March 3, 2021 5:38 PM : Wacha, who fired a scoreless first inning during his Grapefruit League debut against the Red Sox on Tuesday, continued his effective 2020 practice of relying on his changeup during the outing, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "It's been my best swing-and-miss pitch, so I figured I'd throw it more and see if I can get a little bit more weaker contact with it and try to pitch off my best pitch a little more," Wacha said. "I think that's a big part of it, to pitch toward your strengths and understanding what your strengths are."
Analysis: Despite a forgettable 1-4 record, 6.62 ERA and 1.56 WHP across 34 innings over eight appearances (seven starts) for the Mets last season, Wacha did have success with his changeup, generating an impressive 40.8 percent whiff rate while throwing the pitch a career-high 29.2 percent of the time. He deployed it at key moments with success again Monday while overcoming a leadoff walk to Enrique Hernandez, striking out J.D. Martinez before getting Rafael Devers on an inning-ending groundout. Wacha threw 21 pitches overall during his one frame, and he projects to take the next step toward prepping for his projected mid-rotation role in the coming season with a potential start against the Twins on Sunday.