Pitchers and catchers report in a few days. Spring training games are less than two weeks away. Real baseball is right around the corner, which means it’s officially “best of his life” season. There will be a lot of news in this league regarding the offseason development of almost every player.
These days, those anecdotes are usually punctuated with a reference to Driveline or another site of its ilk. And they almost always relate to a feature from the previous year. A hitter who struggled to make hard contact does some speed training for swinging in the winter. The striker who disappeared in the second half changed his diet to improve endurance.
There are three starters who stand out as they need to make drastic changes for the 2026 season. Two of them are going well, and the third one is more than a question. Here’s a quick overview of each pitcher through the lens of the challenge they face next year.
Michael Lorenzen vs. Coors Field
The veteran righty meets this hurdle at will. It is one of the biggest hurdles in all sports. Lorenzen signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rockies, meaning he will call Coors Field home. The site recommends all others in terms of offensive production. Coors easily tops Statcast’s Park Factors leaderboard, scoring 113 over the past three seasons. Fenway Park is a distant second on the 104. Coors Field is No. 1 in the park for hits, runs, singles, and OBP from 2023 to 2025.
Fortunately, Lorenzen still has a plan. He aims to rely on an eight-pitch combination to conquer Coors Field. “I feel like I’m in charge of the conditions (of my vocals) … I just know what I’m trying to do, I know what the feeling is that I’m looking for and the mood that I’m trying to create.,” Lorenzen told reporters, including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.But, obviously, being in Colorado is going to have its challenges, so I’m going to go up there soon to throw a few bullpens and see exactly how these conditions go..”
Lorenzen threw seven pitches last season, per Baseball Savant. He only used the sweeper 8.2% of the time, but all other contributions were over 10%. Lorenzen’s most common pitch was his four-seamer, though he still threw it at a 22% clip. The 34-year-old righty posted a 4.64 ERA with Kansas City. He’s probably been eyeing a deeper starter/swingman role elsewhere, but signing with Colorado would give him a good rotation.
“We didn’t have to convince him of anything; he ran towards this challenge,” head of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said.Michael really wanted to stop here. … I don’t think he’s afraid of anything. This is a challenge he is actually (eager) to take.”
Roki Sasaki vs. A Starter’s Arsenal
Maybe Lorenzen can lend Sasaki a few pitches. He will need them as he transitions back into the swing. The NPB inning struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, posting a 4.46 ERA with 28 strikeouts through 22 walks over eight starts. Sasaki hit the IL in May with a shoulder injury. He returned at the tail end of the season and emerged as the best reliever in the Dodgers bullpen. Sasaki allowed just one earned run through 10 2/3 innings in the postseason. He tallied three saves and two interceptions.
Sasaki’s splitter was on display, recording a solid whiff rate of 37.2% as his best pitch. The rest of the repertoire left a lot to be desired. Sasaki threw his fastball about half the time. Rarely misses bats (11.1% whiff rate) and is tied for .500 SLG. Sasaki threw a slider 16.3% of the time, but had a sub-40% strikeout rate.
The plan is for Sasaki to return to orbit in 2026. Blake SnellThe slow build of this offseason could make it easier to fit Sasaki. Relying on a fastball/splitter combo isn’t a viable approach for a starter, and manager Dave Roberts agrees. “You need to develop a third platform,” Roberts told Dylan Hernandez of the New York Post.It would have to be a left-hand drive.”
Sasaki works to a cutter and a two-seamer, by Hernandez. The former will fit the bill as something away from the right-handed hitter. Both slots can help Sasaki get the position more often. He had a 59.3% strikeout rate last year, about 5% below the league average.
Shota Imanaga vs. His Floating Fastball
Imanaga’s “rising” fastball was the main driver of his success in 2024. The pitch, coupled with an excellent splitter and crushing breaking balls, carried the lefty to a sub-3.00 ERA with outstanding control in his rookie season. Imanaga got off to a good start in 2025, but the wheels came off following a pulled hamstring in early May. The veteran posted a 4.14 ERA after returning from IL. He has given up 24 home runs in 17 starts. The struggles continued in the playoffs, as Imanaga was held to six earned runs in 6 2/3 postseason innings, including three homers.
The fastball was clearly different after the injury. Imanaga’s heater is down a half tick in speed and 1.6 inches of vertical clearance. Pitch’s Stuff+ went from a solid 112 to 98. (h/t to Carson Wolf at X for digging up those splits)
If Imanaga’s fastball isn’t at its peak, the home runs will keep coming. Hitters put the ball in the air against Imanaga at a whopping 66.1% clip over his two MLB seasons. Those balls were finding the gloves of outfielders when his arsenal was at its peak, but they weren’t solid and out of the yard last year.
Perhaps the off-season break will be the break Imanaga needs to get back on track. A change here or there can also ease concerns about his main tone. Either way, Imanaga will be one to watch closely this spring.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
