Freeland hoping offseason work can lead to resurgent '25

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DENVER -- Maybe this time, Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland can unlock the success that has eluded him since he signed a five-year, $64.5 million contract in April 2022.

He had every reason to believe that some rough times in 2023 taught him lessons he would carry into '24, thanks to a revamped throwing program. A strong Spring Training during which he showed increased velocity and a changeup he was finally happy with only fueled his belief.

However, the door slammed shut in Freeland’s face when he gave up a career-worst 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings of a loss to the Diamondbacks on Opening Day. Three starts later he was on the injured list with a left elbow strain, an 0-3 record and a 13.21 ERA through four starts. Instead of carrying a staff that was already missing Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela because of 2023 right elbow surgeries, Freeland worried about his own elbow.

But Freeland rested and rehabbed for eight and a half weeks, and had enough successful outings during the remainder of the season to convince him that he was onto something last winter. Freeland held a 1.95 ERA through his first five starts back, and a 3.40 ERA in his first 15 starts after the injury. He finished with two subpar starts that left his final numbers at 5-8 with a 5.24 ERA. The recovery of his health and (for the most part) his form are reasons the Rockies believe their starting pitching can be a surprising strength in '25.

Freeland plans to begin long toss next month. He liked the throwing program enough to stay with it, only this time he will fight the bad habits he didn’t know had crept in.

“It’s a good program,” Freeland said as the season ended. “I just need to stay conscious of my mechanics. I’ll get into long toss earlier to lengthen out and strengthen up, and be conscious of where my mechanics are right now.

“Last year, I was allowing my arm slot to drop down a little bit, even in the offseason. It created a little more of a sling, instead of a drive. I don’t know it for a fact, but I think that played a role in my arm injury. I truly didn’t realize it until we got into the season. Those first few starts just didn’t seem right and didn’t feel that it looked right.”

Freeland, 31, is a Denver native, but he lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he can work out in better weather and regularly visit the Rockies’ Salt River Fields at Talking Stick complex.

It means he will have throwing partners and coaches who know him well and can help him spot flaws -- or occasionally video his catch play.

But it’ll come down to Freeland finding the feel that fueled his best performances of 2024.

“The camera does help,” Freeland said. “We’ll occasionally have someone video from in front or behind us to make sure I’m in the right spot, that I’m getting my arm a little higher or the front side a little higher. But after so many years of throwing a baseball, you feel when you’re off."

In January, Freeland said he plans to work in the club’s performance lab, where high-tech equipment can chronicle the flight of the ball and his biomechanics to spot strengths and flaws -- if used correctly.

“The lab is available to us all offseason, and they have people down there to help run it for whatever we need,” Freeland said. “Technology is taking over professional sports when it comes to finer details -- inside pitchers’ and hitters’ mechanics. But if you’ve been in pro ball for a little bit, you understand the type of pitcher you are and want to continue to be.”

For a better 2025, Freeland has to make sure that his own eyes and the way his mechanics feel don’t play tricks on him.