Pitchers and catchers report in a few days. Spring Training games are less than two weeks away. Actual baseball is right around the corner, which means it\u2019s officially \u201cbest shape of his life\u201d season. There will be countless stories around the league about offseason improvements for virtually every player.<\/p>\n
These days, those anecdotes are typically punctuated by a reference to Driveline or another facility of its ilk. And they almost always pertain to a flaw from the previous year. A hitter who struggled to make hard contact did swing speed training in the winter. A pitcher who faded in the second half changed his diet to improve endurance.<\/p>\n
A trio of starters stand out as needing to make drastic changes heading into the 2026 season. Two of them are well on their way, while the third is more of a question mark. Here\u2019s a quick rundown of each pitcher through the lens of the challenge they face in the upcoming year.<\/p>\n
Michael Lorenzen<\/a> vs. Coors Field<\/p>\n The veteran righty encounters this obstacle of his own volition. It\u2019s one of the most imposing impediments in all of sports. Lorenzen signed<\/a> a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rockies, which means he\u2019ll call Coors Field home. The venue trumps all others in terms of offensive production. Coors easily tops Statcast\u2019s Park Factors leaderboard, scoring a 113 over the past three seasons. Fenway Park is a distant second at 104. Coors Field is No. 1 in park effect for hits, runs, singles, and OBP from 2023 to 2025.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Lorenzen already has a plan. He intends to lean on an eight-pitch mix to conquer Coors Field. \u201cI feel like I own the shapes (of my pitches) \u2026 I just know what I\u2019m trying to do, I know what the feel is I\u2019m looking for and the shape I\u2019m trying to create,\u201d Lorenzen told reporters, including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post<\/a>. \u201cBut, obviously, being in Colorado is going to have its challenges, so I\u2019ll be making my way up there soon to throw a few bullpens and just see exactly how these shapes are going to move.\u201d<\/p>\n Lorenzen threw seven pitches last season, per Baseball Savant. He only used the sweeper 8.2% of the time, but every other offering was above 10%. Lorenzen\u2019s most common pitch was his four-seamer, though he still only threw it at a 22% clip. The 34-year-old righty scuffled to a 4.64 ERA with Kansas City. He was likely looking at a depth starter\/swingman role at other destinations, but signing with Colorado will give him a good chance to slot into a rotation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t have to convince him of anything; he ran toward this challenge,\u201d head of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. \u201cMichael definitely wanted to pitch here. \u2026 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s afraid of anything. This is a challenge that he was actually (eager) to take on.\u201d<\/p>\n Roki Sasaki<\/a> vs. A Starter\u2019s Arsenal<\/p>\n Maybe Lorenzen can loan Sasaki a couple of pitches. He\u2019ll need them as he transitions back to the rotation. The NPB import struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, posting a 4.46 ERA with 28 strikeouts to 22 walks across eight starts. Sasaki hit the IL in May with a shoulder injury. He returned at the tail end of the season and emerged as the best reliever in the Dodgers\u2019 bullpen. Sasaki allowed just one earned run across 10 2\/3 innings in the postseason. He racked up three saves and two holds.<\/p>\n Sasaki\u2019s splitter was as advertised, recording a strong 37.2% whiff rate as his go-to punchout pitch. The rest of the repertoire left much to be desired. Sasaki threw his fastball about half the time. It rarely missed bats (11.1% whiff rate) and was clobbered for a .500 SLG. Sasaki threw a slider 16.3% of the time, but it had a zone rate below 40%.<\/p>\n The plan is for Sasaki to return to the rotation in 2026. Blake Snell<\/a>\u2019s slow buildup<\/a> this offseason could make it easier to fit Sasaki. Relying on a fastball\/splitter combo isn\u2019t normally a viable approach for a starter, and manager Dave Roberts agrees. \u201cHe needs to develop a third pitch,\u201d Roberts told Dylan Hernandez for the New York Post<\/a>.\u201cIt\u2019s going to need to be something that goes left.\u201d<\/p>\n Sasaki is working on a cutter and a two-seamer, per Hernandez<\/a>. The former would fit the bill as something that moves away from a right-handed hitter. Both pitches could help Sasaki find the zone more frequently. He had a 59.3% strike rate last year, nearly 5% below league average.<\/p>\n