After entering the year as an elite but occasionally questioned talent, Boston’s Clay Buchholz has turned himself into the best pitching prospects in the minors. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Lumberton, Texas native currently ranks 2nd in the minors in strikeouts with 116 (in 86.2 innings), trailing Will Inman (123). Just as impressive, he has only walked 22 batters, giving him 5.27 strikeouts per walk to go along with a 34.9 strikeout percentage and 0.88 WHIP.
Meeting up with him at the Futures Game, Project Prospect Founder Adam Foster had a chance to chat with Buchholz about when he stopped feeling like a hitter, what kind of pitcher he thinks of himself as, and what he needs to do to succeed at the next level.
Adam Foster: What were some of the thoughts that went through your head on the day that you got to match up against Roger Clemens?
Clay Buchholz: It was probably one of the biggest honors that I’ve had in my baseball career. That’s one of the guys that I idolized growing up...watched every game he pitched just about. It was just an incredible experience for me.
Foster: Can you recall the moment when you stopped feeling like a converted infielder and started feeling like a pitcher?
Buchholz: I’ve always pitched. It’s just that I did both in college and high school. The moment was when I got drafted and they said I was a righthanded pitcher (laughs). That’s when I knew I was giving up some hitting...unless I got traded and it was to a National League team. I’m completely fine with it, though.
Foster: What kind of pitcher do you think of yourself as?
Buchholz: I’m not going to limit myself to being called a power pitcher or whatever. I think I’m a little bit of (power and finesse) because if I don’t have the fastball, I can thumb in some curveballs. So it’s definitely somewhere in between power and finesse. Somewhere in the middle...I can’t label myself.
Foster: Speaking of your curveball, it’s among the most dominant in the minors. When did you start throwing that pitch and how’d you learn it?
Buchholz: I started throwing it when I was 17, and it just sort of developed. I tried to use the same arm speed and I guess that’s where the speed comes from...it’s been a great pitch for me so far.
Foster: Have you been able to teach any other guys how to throw one that well?
Buchholz: No, nobody’s really asked. So I’m not going to throw it out there if nobody really wants to know.
Foster: I’ve been trying to learn a curveball my whole life.
Buchholz: (Laughs.)
Foster: Batters are having a harder time hitting you this year than last year. What do you think is the difference?
Buchholz: I don’t know. I feel like I’m pitching the same; it doesn’t feel like I’m doing anything different. I’m not really sure.
Foster: Are you still using a fastball, changeup, curveball, slider combination?
Buchholz: Yeah.
Foster: If you threw 100 pitches, how many of each of those would you throw?
Buchholz: Well, I’m told to throw 60 fastballs, but I probably wouldn’t because I’m using the changeup a lot this year. So I’d probably throw 50 fastballs, 20 changeups, 20 curveballs, and 10 sliders.
Foster: Do you feel comfortable commanding all four of those pitches in the strike zone?
Buchholz: For the most part, yeah. But you always have some days where you don’t have a feel for a pitch or maybe two pitches, and it happens like that sometimes. For the most part, I feel like whenever I need to throw something, I can throw it where I want it.
Foster: On the days where you come to the mound with only two of the pitches working, how have you faired?
Buchholz: Pretty good because usually later in the game a pitch comes. Like if I don’t have my changeup the first couple of innings, usually it comes in the third or fourth and I’m able to use it the rest of the outing. You just gotta get up and get by the first couple of innings if you don’t have a pitch working...hopefully it comes to you.
Foster: When and how do you know when a pitch isn’t working?
Buchholz: I never use my bullpen as a determining factor. I always wait ‘till I get in the game to decide if one of my pitches is not working. It just doesn’t feel right coming out of your hand. Like the curveball doesn’t have that spin, or visa versa with the slider or changeup. It just won’t feel good.
Foster: How different are your pitch sequences against righties vs. lefties?
Buchholz: I try to pitch ‘em both the same. I throw both righties and lefties changeups – I think my changeup works better to a left than it does to a righty right now. I throw curveballs to both of them. So I think I pitch both of them about the same.
Foster: What do you try to do to get hitters out?
Buchholz: Just get ahead in the count and let them get themselves out. That’s the game. You can’t try to strike them out on one pitch. So just try to put the ball in the zone, let them get some swings, and let them put it in play and get themselves out.
Foster: Are there any specific adjustments that you’re currently making to prepare yourself for more advanced competition than what you’ve faced this season?
Buchholz: Just commanding the strike zone down in the zone has been my goal so far this year. And it’s gotten a lot better so far, and I’m still working on it a little bit. Hopefully, I’ll get moved up later this year and it will be almost perfected.Adam Foster can be reached at adamf@projectprospect.com.