SURPRISE, Ariz. -- During Daniel Lynch¡¯s bullpen late last week, the Royals' lefty and his coaches emphasized refining the shape of his curveball. It needs to be a pitch with depth, covering the bottom of the zone. What Lynch was throwing wasn¡¯t getting the top spin he wanted, and assistant pitching coach Zach Bove thought it might have to do with Lynch¡¯s middle finger coming off the ball earlier than the release.

Bove asked if he could move the Edgertronic video camera -- which is usually set up behind a pitcher facing the plate -- to the side.

Bove¡¯s hunch about Lynch¡¯s middle finger was confirmed through the high-speed camera that allows for a better view of grip, spin and motion. Lynch adopted the cue by keeping his middle finger on the ball longer and started to see better results.

¡°That was really cool to see, when you see that video connect with the player,¡± Bove said. ¡°Because the video without that context really doesn¡¯t mean anything. He was able to see it, feel it. The cue makes sense to him, and he was able to execute the pitch.¡±

Connecting data and feel is an overarching theme in Royals camp this year. Pitching coach Brian Sweeney and the club hired Bove to be its director of Major League pitching strategy/assistant pitching coach -- a position heavy on analytics, especially pitch design.

What Bove helped Lynch with last week and several other pitchers so far this spring is exactly why the Royals hired him: Creative ideas that help unlock success.

¡°When I¡¯m looking right, he¡¯s looking left,¡± Sweeney said. ¡°Bove is a guy that, when he turned to the pitching side, he dove in and learned a lot. He¡¯s like a Swiss Army knife. He¡¯s able to be the strategist, dive into the data. We ask the questions, he¡¯ll dive in, and then we can discuss it. He¡¯s got great ideas.¡±

Unlike Sweeney, a former Major League pitcher and coach, Bove¡¯s route to a big league coaching staff hasn¡¯t been traditional. A hitter in college, Bove got his coaching start as a hitting coach at the College of Central Florida.

When head coach Marty Smith made a pitching coach change in 2015, he turned to Bove to fill the role. Without a ton of prior pitching experience, Bove took on the challenge of connecting with pitchers and helping them improve.

Bove turned to the data, which was beginning to revolutionize professional baseball. He began to dive into technology and baseball-specific training in developing pitchers.

¡°It just gave a really objective lens,¡± Bove said. ¡°Subjectivity is really important, having experience. But I couldn¡¯t rely on that, ¡®Hey, this is what I did as a player.¡¯ I was a young coach with mainly a hitting background. I said, ¡®Hey, let me dive in and see what¡¯s the most objective way to measure things. And then blend that with the subjective piece and use it to track progress.¡¯¡±

Smith was receptive to what Bove brought to program, which began to see success. In 2017, the Blue Jays selected Nate Pearson out of Central Florida in the first round of the MLB Draft, and Pearson credits Bove with the development of his breaking ball and fastball velocity.

The next year, pro teams started calling Bove. The Twins hired him in 2019 to be their Florida Complex League pitching coach before promoting him to assistant pitching coordinator.

¡°As he did things, he explained them to me, and I was smart enough to not be an old-school dummy and listen to him,¡± Smith said. ¡°He convinced me by hard work and seeing guys getting better. He completely turned our program around. Since 2017, we have had a lot of success, and I give 99% of that to Zach Bove opening my eyes to things.¡±

Bove has impressed Royals pitchers so far with his cerebral approach and laid-back demeanor. They¡¯ve enjoyed getting to know him through early conversations about their goals and now in-depth conversations about ideas to improve.

¡°He and all of the coaches have been very receptive,¡± Kris Bubic said. ¡°You can tell he wants to know who we are as pitchers. Then all his ideas have been great.¡±

The feeling goes both ways.

¡°Guys have been super open so far. They want information,¡± Bove said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s trying a different cue or a grip, knowing it¡¯s not all going to work. We¡¯re just playing the odds at the end of the day. But trying to do enough work on the front end through video and understanding how they move. I usually have three or four suggestions in the bank, so if one doesn¡¯t work, I can pivot and go to the next one.¡±

Bove emphasizes this processes -- a team effort with the player at the forefront. His job, he said, is to meet the player where they¡¯re at in terms of information-gathering, technology usage and understanding of pitch design.

Bove does that by asking questions and getting to know the player and what¡¯s important to them.

¡°Through those questions, learn what he values, then find creative ways through the data that can give him what he wants,¡± Bove said. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s not the data. Maybe it¡¯s pictures or analogies, trying to tell a story. It¡¯s not us trying to shove data down some guy¡¯s throat if he doesn¡¯t want it. I love data, but it¡¯s just an accelerator at the end of the day. It¡¯s not the only thing.

¡°I want players to be problem-solvers. When it¡¯s them on the mound, it¡¯s them. My job is to create an environment that supports the player and gives them the resources they need and want.¡±

When Bove began his coaching career, he never imagined he¡¯d be the pitching coach at Central Florida, let alone a pitching coach in the big leagues. A whirlwind offseason has led to a whirlwind spring so far, and he¡¯s trying to soak it in while helping 32 pitchers in camp get ready for 2023.

¡°I¡¯m very happy for him,¡± Smith said. ¡°He¡¯s humble and helps us whenever we need help. He¡¯s always available. Of course, now when he doesn¡¯t answer a text right away, I get to say, ¡®Hey, don¡¯t big league me.¡¯ It¡¯s just so cool. He got us going and deserves everything he gets."