Bellozo makes 1st spring start eyeing 5th rotation spot

JUPITER, Fla. -- Without looking, can you name the Marlins¡¯ most reliable starter during the second half of 2024? Here¡¯s a hint: He didn¡¯t begin the season with the organization and had never pitched above the Double-A level until that year.

The answer is right-hander Valente Bellozo, who permitted three earned runs or fewer in 10 of 13 starts and finished strong by pitching into the sixth inning in all five of his September starts.

Bellozo picked up where he left off, opening Grapefruit League play with a perfect first inning in Saturday afternoon¡¯s 7-6 win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

¡°Pretty easy three up, three down, was in and around the zone with everything, kind of like what he needs to mix and match and be able to alter speeds,¡± manager Clayton McCullough said. ¡°Got us off on the right foot.¡±

Most remarkable about Bellozo¡¯s unexpected success in 2024 was that he did so despite recording the fourth-slowest average pitch velocity (86.6 mph) among Major Leaguers (min. 500 fastballs thrown). His fastball run value was in the 82nd percentile and the average exit velocity (90 mph) against him in the 13th percentile. Much of that could be attributed to generating popups and shallow fly balls, as hitters were under the ball 37.7 percent of the time against him (24.8% league average).

But how much better could Bellozo be if he added a tick or two? What if he maintained that velocity deeper into a game?

That¡¯s what the Marlins pondered as they gave him the offseason objective of getting stronger via training and nutrition. So Bellozo added more protein and cut down on the carbs.

¡°I know that I did a really good job last year, but I know if I get a little more velo average, it's going to be easier for me, and that's the goal,¡± Bellozo said. ¡°Maintain that velo average, so it can be more easy pitching in the big leagues.¡±

Marlins pitching coach Daniel Moskos witnessed firsthand the difference an increase in velocity made for Cubs righty Javier Assad, who has a similar profile to his fellow countryman (3.40 ERA in 70 career MLB outings for Assad).

¡°He's definitely a pitchability guy, competitive as heck on the mound,¡± Moskos said. ¡°I played winter ball or summer ball in Mexico for parts of three years as a player [and] you see a lot of guys that are like Valente, but maybe not with quite the stuff that Valente has. A lot of those guys, they eat, sleep and breathe baseball. They learned how to pitch at a very young age.

¡°But not necessarily all of them get to the point where they have the stuff that could get them in the door to pro ball. But when you find that combination of their pitchability, competitiveness and adequate stuff, then you can get something out of it.¡±

The 25-year-old Bellozo¡¯s hard work showed early results.

In Saturday¡¯s 16-pitch outing, Bellozo struck out Brendan Donovan looking on a cutter on the outside corner and Willson Contreras swinging on a 92.5 mph four-seamer up and away. He threw only three pitches faster than that in 2024.

¡°It was definitely a little tighter, I would say a little bit sharper, which I think showed that he was missing some barrels today,¡± said backstop Nick Fortes, who caught Bellozo seven times in 2024. ¡°Guys were swinging underneath it, which is a good indication that he's spinning the ball pretty good.¡±

If Bellozo takes that next step this spring, it will bode well for his chances of earning the fifth spot in Miami¡¯s rotation. His primary competition is Max Meyer and prospect Adam Mazur, who followed Bellozo with a scoreless second inning on Saturday.

Even if Bellozo doesn¡¯t make the Opening Day roster, he will likely be the next man up.

¡°It's the decision of the front office, of the manager,¡± Bellozo said. ¡°I'm going to do my stuff. I'm going to always help the team to win and do my job, and that's the decision, the process. So no stress, no pressure, just only go there, have fun. Do my job, and they're going to take the decision they're going to take. That's out of my control.¡±