Verlander debuts new curveball grip with 'added sweep'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A group of Giants prospects knew they had a tough assignment when they got a chance to square off against Justin Verlander in a simulated game at the club’s Player Development Center at Papago Park on Saturday afternoon.

But the youngsters were quite literally thrown for a curve when Verlander decided to use the opportunity to break out a new pitch.

Giants pitching coach J.P. Martinez said Verlander decided to try throwing a curveball “with added sweep” while giving up two runs on two hits -- both to Willy Adames, the lone big leaguer in the lineup -- over three innings in his second outing of the spring.

Verlander used his curveball as his primary secondary pitch (21.9%) last season, but batters hit .340 against it, the highest mark of his career. Still, the offering has long been a key part of his arsenal and held opposing batters to a .158 clip as recently as 2022, when the 42-year-old veteran won his third Cy Young Award with the Astros. Verlander’s now playing around with a new curveball grip to add more horizontal movement and try to recapture the pitch’s efficacy this year.

“I think we’ve had a few free agents come in, and we have some internal Hawkeye tools that can tell them how they can get more movement with just a small tweak in grip,” Martinez said Saturday. “He was really interested in that tool and wanted to try it out in a kind of a low-leverage environment. I thought it was pretty good. … I think it’s just something he’s exploring to see if he wants to add it or if he just goes back to the same curveball he’s had for 20 years.”

That Verlander is still willing to tinker at this stage in his career speaks volumes about his relentless pursuit of greatness.

“I think that’s probably the thing I’ve been most impressed with,” Martinez said. “He is in his 20th season and a surefire Hall of Famer and he still wants to get better. He wants to work on his lower half, wants to add a pitch, wants to pitch to different parts of the zone. That’s been a really good example to set for all the younger guys, to see a guy that is so accomplished still wanting to get better.”

Verlander posted a 5.48 ERA over 17 starts while dealing with shoulder and neck injuries last year, but he’s fully healthy now and appears to be lined up to be the Giants’ No. 2 starter after signing a one-year, $15 million deal in January. He isn’t expected to face his former club when the Giants head to Houston to face the Astros from March 31-April 2, but he’s likely to get the ball when San Francisco plays its home opener against the Mariners on April 4.

“It’s a great honor, especially for a new ballclub,” Verlander said. “We’ve got a long way to go until then. But I try not to take these Opening Days for granted. They’re pretty special events.”

Ray dominates

Left-hander Robbie Ray is expected to follow Logan Webb and Verlander in the Giants’ rotation this year and could be poised for a bounceback season now that he’s even further removed from his May 2023 Tommy John surgery.

Ray certainly looked more like himself after striking out six and allowing only one hit over three scoreless innings in the Giants’ 9-5 win over the Angels at Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday. The 33-year-old veteran gave up a leadoff single to Tim Anderson in the first inning, but he retired the next nine batters he faced and needed only 36 pitches (29 strikes) to complete his second start of the spring.

Ray touched 96 mph in his first inning and continued to mix in his new changeup, which he learned from reigning American League Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal over the offseason.

“I think I just have a better understanding of where the ball is going now,” Ray said. “Last year, I was still trying to find my arm slot, still trying to figure out how my body was moving. My arm felt great last year. It was just a matter of trying to get things to kind of click. Today, honestly, was probably the best I’ve felt since surgery. It was definitely encouraging.”

Worth noting

? Jerar Encarnacion stayed hot by going 2-for-3 with five RBIs against the Angels. He’s now batting .444 (8-for-18) with a 1.277 OPS and 10 RBIs over six Cactus League games, making him a leading candidate to serve as the Giants’ designated hitter this season.

? Right-hander Keaton Winn entered the game in the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning in his spring debut.

? Left-hander Erik Miller and infielder Brett Wisely are both dealing with illnesses that kept them out of action on Sunday.