LAKELAND, Fla. -- He's only pitched in a handful of games, but so far Ryan Carpenter is doing exactly what got him noticed in 2017: Throwing strikes, missing bats and keeping the ball in the park.
The numbers he put up last year in the Pacific Coast League, a haven for hitters, made him one of the rare minor-league free agents to sign a Major League contract.
In 6 2/3 innings this spring, he's struck out 10 and walked two.
Like the PCL, the Grapefruit League can be tricky at times for pitchers.