Last time Matthew Boyd took the mound at Comerica Park, the seats were empty. Next time he does so, April 1 against the Indians, 8,000 of them will be full.
Which makes his Opening Day nod all the more special.
"I speak for the guys on the team when I say that April 1 is going to be a special day when we get to play in front of our fans," Boyd said Wednesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show. "Detroit Tigers baseball is so entrenched in Michigan, in its history and in people’s families that it's something that deserves to be shared. And we didn’t get to share that in the park with anybody last year. So we’re just excited to get out there. Even if it’s just 8,000 fans, we’re gonna give the best product we got."
Boyd found out Tuesday from manager A.J. Hinch that he'll be the Tigers' Opening Day starter for the second year in a row. Hinch slipped the news into a chat with Boyd about his schedule moving forward.
"He sat me down in the office and laid out the rest of the spring for me and then kind of said, 'And that lines you up for April 1st on Opening Day.' Kind of said it nonchalantly and cracked a smile," Boyd said. "It’s just such an honor. I’m so thankful for it."
Boyd's first Opening Day start ended in a 7-1 loss to Reds. He'll hope to improve on that this year. In fact, he'll hope to improve on last year's performance at large when he finished with a 6.71 ERA and gave up the most home runs in the majors.
One thing he has working in his favor is a clean bill of health, which has helped him log a 2.08 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings this spring. Another thing is new pitching coach Chris Fetter, whose advanced grasp of analytics complements that of Boyd.
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"He has the understanding of analytics and he understands how to coach. I don’t think we could have a more well-rounded guy leading our staff," said Boyd. "I’ve learned so much from him already in my first month and a half here, breaking down data and video together. To have someone that understands the analytics and also understands the core foundation of pitching and can blend the two approaches, it's really special."
Boyd has acknowledged part of his problems last year stemmed from thinking too much on the mound, especially as he tried to pitch through injuries. Fetter's watchful eye should help him eliminate that this season.
Which should help Boyd get back to where he wants to be.
"100 percent of my focus needs to be 60'6 inches ahead of me and I need to attack the glove," Boyd said. "Now I have that resource behind me that if I ever do get out of that, either mechanically or what not, I know I have that voice in my ear who's going to tell me when I’m off. And then I can make the necessary adjustment with his help and my own knowledge and get back on the rubber and attack. That’s that trust."