Milwaukee Brewers scouts hunt for delivery flaws and pitch-tipping cues from Kyle Harrison, aiming to restore the young left- hander’s dominant form before his next start.
The Milwaukee Brewers are examining Kyle Harrison’s mechanics after the left-hander endured one of the most difficult starts of his career against the Chicago Cubs.
Harrison maintains that he is physically healthy, but his performance Monday raised concerns about a noticeable decline in velocity and the possibility that Chicago hitters were identifying his pitches.
The 25-year-old allowed nine runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings in Milwaukee’s 17-3 loss.
Harrison recorded three strikeouts against five walks and surrendered a career-high five home runs. This is concerning as a Brewers need him at his best to contend in the postseason.
A concerning performance
Despite the alarming results and reduced velocity, Harrison said he is not dealing with any physical problems.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged, however, that there may be something within Harrison’s delivery that requires attention.
According to Jack Stern from Brewer Fanatic, Murphy said Harrison feels great physically but suggested that his delivery might be slightly out of sync.
That assessment indicates Milwaukee is currently investigating a mechanical problem rather than treating Harrison’s struggles as evidence of another injury.
There may also be another explanation for Chicago’s success.
Harrison indicated after the loss that Cubs hitters might have been able to recognize what he was throwing because of something he was doing while coming set.
If that was the case, correcting the issue would become particularly important before his next appearance. And, in order to compete against contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in the postseason.
Monday’s performance represented a dramatic change from what Harrison had delivered throughout the season.
He entered the game with a 2.79 ERA in 103.1 innings.
After allowing nine earned runs against Chicago, his ERA climbed to 3.45 in 107 innings.
What’s next for Harrison?
Harrison’s ability to recover will depend heavily on identifying whether the problem was mechanical, related to pitch tipping or a combination of both.
Harrison pitches with confidence and has the ability to attack hitters rather than consistently working around contact.
His delivery can make at-bats uncomfortable when everything is synchronized, particularly because left-handed starters capable of generating difficult angles provide a different challenge for opposing lineups.
Command is especially important for Harrison.
When his mechanics remain consistent, he can locate effectively enough to keep hitters from sitting comfortably in one area.
That is why even a small disruption in his delivery can have significant consequences.
The same applies if hitters are recognizing pitches before they leave his hand.
Harrison also has youth on his side.
At 25, he still has room to make adjustments and learn how to correct problems during a long season without allowing one poor outing to become an extended decline.
Milwaukee’s immediate task is determining exactly what changed Monday.
Harrison says his body feels fine.
Now the Brewers need to make sure his delivery does too.
