Boyle lives up to hype in fiery Rays debut

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PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- There’s been a certain buzz around Rays camp the past few weeks whenever Joe Boyle threw a bullpen session or faced hitters in live batting practice.

“Man,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said last Thursday morning, “we are thrilled with having him and thrilled with the spot he’s in right now.”

On Friday, we saw why.

Facing the Pirates in his Spring Training debut, the 25-year-old right-hander struck out four, allowed one single and hit a batter over two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 3-2 loss at LECOM Park in Bradenton.

Boyle’s pitching line won’t matter in the long run, but the way he pitched made it obvious why the Rays are so excited about the starter they acquired from the A’s in December in the Jeffrey Springs trade.

“I’m definitely excited to be here,” Boyle said. “It’s a really good environment to be around. I’m just really grateful to be a part of it right now.”

Boyle threw 19 fastballs against the Pirates, and they clocked in at an average of 100.3 mph, topping out at 101.3 mph. He hit the triple-digit mark 14 times -- 16, if you round up a couple of heaters at 99.8 and 99.9 mph.

Pittsburgh’s hitters whiffed on nine of their 17 swings against him. He landed his slider in the zone for strikes. He mixed in a few splitters, an improving pitch with depth and arm-side movement that Boyle committed to over the offseason.

It was elite stuff, which came as no surprise given Boyle’s reputation as a power pitcher. But it was also encouraging control, as he threw 24 of his 36 pitches for strikes, falling in line with what he’s been doing in the bullpen between outings this spring.

The latter could be the key to harnessing what president of baseball operations Erik Neander previously referred to as “the physicality and the stuff to fit at the front of the rotation.”

“So much of finding success in the big leagues comes from feeling comfortable in your environment and feeling confident that you belong and that you can have success. And so a lot of this time of year is doing just that,” Neander said. “The stuff is as advertised, without question, and then just trying to continue to work to hone it in the strike zone. He’s made some really nice progress with that in the early going as well.”

Some of that work began last year, when Boyle adjusted his arm slot to a return to a lower, more natural angle. Since joining Tampa Bay, he said pitching coach Kyle Snyder and the rest of the staff have focused on “simplifying the process in terms of [pitch] usage and plans of attack.”

They’ve seen what it looks like when he’s on, as he held the Rays to two hits and three walks while striking out six over six scoreless innings last August.

“That’s what happens when I’m able to win the race to two strikes and get ahead of guys and throw my stuff where I want to,” Boyle said.

For all their excitement, the Rays are also preaching patience with Boyle. With plenty of starting options already on staff, he seems likely to begin the season in Triple-A Durham’s rotation. His upside is undeniable, but they risk not reaching it if they try to rush him.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Boyle is a big presence on the mound. He said he’s always had advanced velocity for his age, initially lighting up radar guns at 100 mph when he was an 18-year-old college freshman. And he’s put up impressive strikeout numbers everywhere he’s been, whiffing 35.5% of the batters he faced in the Minors and 24.8% in the Majors.

This issue has been his control, or lack thereof. He averaged 7.3 walks per nine innings in the Minors. In 16 big league outings with the A’s, he walked 15.7% of the batters he faced. That played a big part in his 5.23 ERA in the Majors.

“I know that [control] has been the harping point to him. ‘Your stuff, it’s elite.’ Fastball, split, slider, all those things,” Cash said. “Let’s just bottle it up.”

Boyle is never going to pitch with pinpoint precision, but with his stuff, even a modest improvement could go a long way -- and give the Rays another big arm for years to come.

“I’m just looking to make slow, incremental improvement in my process over time,” Boyle said. “It’s every pitcher’s goal to be ahead of guys, attack guys, win the race to two strikes and strike them out. That’s everyone’s goal in baseball. It’s not a process. It’s just the outcome you want.

“[I am] learning the mental processes I need and the routines I need in order to be at my best mentally every time, and also physically, so that I have the best chance to go out there, throw the ball where I want to and throw it with conviction.”