For most of the spring, Clayton Kershaw’s fastball velocity stayed in the 88 to 90 mph range, forcing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to defend his veteran and respond to questions by pointing out that most starting pitchers have to work into their velocity at the start of the year.
Hard-throwing right-hander Walker Buehler seemed to be a good example. His fastball sat around 94 mph for most of the spring, only gradually increasing to 95 and 96 mph during his first start of the regular season.
And then there is Dustin May.
The 23-year-old right-hander, according to Roberts, hit 101 mph with his fastball during a bullpen session in the second week of spring training.
After some work on his mechanics, May was pumping triple-digit heat in each of his last two Cactus League starts, blowing a 100 mph fastball past Fernando Tatis in a March 20 game against the San Diego Padres and another past Javy Baez in a start against the Chicago Cubs five days later.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” May said when asked what it feels like to throw a ball 101 mph. “I just go out there and throw it and that’s what comes out. I mean, it feels good to look back and see a higher number. But it’s not like I can control how hard I throw it. I just throw it.
“It’s always cool to look back and see 100 (on the scoreboard). Still gotta get guys out. That’s the priority.”
The adrenaline of the moment can produce those high numbers. More important, though, is the delivery, May said.
“I would say it’s more the delivery syncing up,” he said. “I try to feel the same throw every time. Some times it just syncs up a little better and comes out a little harder. For the most part, everything feels the same.”
May spent part of the spring working on “some pitch development stuff” to make sure he develops as more than a hard thrower who can melt radar guns.
“I was trying to get more directional to home plate,” he said. “Being able to throw breaking balls for strikes, throwing the four-seam up in the zone, away to righties — just being able to mix and put offspeed over the plate, that’s the biggest thing. Whenever I’m on the plate and I throw strikes, I keep myself out of bad situatons. I feel like when I get put in bad situations — like when I walk a guy — I put myself there. My biggest thing is just to stay over the plate and let them hit it or let them not.”
May averaged 99.2 mph on his four-seam fastball last season and 98.2 mph on his sinking two-seamer while going 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA. Still, that wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation until the last week of the preseason, allowing May to avoid the uncertainty of a hybrid role pitching out of the bullpen.
“I’m a huge routine guy,” said May who will make his first start of 2021 Monday in Oakland.
“I don’t know how other guys are but I just know I’m huge into routine. Just being able to know when I’m going out every now and then is key, I feel like, to staying healthy and keeping my body right.”
DH DUTY
From Colorado, the Dodgers go to Oakland for a three-game series against the Athletics. The DH will be used in all three interleague games and Roberts said he will move different players through the spot starting with Max Muncy on Monday and Justin Turner on Tuesday.
“I think if you talk to most players a DH day is like an off day and for the team you still get their bat in there,” Roberts said. “I do believe the way we kind of shared that duty (in 2020) was beneficial to our club.”
With the DH used in all games last season, Roberts started 11 different players in the spot (topped by Joc Pederson with 12 DH starts). The group was surprisingly unproductive on a team that led the majors in home runs and runs scored. Dodger DHs combined to hit just .202 last year (28th in the majors) with nine home runs (only four teams got fewer from its DHs) and a .670 OPS (tied for 23rd).
UP NEXT
Dodgers RHP Dustin May (3-1, 2.57 ERA in 2020) vs. Athletics RHP Frankie Montas (3-5, 5.60 ERA in 2020), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570
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