Tanner Houck has left quite a first impression on Major League Baseball.
The 25-year-old has made 21 regular-season appearances (16 starts), totaling a 2.93 ERA while striking out 108 batters in 86 moments. During that stretch, there have been plenty of eye-opening moments, with his first two postseason experiences (a shutout inning against the Yankees, and series-saving, five-inning relief outing at Tropicana Field) punctuating the presence.
Now come the next step.
It would seem as though Houck is ready to entrench himself into the Red Sox' starting rotation in 2022. Appearing on the Live BP podcast, the righty explained why it's a challenge he has never been more ready for.
The reason? It starts with the confidence siphoned from the last two seasons and is pushed forward by the excitement that comes with possessing a semi-new pitch.
"With the game, how it is now, and, honestly, just life in general, you are always adapting," said Houck, who is currently working out at Cressey Performance Center with the likes of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
"You are always getting better. You are never staying the same. In this game, with all the technology we have now and all the scouting reports, going into a game especially as a starting pitcher, they are literally game-planning for you. You’re going in that first inning and they have a game-plan they are trying to follow to a tee and take you out of the game as quick as possible. If I go out there in the first or second inning and go through the lineup the first time, it’s no big deal. The second time I come through the lineup, alright, I have to adapt now. I have to learn how to get this guy out again. What he was looking for after the first at-bat and I have to continue to go off of that.
"It’s definitely one of those things where you’re constantly playing back and forth, and that’s why I would say adapt or die. If you’re not adapting and you are just trying to do the same thing over and over again, it’s not going to work. These hitters are incredible. I give them a lot of credit. But at the same time I try and give myself just as much credit and think my stuff is nasty enough to get them out. But no matter how nasty your stuff is they will eventually get a hit if you throw the same thing over and over.
"Adding the split this year has been incredible for me. Adding that split and building the confidence that I did with it this year helps set me up for 2022 because I showed it can be a good pitch whenever I throw it and whenever I trust it. It’s one of those things where I would love to start throwing it to righties. I only threw it to left-handed hitters last year. It’s 2022 now. It’s time to adapt. It’s time to grow. It’s time to continue to push myself so maybe instead of being two-seam, four-seam to righties, OK, maybe let’s throw the splitter to righties now. Let’s also maybe start working on the backdoor two-seam. Backdoor slider. Elevating four-seam up arm-side. I’m constantly playing these games in my head about unlocking different stuff and being able to go around the zone just truly keeping the hitters off-balance as much as possible."
According to Baseball Savant, Houck threw the split 85 times, all but 12 being offered to left-handed hitters. Of the 17 balls resulting in an at-bat on the pitch, only one went for a hit while it punctuated strikeouts seven times.
For a pitcher that faced just 18 batters the third time through a batting order, this pitch is how Houck is planning on taking his biggest step forward yet.
"I really do," he said when asked if this was the most prepared he has felt when to comes to being a no-questions-asked MLB starting pitcher.
"The biggest thing before was not having a true secondary off speed pitch that could also complement the slider. I think the splitter is an incredible pitch to pair with that, especially where it was last year when I was throwing it 84-87 mph. The year prior whenever I started throwing it the pitch was like 89-91 mph, maybe 92. And my two-seam fastball is anywhere between 91-93 mph. Four-seam fastball is 93-95 mph. So in my opinion the splitter was too close of a movement profile to the two-seam and in velo. So at the end of the year I was throwing it and it was like 85, 87, good movement. I was like, ‘OK, that’s a good separation in terms of velo off the fastball.’ It’s still somewhat similar in the movement profile, but the velo was enough where they couldn’t sit on that anymore. And they also have to respect the four-seam, the two-seam and the slider.
"Just growing and really getting myself prepared for the longevity of the season and knowing I’m going to face the Yankees, the Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles. I’m going to face those teams probably like three or four times. After the second or third time seeing you, they have seen every trick in the bag that I have. It truly is about growing and adapting and that’s where I am and why I think 2022 will be my best year. Seeing the potential of these pitches that I’m throwing myself in the fire learning and growing with."
(Listen to Houck talk about his evolution at the 10:50 mark ...)