Dellin Betances' Velocity Down Again
4 years agoNew York Mets right-handed reliever Dellin Betances showed a decline in velocity on Tuesday in Grapefruit League action, an issue that has plagued him since spring training in 2020. Betances' four-seam fastball only averaged 90.6 mph on Tuesday, which was down a couple of mph from earlier this spring. Betances fastball unimpressively sat between 89-92 mph. After his performance on Tuesday in which he allowed two earned runs in one inning of work, Betances now owns a 13.50 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP, albeit in four spring innings of work. The most distressing aspect of Tuesday's outing was the decline in velocity. This would imply that Betances, coming off a late-season lat injury in 2020, and shoulder and Achillies injuries in 2019, is not fully healthy. In just 11 2/3 innings pitched in 2020, Betances posted a 7.71 ERA, a 2.06 WHIP, and a brutal 11:12 K:BB. Betances' effectiveness will hinge on whether he can reproduce velocities exhibited when he was a Yankee in 2018. It appears, though, his best days are truly behind him. For now, Betances should be left on fantasy waiver wires until he proves to be an effective component of the Mets' revamped 2021 bullpen.
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter