A lefty with a tall, lanky projectable frame, T.J. McFarland was drafted out of high school with that classic pairing of four-seam fastball and “wipeout slider” that excited scouts but, he quickly learned, did not unnerve professional hitters.
“I was getting hit and getting hit a lot,” he said, “and it wasn’t fun.”
During a bullpen session, a coach suggested McFarland had the arm angle and only needed to find a grip for a sinker. The slight tilt in how he holds the baseball shifted McFarland’s career. He started with a one-seamer, then moved to the two-seamer, riding it to the majors as a reliever and eventually to St.