SARASOTA, FLORIDA — Félix Hernández readily acknowledged when he first signed with the Orioles last month that he wasn’t the same pitcher who dominated for a decade with the Seattle Mariners. That was several ticks on his fastball ago, and he’s had to learn how to pitch differently.
After his first Orioles spring training start Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, it’s clear just how drastic those changes to his repertoire might be.
Hernández, 34, appeared to be throwing a heavy diet of fastballs in the 84-86 mph range. This time last year, he was in the upper-80s with fastball velocity.