Freeland finally feeling fine

[Angels]

From FG:

Kyle Freeland saw his 2015 season get off to a slow start. Hampered by a balky shoulder and bone chips in his elbow, the southpaw didn’t see game action until late July. Much to the relief of the Rockies, their 2014 first-round pick returned from his maladies as good as new.

“Everything has been great,” Freeland told me during his Arizona Fall League stint..” Ever since we got the shoulder cleared up and my elbow cleaned out, I haven’t had any issues.”

That doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns. Teams were reportedly wary of the University of Evansville product going into the draft, as he’d undergone surgery on his pitching elbow while in high school. He also throws across his body. Long and lanky, the 6-foot-4 lefty has heard people compare his delivery to Chris Sale’s.

Freeland is comfortable with his mechanics. In his mind, the only concern is consistency.

“I’ve had the same mechanics as far back as I can remember,” said Freeland. “I’ve always had the same three-quarters arm slot. I just have to make sure it stays in that position. When I let it drop more to the side – kind of low three-quarters – is when I get into trouble. I become more rotational, and that’s when I start missing pitches and getting hit.”

He’s hard to hit when he’s on. Freeland’s fastball sat 92-94 in the AFL and topped out at 95-96. That lower range is where he gets “good depth, that good run and sink” on his two-seam.

Already blessed with a good slider, the Colorado prospect is currently focusing on his changeup. After experimenting with several grips, he’s finally found one that works for him.

“It’s a circle change with my pinky and ring finger,” explained Freeland. “I try to keep as much pressure on the ball with those fingers as I can, so it comes out like a fastball, but with deception.

“It’s definitely the pitch that’s the taken the longest to get comfortable with. With all of my other pitches, I’m gripping the ball with my dominant fingers, so I have that feeling of control. With my changeup, it’s taking longer to get that feel, because I’m throwing it off my two non-dominant fingers.”