Before the pandemic made other plans, Adbert Alzolay was heading into 2020 with the idea that it would be the “Changeup Year.” Possessed of a mid-90’s fastball and a wicked curve, the young righty had been working for years to fine-tune an offspeed pitch that he and many others believed would be the key to his big-league success.
Interestingly enough, though, it was the addition of two other pitches that really opened eyes and had fans and evaluators alike raising their expectations for Alzolay. He debuted a sinker early on and then took a big leap with a brand-new slider that helped him rack up 15 strikeouts over nine innings in his last two appearances.