Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies' spring training in Clearwater, Florida, has seen pitchers experimenting with new pitches. José Alvarado, Jesús Luzardo, and Cristopher Sánchez are among those making adjustments to their arsenals.

José Alvarado's Grapefruit League debut was notable for his fastball reaching 100.7 mph and the reintroduction of his curveball. Alvarado said, "I want the hitter to think, ‘OK, Alvy’s coming into the game.’ I don’t want him to think, 'He's only got the sinker and cutter.' Now, I’ve got a four-seam and a curveball." He has been working on his curveball throughout the offseason and is focusing on maintaining all his pitches within the strike zone.

Alvarado's physical transformation is also evident as he enters the final season of a three-year contract worth $22 million. The Phillies hold a $9 million club option for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout. Reflecting on last season's performance where he had a 4.09 ERA in 66 appearances, Alvarado stated, “Last year is over. It’s a new year.”

Jesús Luzardo made an impression with his fastball hitting 97.7 mph during Friday’s debut while introducing a new slider alongside his regular gyro-slider. The new slider has more horizontal break and is described as "sweeper-ish." Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto commented on its potential: “I think it can be a real weapon against lefties because it’s a little bigger.”

Cristopher Sánchez is focusing on making his slider more consistent after varying shapes affected its results last season. Opponents batted .219 against it when used 16.9 percent of the time last year. Sánchez explained through an interpreter that he's aiming for more horizontal break: “My sinker going in... that's a good combo with my changeup."