Chien-Ming Wang’s career seemed all but over, but a bump in velocity could lead to an unexpected revival with the Kansas City Royals.
Chien-Ming Wang is a name you probably didn’t think you would hear much, if at all, in 2016. The right-hander last stepped onto a big league mound three years ago for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered him on the comeback trail, but Wang continues to seek a return to the MLB stage. Most recently, he signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals in January.
Is there any reason to think that the upcoming season will be different for the one-time star hurler? If the radar gun is to be believed, quite possibly. According to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, Wang has been experiencing a noticeable uptick in velocity this spring:
Chien-Ming Wang said his velo was 88-89 last year. Now 94-95 thanks to pitching guru Ron Wolforth. #Royals
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) March 15, 2016
That’s a serious increase in zip, one that potentially turns Wang’s fastball from a middling pitch back into a legitimate major league weapon. Velocity is a much-debated issue in Spring Training, often an unwelcome one for many pitchers. Wang will hope that his case is an exception.
Wang made his MLB debut in 2005 with the New York Yankees and quickly became the team’s unlikely ace. He won 19 games in each of the following two seasons, finishing 2006 as the AL Cy Young runner-up. Unfortunately, as most Yankee fans are aware, he suffered a torn ligament in his foot while running the bases in June 2008 during an interleague game. He was never the same afterward.
Wang’s big league career continued with brief, unsuccessful stints for the Nationals and Blue Jays, after which he attempted to break back into the game through the minor league systems of the Reds, White Sox, Braves and Mariners.
The most dangerous pitch in Wang’s arsenal has always been his sinker. In his heyday, he could throw it in the mid-90s, helping him maintain ground ball rates near 60%. If he can hit that velocity once again while keeping the ball down in the zone, it sounds like a definite recipe for success.
As Flanagan noted, Wang spent time this offseason working with Ron Wolforth, who runs the Baseball Ranch in Montgomery, Texas. Wolforth has been credited with helping revive the career of Scott Kazmir, whose velocity also climbed after training with him.
The Royals could be an ideal situation for Wang as he tries to get another shot at the big leagues. For one thing, he is reunited with pitching coach Dave Eiland, a familiar face from his Yankees days. Kansas City also boasts one of the top infield defenses in the league, anchored by Gold Glove winners Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar. That’s great news for Wang and his sinkerballing ways.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that despite kicking around for what seems like a good while, Wang will be turning 36 years old at the end of March. That’s not young for a pitcher by any means, but certainly not old enough to think a renaissance is completely out of the picture.
If Wang is to secure a roster spot with the Royals, it will be in the bullpen, where his revitalized fastball could do some damage in small doses. If he is successful in that role, it could perhaps lead to other opportunities. With the back-end of the rotation looking a bit unsettled, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Wang could eventually get a chance there depending on how he looks.
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With a premier bullpen and a resilient offense in their corner, the defending World Series champions have the luxury of being able to roll the dice on a reclamation project like Wang. If it works out, he could be a small but vital part of making another title run.