Cole Henry's New Cutter: A Breakout Season?

0:00Here's more Washington Nationals news for March 5th. Cole Henry had a breakout year last season as a reliever for the Nationals after overcoming serious injuries like the RASIC Outlets Syndrome. The former second-round draft pick relied mostly on his foreseen fastball and sweeper, posting solid results in his first big league action. This offseason, Henry added a refined cutter to bridge the gap between those pitches, making his arsenal less predictable. He threw it under 4% of the time last year, with little success, but now it's up to at least 20% in spring games. Analysts already viewed him as an underrated arm thanks to his low arm slot in lively fastball. This tweak has fans and experts excited, positioning him as a true three-pitch reliever who can handle high-leveraged spots. In spring training, the cutter clocks two miles per hour harder with a sharper shape, likely from a new grip. Henry looks sharp in a 1-2-3 inning against Venezuela recently, building a case against Clayton Beater for the closer role amid a thin bullpen.

1:02Heading in the year 2, Henry could take another step if he cuts down on walks and hit batters, which plagued him at over 13% last season. The cutter should help generate weak contact and boost his fastball and sweeper, setting up a potential breakout campaign. This story is shared with support from our sponsor. Podcasts hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.