Tweaks in his setup show Strasburg's maturation as a pitcher

As he enters his 12th major league season, right-hander Stephen Strasburg is definitely more of a pitcher than a thrower. And even as he approaches the twilight of his career, Strasburg is still learning.

Think back to the beanpole-thin 21-year-old who took the game by storm in 2010 and you'll see a gangly fireballer. All arms and legs, Strasburg sometimes had to rein his body in as he delivered a pitch. This often worked in his favor, since hitters had trouble picking up the ball amid flying limbs.

But as he's progressed - through Tommy John surgery that cost him more than a year in recovery and rehab through his mid-20s - Strasburg has clearly learned his craft. He's a polished veteran now and that shows in how he uses spring training to tinker with his delivery to make himself a more effective hurler.

This is the metamorphosis that goes largely unnoticed, unless you get to see Strasburg in bullpen sessions or on the back fields. That's where he toys around with the little things. And when he's comfortable enough with the results from his work, he might employ them in a Grapefruit League game, just to see how they fare against established major league hitters.

Now 32 and coming off carpal tunnel neuritis surgery that limited him to just two starts and five innings during the shortened 2020 campaign, Strasburg was comfortable enough to put one of those tweaks into motion when he faced the Astros on Sunday. Even though a left calf strain cut short the outing after only 45 pitches, the right-hander showed a different look with runners on base in an effort to keep his mechanics intact and his motion compact.

Oh, and to avoid tipping his pitches. Something that's negatively impacted Strasburg at times throughout his career, most notably in the 2019 World Series when the Nationals were facing elimination in Game 6 in Houston.

Against the Astros on Sunday, when there was traffic on the bases, Strasburg appeared to lower his glove in the set position, almost to belt level instead of mid-chest. He was trying to condense his delivery more fluidly to make up for a leg kick that sometimes has savvy baserunners salivating at the prospect of stealing a bag.

Less arm action, a shorter leg kick and Strasburg suddenly becomes more effective at holding runners on base - and preventing a walk or hit from morphing into a big inning.

"I think really it's just trying to just shorten the path that my arm has to travel to get to that release point," he said during a postgame Zoom interview. "So it definitely feels good on some days. But at the same time, it's like I have a lot more time to get to that spot, so if I'm rushing to get there, then I feel like I'm never getting in my legs. That's where I feel like it's kind of a little bit of a timing issue."

It's hard to decipher where the idea for the change came from, but Strasburg seems committed to trying it out. He's got a new pitching coach in Jim Hickey, someone manager Davey Martinez trusts implicitly. But Hickey is Strasburg's fifth pitching coach since his 2012 debut, following Steve McCatty, Mike Maddux, Derek Lilliquist and Paul Menhart.

Or it could be that, as one of the mainstays on a decidedly veteran pitching staff, Strasburg has just learned what he needs to do and is putting his plan into action.

But like any change, it takes time to perfect a new routine.

"I felt like definitely rushing with guys on base mechanically," he said. "I'm trying to set up differently with my glove, so it's more of getting the reps on that and just knowing that I just need to let my body get in a good position instead of just kind of jump off the rubber."

Strasburg tested out his calf issue Tuesday by playing catch on flat ground. Assuming there are no repercussions to that activity, he should progress to throwing off a mound in another day or so, then facing live hitters.

As he's matured, Strasburg has become more of a complete pitcher. He no longer has to rely on a fastball that tempts triple digits, preferring instead to let his changeup set up his heater and vice-versa. The same pitcher who once seemed enamored of strikeouts now focuses on more carefully monitoring his pitch count, in essence trading punchouts for the prospect of longer outings.

But the game within the game - in this case, how to better perform with runners on base and not give an inch, much less a foot, a yard or a mile - is something that shows Strasburg's cerebral side. Reporters see the thinker in him when Strasburg breaks down a pitch sequence or game situation. Batters see it when they stare out at the mound, where Strasburg's eyes focus in on the catcher's signs.

Doing the little things right, Strasburg said, can pay big dividends.

It's more than just hitting the target and being on the same page with his receiver. He's got to keep an eye on a runner and be self-aware of what he's doing, lest he start hurrying when he doesn't need to.

"More just kind of when I go shorter leg kick, with guys on base. It's kind of not rushing as much," he said. "Typically, when you start to work on a slide-step and things like that, the tendency is to rush down the mound. It's just kind of being a little bit more under control going down the mound."