Trevor Gott feels his pitch command ‘is the best’ it has been in his career
Trevor Gott’s career trajectory started fast, plateaued even faster and has gone up and down a few times since. The right-hander might be in a good spot now — so good the Mets were willing to take on the salary of another pitcher to get him in a trade with the Seattle Mariners — but it was only two years ago that he was in Triple-A, trying to figure out how to use all of his pitches effectively again.
Gott came to the Mets in a trade with the Mariners right before the Mets went on a six-game winning streak a few weeks ago. With the club desperately trying to get back into the Wild Card race, some bullpen bolstering was badly needed. He checked all of the boxes for the Mets with five pitches that he could command.
“I feel like my command is the best it’s been in my career with all of my pitches,” Gott told the Daily News.
It wasn’t always this way. It took an entire year in Triple-A to figure out how to do that again.
Less than two years after the San Diego Padres drafted the University of Kentucky standout in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, the Los Angeles Angels made him their setup man. It was a big role for a rookie on a team that was expected to do big things.
The Angels, encouraged by a playoff appearance in 2014 and hoping to capitalize on some of Mike Trout’s prime years, needed a setup man. In a system thin on pitching, Gott was one of few with legitimate big-league promise.
The Angels used Gott primarily in the seventh inning ahead of Joe Smith and closer Huston Street. He pitched well enough that season for them to use him as the centerpiece of a trade to the Washington Nationals for third baseman Yunel Escobar during the 2015 Winter Meetings.
His time with the Nationals was unremarkable. There was an elbow injury, hernia surgery and some tough demotions after good outings. He spent much of his time with Washington in Triple-A.
Then he went to San Francisco in 2019. The rebuilding Giants didn’t use him in high-leverage situations but saw enough potential to do so the following year. But every team has different pitching philosophies and the Giants were no different. They didn’t want Gott to use all four pitches as often as he was.
The changes proved detrimental. Gott had his worst season during the COVID-shortened campaign, going 1-2 with a 10.03 ERA. Maybe the most alarming aspect was his walk rate, which more than doubled, going from 2.91 walks per nine innings in 2019 to 6.17 in 2020.
“They kind of wanted me to be a four-seam up, curveball down type of guy,” Gott said. “I kind of got away from using all of my pitches. It didn’t work for me. I’m someone who likes to use all of my pitches.”
The Giants designated him for assignment prior to the 2021 season. The right-hander spent the entire year with Triple-A Sacramento, which wasn’t what he expected.
“Obviously, I didn’t want to be down there,” he said. “At the time, when it was first happening, I was mad. But I had a great pitching coach down there and some great guys. I just took that opportunity to work on stuff and get better instead of complaining.”
Gott went from nearly abandoning his sinker to throwing it more than 20% of the time. He increased the use of his slider. He’s mixing in a cutter a little more as well. The stint in Triple-A ultimately turned his career around. He bet on himself as a free agent and ended up with a major league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers last season.
This season, Gott has been able to throw all of his pitches in the zone. He works both sides of the plate effectively with his sinker. In four appearances with the Mets, he’s allowed only one earned run. His walk rate is the lowest of his career (2.51)
If the Mets end up sneaking back into the Wild Card hunt, the move to grab Gott will be looked back on as one of general manager Billy Eppler’s savvier ones. And if Gott ends up helping the bullpen the way the Mets hope, he can look back on 2021 knowing it changed everything.
“It’s as tough as you make it,” Gott said. “Milwaukee ended up seeing that and signed me to a big league deal the next year. I kind of got myself back to the big leagues.”
MARTE OUT OF LINEUP
Starling Marte was a late scratch Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox with a migraine. It was the second time in three games the right fielder was forced to sit out with a migraine, missing Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers with one as well. Marte has struggled with migraines throughout his career having missed games with the debilitating headaches earlier in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The right fielder was replaced by Mark Canha, who hit eighth. Catcher Francisco Alvarez was moved up to sixth against the White Sox.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Right-hander Sam Coonrod (torn lat) will make his second rehab start Thursday with Low-A St. Lucie. The Mets are hopeful he can join the bullpen later this season but the club is not ready to put a firm date on a return.
