Mariner Cole Wilcox’s Unexpected Strategy Could Change His Career Trajectory Forever

In the bullpen, the stuff did tick up – maybe more than Wilcox expected.

“I was kind of just like, pedal to the metal, let’s go, let’s do everything,“ he said. “Sometimes it got a little erratic on me…So making that transition, I think it was just getting a feel for that type of intensity. Trying to keep that same intensity, but dialed in, that was the goal this off-season.”

“I just think I was sat on that horse faster than I’m used to, so this off-season, it was good to know my role going into it, knowing what I wanted to do and have something to work towards.”

Even seated firmly on the horse labeled “reliever”, there’s still work to be accomplished on the command front. Wilcox started off the spring strong, but his command slipped a little later in the spring, especially in a game where he was asked to go multiple innings. Like a wild horse, Wilcox’s stuff is difficult to pin down, but majestic in full flight. He has two fastballs, both which come in at an easy 97: a heavy sinker he can use for weak contact and a fastball he’ll try to elevate for whiffs. He pairs that with two hard sliders, a traditional slider and a sweeper.

But rather than focus on refining the pitches individually, Wilcox is focused on big-picture goals, the same things we hear from any member of the Mariners pitching staff: controlling the controllables, getting ahead, getting to two strikes, and putting hitters away. There’s a time and a place for things like changing pitch grips or making mechanical adjustments, Wilcox says, but it’s important not to get lost in those and potentially lose sight of the mission when standing on the mound.