Over the offseason, Jake Irvin added a slider to his repertoire. This was actually something I suggested when I wrote about how Irvin could build off his 2024 campaign back in January. It felt like a pitch Irvin really needed to take the next step.
After a strong start to 2024, where he had a real case to make the all-star game, Irvin struggled down the stretch. In his last 15 starts, Irvin posted a 6.50 ERA. Hitters had figured out Irvin and had adjusted to his arsenal.
The issue was that Jake Irvin had become too predictable.