Veteran hurler is excelling in the Cactus League for the SF Giants but without one key ingredient

Michael Fulmer has thrived for the SF Giants this spring, and he has made a strong case to make the club. The veteran hurler is throwing the ball well and getting hitters to swing and miss with a notable decline in velocity.

Veteran hurler is excelling in the Cactus League for the SF Giants but without one key ingredient

Fulmer joined the Giants on a minor league deal right before spring training began. He was a surprise entrant into the competition, as his deal was not announced until the non-roster invite list was published.

The Giants have an open competition for bullpen roles this spring. There was a case to make for just about any non-roster invitee to make the team if they performed well.

There are a handful of non-roster relievers making a strong case to land on the Opening Day roster. Fulmer, along with Caleb Kilian and Gregory Santos, are in that conversation.

For what it is worth, the Giants have rewarded Fulmer with a lot of looks this spring. He is tied for the team lead with seven appearances, which is a good indicator that they are motivated to see what he can do.

The right-handed pitcher has recorded a 3.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts against three walks in nine innings. Does that serve as any type of predictor for regular-season performance? Not necessarily, but Fulmer is just trying to make the club, and spring numbers are often used as the basis for these decisions.

Fulmer's 13 strikeouts are tied for third on the team, behind only Robbie Ray (15 strikeouts) and Carson Whisenhunt (14 strikeouts). His fastball has averaged 90.9 MPH this spring. This is a notable decline from just last season, where he averaged over 93 MPH with his fastball.

The drop in velocity has not affected his numbers all that much. He has not had overpowering velocity in recent seasons, as he has relied more on secondary pitches. This spring has been no different. Fulmer has led with his curveball, throwing it nearly 40 percent of the time. With a 39.3 percent whiff rate, that pitch has been effective at missing bats.

The 33-year-old hurler has mixed in a cutter as well, with his fastball showing up as a third option. Teams typically want hard-throwing relievers to fill their leverage roles, but some pitchers can go against the grain by getting key outs with below-average velocity.

This may not affect Fulmer's role with the club. His performance will strongly influence that. Nevertheless, the drop in velocity is an interesting change to follow.