Angels Pitcher Has Been Working Out at Driveline This Offseason
The offseason is a time for players around Major League Baseball to relax and recover. Before long, pitchers and hitters begin preparing and improving for the next season, and that's no different for recently-signed Angels relief pitcher Luis García.
García was seen putting in work this off-season at one of baseball's best independent training facilities, Driveline Baseball.
García was seen throwing plyocare balls, which are rubber-coated weighted balls filled with sand-like material. This drill and the balls help improve pitching machines and arm strength through overload and underload training.
Driveline Baseball is popular among many MLB players. The facility has won over players and executives with its meticulous performance metrics that allow for tracking performance over time. Driveline provides the necessary resources for any player to improve, regardless of their age or position.
García will enter his second stint with the Halos after signing a one-year, $4.25 million contract in early December. His first stint with the Halos was in 2019. That season, he appeared in 64 games and recorded a 4.35 ERA, 57 strikeouts, and a 1.52 WHIP with a 2-1 record in 62 innings.
From there, García joined the Texas Rangers, the St Louis Cardinals, then the San Diego Padres. From 2022-23 in San Diego, García made 125 appearances, going 6-9 with a 3.73 ERA and averaging more than a strikeout per inning.
Last season, García saw his average fastball velocity decline from 94.0 to 92.7, leading him to de-emphasize his four-seamer in favor of a cutter. Batters hit .407 against the fastball — likely a strong motivation behind García's decision to visit Driveline.
Whether or not García is able to regain some of the velocity he lost could be crucial to his success in 2024. If he can't, it will be interesting to see how García and the Angels adapt his pitch mix to his declining velocity.
