CLEVELAND -- Striking out 300 hitters in a season might seem like an achievement solely from yesteryear, done by fellows like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, but Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale and Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer got there in recent seasons. Houston Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole, the current leader in strikeouts per nine innings and on pace for 306 whiffs, never thought he could join the group as well.
"Nope. Never saw it. I was surprised last year by how many I was getting but I am not as surprised this year," said Cole, who is currently sixth among starting pitchers on the Player Rater, during Monday's player interview sessions from the All-Star game in Cleveland. "I wasn't trying to get more strikeouts. I'm trying to get outs the most efficient way I can. The idea that like, hey, three to four pitches for a strikeout could be the most efficient and could be the most safest out in those scenarios. Now I'm striking a lot of guys out this year as well and trying to find myself in scenarios trying to shave some pitches off because (I'm) getting lots of foul balls and stuff. It kind of happens with the style of pitching and style of hitting this year."
Cole's final season with the Pittsburgh Pirates was a bit of a struggle, as he permitted 31 home runs and posted a 4.26 ERA. The Astros acquired him in January 2018 for a package that included emerging right-hander Joe Musgrove and infielder Colin Moran. It was then that the first pick of the 2011 amateur draft really took off statistically. Cole started to rely more on his curveball, but also increased his fastball velocity -- and the strikeout rate rose. Cole finished first in strikeouts-per-nine innings last season, edging out both Scherzer and fellow Houston hurler Justin Verlander. His home run rate is up again, but then again, it seems like everyone's is in 2019.
"I made some changes to the repertoire last year and continued down that path," he said. "When you can play, you can make adjustments. The backbone for all of this is physically being ready to play. I personally try to respond to the home runs as well as I can and stay indifferent to how a team is scoring and try to limit the scoring."
All-Star game MVP Shane Bieber rose quickly through the minors with the reputation of being a control pitcher with little upside. Bieber threw strikes and permitted few walks, but seemed to lack the weaponry to control left-handed hitters. Now he's striking everyone out (OK, not literally) and still is stingy with the free passes. He earned MVP honors by whiffing each of the three hitters he faced in the fifth inning. Bieber ranks seventh in strikeouts-per-nine innings and sixth in strikeouts-per-walk. He's the No. 9 starting pitcher on the season-long Player Rater, this after posting a 4.55 ERA over 19 starts as a rookie.
"I think if you look at my splits, I'm mixing pitches a little bit better and then executing as much as I can," said Bieber, eighth in the majors in strikeouts and seventh in WHIP. "I felt like last year -- especially the third and fourth time through the order when guys have seen you a few times -- my lack of execution was hurting me even more. I'm throwing a few more sliders, curveballs whatever that may be for that outing and starting to learn what spots to pick when trying to challenge guys. There are certain situations I just don't want to give in."
The new baseball and the ridiculous home run rates this season were topics of conversation for most pitchers at these interview sessions, and while Verlander shared his outspoken thoughts on the trends with ESPN's Jeff Passan, most pitchers were less controversial. Bieber has permitted 17 home runs and talked of the adjustment he had to make with the different baseball.
"That's kind of the saying -- as long as it's a solo home run then it's OK," Bieber said. "I think in an outing against Chicago I gave up four (on May 13). That's not OK. Home runs are going to happen, especially the way the game is changing. Guys are trying to do a little damage instead of just trying to hit the ball. Just last year I think coming up and making my debut, I wasn't in major league spring training and the ball was different from the minor league ball to major league. But once you learn how to spin it it's a little bit different. That was a tough adjustment. I'm happy to see they're using the major league ball in Triple-A so now players can make a little more of an adjustment."
Like Bieber, Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Soroka debuted in the majors last season, but shoulder problems held him to only five big league starts. That might impact how many innings the Braves allow the 21-year-old to throw this season, which fantasy managers must factor in for this summer. Soroka says he was just trying to break into the rotation this season and the competition in Braves camp helped motivate him. In an era with home runs so prevalent, Soroka has permitted a mere four of them in 15 starts -- easily the best home run rate for qualified starting pitchers.
"Most of my stuff moves downward and it's about being aggressive in the zone first," he said. "One adjustment I made this year is I don't have to be perfect. It's no secret when you put yourself ahead 0-1 instead of 1-0, you're putting yourself in a good advantage. Last year I was finding I was trying to be too perfect, getting into hitter counts. The sinker was sinking just below the zone instead of the middle-bottom. If they want to go ahead and swing, I am all for that -- even if it's a hit. Do it the next time (and) it can be an out."
Soroka rose through the minors with potential ace upside, but few thought he would pile on the strikeouts. He has not. In fact, Soroka has just a 7.35 K/9, ranking him No. 70 among 92 hurlers that have thrown 80 or more innings. Most in the fantasy world would shy away from a pitcher relying more on defense than his own ability to miss bats, and Soroka might not be able to keep an ERA of 2.42 for long. After all, it was 1.38 one month ago. Still, his FIP remains an outstanding 3.09 on Fangraphs, checking in at No. 10 among those qualified arms.
"I think keeping a mental aggressiveness with every single pitch has allowed me to take a leap forward," he said. "I feel like I can dominate with all four pitches and not just one or two. That has been crucial especially later in games once you get to the third time in the order. That's talked about so much with starters, getting deep. Being able to compete with each pitch. You get a new appreciation for that when you get hurt and you actually aren't able to make those pitches."