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MESA, Ariz. — Several A’s pitchers will be battling throughout spring training for the final three spots in the starting rotation, but manager Bob Melvin already has a leader in the clubhouse.
Daniel Mengden ended the 2017 season looking like the best pitcher on the entire roster. In his final five starts, Mengden went 3-1 with a 1.54 ERA. The impressive stretch was highlighted by a complete game two-hit shutout on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Before throwing his first bullpen session of the spring on Friday, Mengden received high praise from his manager.
“It was a small sample size, but it was borderline spectacular,” Melvin said. “He pitched even better than the first game we saw him pitch in Cincinnati, and that’s where we really took note of what he can do. When he came back this year, as good as he was, how can you not say this guy probably has a leg up as far as being in the rotation?”
From his Rollie Fingers-esque mustache to the funky wind up he utillizes, Mengden looks like a pitcher who has time-traveled straight from the 1970s.
But it’s more than just a gimmick. Mengden’s unique delivery is something that can mess with a hitter inside the batter’s box. Don’t expect Melvin to change that about him anytime soon.
A’s manager Bob Melvin on Daniel Mengden’s old school wind up pic.twitter.com/opyxDF2803
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) February 17, 2018
“It’s different. Deception plays and he definitely has that. It’s kind of an old school delivery and part of who he is,” Melvin said. “Any time you see a guy that does something unique at the plate, it kind of takes your vision off what you’re trying to accomplish. It comes into play.”
It wasn’t an easy road to get to this point for Mengden. He worked his way back to Oakland last season after undergoing foot surgery, but was sent down to Triple-A last after a couple of rough starts before coming back up in September for his five-game run.
Though he was pleased to hear the positive reviews from his manager, Mengden isn’t going to allow that to let him get complacent.
A’s pitcher Daniel Mengden on manager Bob Melvin saying he’s got an early lead in the starting rotation battle pic.twitter.com/wNV7TMTNwZ
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) February 17, 2018
“Everything’s gotta be earned. I still view it as three spots open,” Mengden said. “Third, fourth, or fifth, it doesn’t matter which one. It’s great to hear him say that. But I still gotta earn it in my eyes.”
Mengden joined Paul Blackburn and Logan Shore as the three pitchers to throw a bullpen session at the Lew Wolff Training Complex.
Shore, a 2016 second round pick, was a teammate of A’s top pitching prospect A.J. Puk at the University of Florida. While he doesn’t come with the same hype surrounding Puk, Melvin said the organization has high hopes for Shore.
“Shore’s gonna be good. He pushed through a year that was a little difficult last year, but there’s a reason he put up the numbers that he did in college,” Melvin said. “It’s because he’s a competitor.”
