SF Giants veteran hurler sought out help from Cy Young winner with new look to changeup

Spring training is often a time when players experiment with new swing mechanics and pitches to prepare for the season. SF Giants veteran Robbie Ray is no different, as he reached out to 2024 Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for help on his changeup, per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle.

SF Giants veteran hurler sought out help from Cy Young winner with new look to changeup

Skubal is the type of player to seek out advice from given the season he just had. He had incredible success as he pitched to a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts for the Detroit Tigers.

The southpaw pitcher also won the pitching version of the Triple Crown by leading the AL in ERA (2.39), wins (18), and strikeouts (228). He is tough on opposing hitters as he flashes a five-pitch mix, including four that he relies on regularly.

Skubal throws a mid-90's four-seam fastball 33 percent of the time, followed by a 27 percent usage rate from his changeup. Opposing hitters tallied a .216 batting average against the changeup, so it was a pretty tough offering to hit.

Similar to Skubal, Ray flashes a mid-90's four-seam fastball. He has used a chanegup sparingly in the past, but he has been on a break with it in recent years. The changeup can be a good option to neutralize platoon matchups if he can stay on the corners with fading action. The success of it often depends on how he tunnels the pitch with his fastball.

Despite sharing an above-average fastball, Skubal and Ray differ in pitch mix. Skubal's secondary offerings include his changeup, slider, and sinker. On the other hand, Ray mixes in a slider and knuckle curve, but it would not hurt to have another pitch in his arsenal. They each have an AL Cy Young Award on their résumé.

Oftentimes, these spring training experiments end once the regular season begins. Only time will tell if Ray decides to mix in a changeup with more frequency.

The Giants played the long game when they acquired the veteran hurler last winter. They knew he would miss a good bit of time after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. He is nearly two years removed from major surgery, and the club will be leaning on Ray to be a big part of the rotation in 2025.