St. Louis Cardinals: Checking in on pitcher Rowan Wick

St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Rowan Wick is a more interesting story than meets the eye.

Many St. Louis Cardinals fans have probably heard about the transition Rowan Wick is making from catcher to pitcher. It is not an easy transition to make, especially at a professional level. However, the young arm is showing a lot of promise.

Wick showed what he can do in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform during Spring Training. He looked exactly as what would be expected from a new pitcher. Wick threw hard and wild. He tossed 2.1 innings with only one hit allowed, but four walks led to four runs and a 15.43 ERA in preseason play.

Wick also got the opportunity to pitch for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic. He threw an inning, walked one batter, but gave up no hits. For more information about the history of Wick, here is a great article from Dr. Miles.

So far this season it has been far from smooth sailing for the former catcher in Triple A. Through 14.2 innings pitched, he has a 5.52 ERA, seven walks, and given up thirteen hits. He also has surrendered two homers this season.

Fear not, however, because Wick is getting better. He is a safe bet to be a reliable bullpen arm in the near future. He is progressing very quickly based on his numbers.

We know he throws hard, but isn’t enough to get batters out without a reliable secondary pitch. Based on his sixteen strikeouts, giving him an average of just over one per inning, he has developed that pitch enough to change the look for the batter.

More from St Louis Cardinals News

His walk numbers are still high. This shows where he needs to improve on the most: his mechanics.

During Spring Training, he made the two most natural mechanical mistakes a position player turned pitcher can make.

The first is his stride. Many players who turn to become pitchers don’t get a good stride. They essentially lift their foot up and set their foot down.

This is a pretty big control factor.

Instead of keeping the body lower to the ground, they are in a more straight up position. Naturally, it his harder to get on top of the ball that way.

Another part of the short stride that affects mechanics is that it throws off the timing of the arm.

The pitching motion is very delicate. Each part of the body relies on the other to be in the right place at the right time. A short stride leaves the arm lagging behind. This creates the tendency to not release the ball out front.

Mechanical issue number two is his arm path. There are many arm paths a pitcher can have. They all differ from that of a position player, especially a catcher. Pitchers are generally taught to have a longer, smoother arm. Catchers short arm from their ear. When they become pitchers, they throw from their ear.

This presents the same problem of getting out front with the ball. It is very hard to do on a consistent basis, if at all.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Wick understand this is a process. The 24-year-old has time to figure out how to pitch and control the heat in his arm. It is doubtful he will be a closer, but he should find a great deal of success in a middle relief role. It’s possible to see him in a setup role as well.

Next: Addressing John Mozeliaks comments

The St. Louis Cardinals proved they believed in him by protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. His velocity will buy him plenty of time to progress into the pitcher the Cardinals expect him to be. Fans should be excited when Rowan Wick puts it all together on the mound.

St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Rowan Wick is a more interesting story than meets the eye.

Schedule