With increased velocity, Corbin feeling more like himself

When Patrick Corbin pitched 364 days ago - in what proved to be the final game of spring training 2020 before Major League Baseball shut down in response to the rapidly growing pandemic - his fastball hovered in the 87-88 mph range. And though it ticked up to an average of 90 mph once the season finally took place last summer, it wasn't enough to prevent the left-hander from giving up the most hits in the league.

When Corbin pitched this afternoon in Jupiter, Fla., in his second start of this spring, his fastball averaged 90 mph and topped out at 92 mph. A seemingly subtle difference, to be sure. But perhaps enough to portend better things in the 2021 season.

Corbin didn't know the precise numbers, but he did know things felt better as he threw three scoreless innings against the Marlins in what wound up a 1-1 tie by day's end. And that's certainly significant as he attempts to bounce back from a subpar season.

"I just feel like I can control the pitches better, be able to locate it coming out better," the left-hander said during a Zoom session with reporters. "Last year it never really seemed ... even if it was 92, it didn't feel like that to me, if I even got up there. I'm happy where we're at now. Things feel good. My arm feels really good. Just excited about that, and just will continue to try to build off that and make sure I'm ready to make 30-plus starts this season."

Corbin's return to form is among the most important positive developments the Nationals could experience in 2021. They need him to resemble the 2019 version of himself, the guy who posted a 3.25 ERA and 1.183 WHIP while using a 92 mph fastball to get ahead of hitters and thus set him up to put them away with his wipeout slider.

He wasn't that guy in 2020, for whatever reason. Was it the residual effect of all the extra work the previous October? Was it the rush job during a three-week summer training camp to get ready for the 60-game season? Was it something mechanical?

Whatever the case, Corbin looks more like himself so far this spring.

"I think it's both, I really do," manager Davey Martinez said. "He worked really hard this winter to get stronger and come to spring training in real good shape. Testament to him: He came out of the gate throwing the ball well."

Which isn't to say the 31-year-old is completely ready to go quite yet. He allowed four Marlins to reach base today, giving up two hits while walking two. But his pitch count of 46 was right on target for a three-inning start. And more than anything, he showed the complete arsenal of pitches that can make him one of the toughest pitchers in baseball to square up.

It all starts with the fastball, of course. But Corbin is trying to show he can turn to more than his slider when he needs to get swings and misses later in counts. He is throwing his changeup more regularly, providing a pitch that breaks the opposite direction from the slider. And he's also trying to incorporate a cutter, a pitch that falls somewhere in between the fastball and slider, both in velocity and break.

Corbin got the idea from Max Scherzer, who also throws both a slider and a cutter, and tinkered around with grips over the winter when the two played catch in West Palm Beach. He hopes it can help him keep hitters more off-balance, perhaps make him more efficient.

"Maybe I throw one less pitch to these hitters. That's kind of the idea behind that," he said. "I like what I've been seeing from it. I've heard good feedback from (catcher Yan Gomes) on it. So it'll be something I continue to throw."

And just for good measure, Corbin also broke out one slow curveball today. He used it on his very first pitch of the third inning and froze an unsuspecting Jon Berti, getting an easy strike in the process. It registered only 64 mph.

"It just seems like it's a pitch that guys don't really want to swing at," he said. "It's almost a free strike a lot of times, especially if you can locate it."

Just one more reason for Corbin and the Nationals to believe things will be different in 2021 than they were in 2020.