(670 The Score) As a seven-time All-Star selection who has long been dominant in the ninth inning, Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel has enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Only once in nine seasons before joining the Cubs midway through the 2019 season had Kimbrel ever posted an ERA above 3.00 in a season, but he compiled a 6.53 ERA in his first season in Chicago and then a 5.28 ERA in 2020. It marked the first extended struggles for Kimbrel in his career and caused him to evaluate what needed to change.
This past offseason, Kimbrel worked with Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to refine his mechanics. The adjustments have worked well. Kimbrel hasn't allowed a run or even a hit in seven innings of work this season and looks like a dominant force once again. He has struck out 11 and walked three while posting a 0.43 WHIP.
"When you have a career like Craig does and you're basically a superstar, All-Star closer your entire career and you don't have a lot of times where you struggle," Hottovy said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Monday morning. "When you do, it's kind of hard to fall back on anything that worked in the past."
Hottovy referred to the Cubs' work with Kimbrel as taking a "scientific" approach, working through his pitching mechanics and finding "targets" on which he could fall back. The goal was to correct his delivery and enhance his pitch arsenal.
"Going through what he went through, finding these targets and being able to hone in on them all offseason, I think was a huge advantage for him (in the) first time really understanding what this meant and how to correct it when it wasn't right," Hottovy said.
"Even at the point he's at in his career, with the success he's had, he always wants to learn and get better. That's what you love."
