I have a vivid recollection of seeing Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Vance Worley pitch for the first time. It was July 31, 2011, and the Pirates were playing the final game of a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The Pirates would give up two separate leads in a heartbreaking 10-inning loss as the Phillies completed the sweep. Still dazed from the infamous “Jerry Meals” game in Atlanta earlier that week, the Pirates were reeling, and they would lose a lot more over the next two months, leading to one of the more epic second half collapse in MLB history.
The Phillies starting pitcher that day was Worley; the one they were calling “Vanimal” and he was another reason that game stuck with me.
“Vanimal” caught my eye not only because of the the “Wild Thing” glasses or quirky tricks with the glove, the kid was all business on the mound, and could really pitch. I was definitely impressed.
Worley would end his rookie campaign with an outstanding 11-3 record and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. It indeed seemed that Worley had a very bright future ahead.
Then came the injuries and inconsistencies, and then came the off-season trade to the Minnesota Twins in 2012.
In Minnesota, things never really came together for Worley. In 10 starts with the Twins in 2013, Worley was awful, posting a 1-5 record and 7.21 ERA would eventually send Worley back down to the minors. Worley attributed his troubles to two things. For one, a change in his delivery due to a previous elbow injury was a factor, as batters we able to key on his release point easier. The other issue, simply put, was the Twins organization never really understanding what was needed to help Worley get back on track.
Cue the trade the Pirates this Spring for cash considerations and with it, a new lease on life for Worley.
You see the Pirates have been making a living off of taking pitchers who were considered “done” or had ‘lost it” and bringing them back from the dead. The list of these reclamation projects continues to grow — Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez were all players who struggled mightily in other places, only to find success in Pittsburgh.
It certainly looks early on that Worley is making the case to be the next Pirate pitcher to be rescued from the scrap heap.
It starts with Neal Huntington, and he was the one who had Worley on his radar all along. Add special assistant/pitching coach Jeff Benedict and Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage to the list of people in the Pirates organization who recognized the potential in Worley.
It was Benedict and Searage who noticed the mechanical flaws in Worley’s delivery and since the flaws were confronted and fixed, Worley has found new life, and a spot in the Pirates rotation.
Worley has been outstanding so far for the Pirates since being called up from Indianapolis in mid June. In five starts, Worley has a 2-1 record with a 3.03 ERA, and has only walked five batters in just under 33 innings pitched. Not bad for a guy nobody wanted when the Twins designated him for assignment during Spring training.
Worley’s timing could not have been better for the Pirates. With Gerrit Cole and Liriano both on the DL with injuries, Worley helped ease those losses at a time when things could have gone completely off the rails. Instead, the opposite has happened, and the Pirates have creeped back into the NL Central hunt as the All-Star break approaches.
Now that Cole is back on the DL, and with Liriano scheduled to start Sunday for the Pirates, the team will have to make some difficult decisions in regards to their starting rotation. Considering the fact that Worley is out of options, was coveted by Huntington, and most importantly is pitching so well, its hard to believe Worley will be the odd man out for long. Even though he’s scheduled to move to the bullpen this weekend.
As the Pirates discovered last season, the adage you can’t have enough starting pitching is appropriate when considering Worley’s future with the Pirates. Just last year the Pirates used 12 different starters at some point, so having the extra pitching depth will come in very handy in the months ahead.
If Worley continues to pitch the way he has so far with the Pirates, its hard to imagine a scenario where the “Vanimal” will not fit into the rotation not only this season, but beyond.
