BRADENTON, Fla. — Mike Clevinger has a season on his resume that no other Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher can claim. But he knows it doesn’t carry much weight in his quest to earn a roster spot this spring.
Clevinger had 207 strikeouts in 200 innings over 32 starts for Cleveland in 2018, a workhorse feat that neither Paul Skenes nor Mitch Keller has accomplished yet. Both Skenes and Keller have had a 200-strikeout season and made 32 starts but neither has a 200-inning season.
“He brings an edge, and he brings that compete factor in how he goes about it,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s had a heck of a career. He’s got the experience to go with it, something that can help around the pitching staff, too, someone who has been through a full season like that.”
The 35-year-old right-hander is in big league camp on a minor-league contract as a non-roster invitee attempting to win the final spot in the starting rotation or a bulk relief role in the bullpen. Though he’s shown an uptick on his fastball velocity, he doesn’t have the elite stuff on a staff with pitchers who can touch triple digits.
“I might have a little bit of play, but I don’t think it’s the same play as I might’ve had 10 years ago,” Clevinger said with a laugh. “It’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-today kind of thing, so you’ve got to show up and compete every day, no matter your age or how much time you have. The game’s moving fast right now.”
Clevinger made his first start of Grapefruit League play Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out three while allowing one hit and two walks in three scoreless innings. He threw only 29 of his 49 pitches for strikes but touched 97 mph on his fastball — which had an average velocity of 93.5 mph last year — and got seven of his 10 whiffs and two of his three strikeouts with the changeup.
What once was an afterthought in his repertoire has become a go-to for Clevinger, now that he has found the right grip by shifting seams.
He used to hold it on the back of the horseshoe but turned it around. Now, Clevinger explained, instead of pronating he can stay in his supination and catch a seam.
“The changeup has been huge,” Clevinger said. “That was my fourth or fifth pitch, and now some days it could be my No. 1 or 2 pitch. Just finding the right grip. I’m always good at making things go left with the sweeper, slider whatever. A cut-ride fastball, or a supinator. Really finding a changeup grip that I wasn’t trying to pronate. We found a good seam-shift grip, and I’m finally getting the depth I’ve been chasing for years with that pitch.”
What’s comforting to Clevinger is that he’s finally healthy after dealing with elbow, knee and neck injuries the past few seasons. He missed the 2021 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, then pitched with a slight tear of his MCL. That affected his mechanics, which led to cervical spine surgery.
This past offseason, he spent a month working with Driveline to break down his numbers. What he found was that his spinal flexion was putting stress on his shoulder and compressed his spine.
“The main thing is health. I had a full season last year, no surgery at the end of it. I was able to really dive into my training,” Clevinger said. “It’s been a rocky road. … I’m in a really good spot health-wise right now.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder has a 60-44 career record, 3.55 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 164 appearances (142 starts) over nine seasons with Cleveland, the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He made 24 starts in 2023 but moved into the White Sox’s bullpen the following year.
After posting a 7.94 ERA and 2.29 WHIP over eight appearances last season, Clevinger was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. He went 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 93 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings over 22 starts but allowed 17 home runs.
Clevinger never considered retiring.
“I’ll play baseball anywhere,” Clevinger said. “I’ll keep playing in the backyard or here. It’s the motivation to keep playing. I just enjoy being out there. That’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
Clevinger still has his signature shoulder-length hair and a herky-jerky delivery, rocking back and forth before using a high leg kick, then creating whip with loose arm action. Kelly called Clevinger “one of the most athletic guys I’ve seen on the mound, the way that he moves.”
“A lot of funkiness in that movement, but this stuff is real,” Kelly said. “Just really glad to have him in camp.”
Clevinger blames his high-energy twitchiness for his funky delivery, saying that it’s hard for him to sit still. When he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels, they tried to change the delivery, but it only caused Clevinger to get out of whack. So he decided it was just something he naturally had to do to regulate his impulses.
“I’m just getting in a rhythm,” Clevinger said. “That’s one of the main goals out of that. I always look at it as, if you’re going to throw your best punch, you’re not going to do it flat-footed. It’s almost identical sequencing, to throw a good punch and a hard fastball.”
Clevinger also brings 10 games of postseason experience, including four in relief. He is excited about the talent on the Pirates’ pitching staff and is willing to share his experiences, positive and negative. He was placed on the restricted list by Cleveland in August 2020 for violating covid safety protocols, and was investigated by MLB for alleged domestic violence and child abuse, though no discipline followed.
“I’m an open book about everything,” Clevinger said. “I went from being at the top of the top to the bottom of the bottom and everywhere in-between. I always share that, and about having to find themselves on the mound, not trying to emulate someone else. Find who you are out there. That’s a big factor for every pitcher.”
Carmen Mlodzinski, who is competing for the fifth spot in the starting rotatino, said Clevinger has set an example in the Pirates’ clubhouse. Mlodzinski watched Clevinger’s start from the bullpen,
“He’s been awesome in here, man,” Mlodzinski said. “Just seeing him bring the energy and being here, you can tell he’s locked in and he really wants to compete this year and be a dog for us. Obviously, he’s had a really, really successful career so far, so it’s one of those guys where it’s like he really doesn’t have anything else to prove, right? He’s had a really elite career in the big leagues, and to see him still putting in super high effort into everything … that’s somebody you want to be. That’s somebody you look up to, for sure.”
