Jake Johansen concentrates on improving delivery

It would be nice to see how 2013 second-round selection Jake Johansen fares this season. The 6-foot-6 right-hander and Allen, Texas, native went 5-6 with a 5.19 ERA in 29 games last season for low Single-A Hagerstown. The 24-year-old made 18 starts with 89 strikeouts and 55 walks over 100 2/3 innings.

Johansen, who is just about as big as teammate Lucas Giolito, is looking to maintain consistency from start to start with a more efficient delivery, something that eluded him at times last year. He is currently a part of the Nationals' early camp roster with Giolito and several others.

Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart said a few different coaches have tried over the past couple of seasons to help Johansen adjust his delivery.

"Jake, in my opinion, has been given a lot of information on how to maximize his positioning when delivering the baseball," Menhart said. "Right now, I think he is in a pretty good place on what he needs to work on. He is showing in his sessions on the side. If we can transfer some of this to the game, I think you are finally going to see the consistent Jake Johansen that we drafted a couple of years ago that we were hoping we were going to get.

"He's an absolute specimen - 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6, 225 lbs. He's an absolute monster of a man. He's just lacking a little bit of body awareness at this point. But he's starting to understand it more. That's been the knock on him. I think he's going to be fine. He's made some very good adjustments."

Menhart said Johansen practiced the delivery the coaches were looking to teach him and has started to see results.

"He couldn't feel some of the things we were asking him to do," Menhart said. "But I think he's matured to where he is starting to make improvements."

Menhart said mechanically, it is sometimes tougher for bigger guys, especially that of Johansen's frame (6-6 and 235 lbs.) versus a player such as Reynaldo Lopez, who has a more compact frame at 6-foot, 185 lbs.

"It would be interesting to see study (on how bigger pitchers fare), but in my history I do find that the bigger guys do have a little bit more difficulty making some minor adjustments because of their size," Menhart said. "They're so massive to be moving and getting on line. I think it is a little difficult."

Nationals director of player development Mark Scialabba has also seen Johansen take to coaching well and is watching him work to get better at early camp.

"Jake continues to make strides and is becoming more comfortable with his delivery," Scialabba said.