In 2019 the Milwaukee Brewers selected Ethan Small out of Mississippi State in the first round of the draft. Last year he made his MLB debut, but struggled during the two games he appeared in. In the Minor Leagues, Small also struggled, especially with command. In a recent video he discussed last year’s struggles and what went wrong.
Brewers pitcher Ethan Small discusses last years struggles on the mound.
Craig Counsell said this morning that Ethan Small is going to pitch as a long reliever this spring, with his status as a lefty working in his favor. Here, Small talks about last year’s struggles: pic.twitter.com/x6Hv8W5Lxo
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) February 22, 2023
A few takeaways that Small mentions regarding his struggles as a starting pitcher last year include his mechanics, mental issues, and confidence. He then goes on to say that moving into the bullpen let him “reset”. Lastly, he explains how encouraging his Triple-A coaches were as he was going through these struggles after having a ton of success the past few years.
“I was in a pretty bad spot starting, my arm was all over the place, arm slot, really bad mechanics, which fed into some mental issues, confidence kind of wavered.”
Small was only able to appear in six games as a reliever last season in Triple-A, but he had a 3.18 ERA during that time as opposed to a 4.53 ERA as a starting pitcher. Perhaps more importantly, he did not walk a single batter as a reliever. This helps clarify Smalls “reset” comments from above.
Looking ahead to 2023, Small will operate in a long relief role during spring training. It’s possible that a solid spring could propel him onto the opening day roster for he is just one of two healthy left-handed relievers. Hoby Milner is the lone healthy relief pitcher whereas Aaron Ashby and Justin Wilson will not be ready for opening day.
Hopefully Small is able to bounce back in 2023. He is a talented pitcher with a track record of success in college and in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, but things did not go his way last year.
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