Mendez kept at Double A all season to work on this pitch

Yohander Mendez was promoted after all.

The left-hander spent all of the minor-league season at Double A Frisco, including the final month after not getting an anticipated bump to Triple A Round Rock.

But he was with the Texas Rangers on Monday at Sun Trust Park, available out of the bullpen after spending the season working on his fastball command as a starter.

He’s a better pitcher for it.

“It was a very serious process because I was acquired by the Rangers to have control of my fastball,” said Mendez, who made his MLB debut last season. “That’s what I was working on, and I think I did a good job of getting consistent control of my fastball. I consider it a success.”

Mendez went 7-8 with a 3.79 ERA in 24 starts and 137 2/3 innings. Opponents batted only .228 against him, but they connected for 23 home runs.

Part of that, Mendez said, was a by-product of working on fastball command and leaving too many of them over the plate. He went three straight starts without allowing one before surrendering three in his final start last week.

The Rangers wanted him to understand that his ability to throw quality strikes with his fastball would make his plus changeup an even better pitch from ahead in the count instead of behind.

“Last year I was focusing only on my changeup,” said Mendez, who will work out of the bullpen as a lefty specialist. “I hung a lot of pitches, but that’s why I was working a lot on my fastball.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2017 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Mendez kept at Double A all season to work on this pitch."