped 90 mph. He reported to Orioles spring training with a 94 mph fastball. He even clocked one on the cusp of 96 mph.

Why is that important? Velocity like that is something that few left-handers have, per ESPN. Last year only four threw harder than 96 mph in a game, and one was Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Scouts Buzzing Over O's Lefty in Spring Training (msn.com)

Velocity as a LH starter seems to be an extremely rare thing, it will be a big deal if Irvin can maintain this once the season starts.

Why did he say Irvin joined the O’s in 2019?

[Moose Milligan]

9 minutes ago, dystopia said:

Why did he say Irvin joined the O’s in 2019?

Cause he's wrong.

That said, it's still nice to see.

[dystopia]

7 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Cause he's wrong.

That said, it's still nice to see.

Is proofreading just not a thing anymore?