MESA, Ariz. – Score one for the nerds.
Two years ago, left-hander Kyle Ryan was a guy who wasn’t sure why he couldn’t throw strikes anymore and was released by the Tigers.
These days he’s one of only four relief pitchers in camp for the Cubs who has a right to believe he can count on a big-league job on Opening Day.
“What happens if they had this 10 years ago? Or 20 years ago?” Ryan said. “How many guys would still be playing now?
“For me it was life-changing.”
Ryan, 28, is talking about the pitch lab phenomenon that has turned coaching and fixing pitchers a high-tech precision process in many cases.