How Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura tweaked his delivery for the 2016 season

In the months before the regular season, Yordano Ventura stopped experimenting and sought a return to his past. He says he had developed a unorthodox quirk in his windup, and the process needed to be stripped down. He needed to start over.

“We just went back to basics,” Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland said.

Specifically, Ventura had added an unusual start to his windup, stepping forward off the rubber with his left foot instead of back. The step was small and the rest of the windup appeared quiet and simple, but Eiland says it led to consistent mechanical issues. Ventura battled an inconsistent release point in 2015, posting a 4.08 ERA in 163 1/3 innings.

“He was stepping forward,” Eiland said. “But what that did, that threw his weight forward, so he’d always be late. He’d drift through his balance point and his arm would get to his slot late.”

By the postseason, Ventura was battling his mechanics to the point that he elected to pitch only from the stretch during Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. When he arrived to spring training in Arizona, he was focused on ditching the forward step. He showcased his new windup — with a more traditional step back — during his first start of the season, allowing two runs in five innings in a 4-3 victory over Minnesota.

“This gets him more balanced over the rubber, which enables him to get to his normal slot,” Eiland said.

For Ventura, the early results were somewhat mixed. His stuff appeared sharp in his first start. His command was at times erratic. He finished with six strikeouts and six walks while throwing 98 pitches in five innings.

“I just want to be more consistent,” said Ventura, who will make his second start of the season Wednesday night against the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Ventura says he is done with the forward step. He is focused on better results. The delivery adjustment is just part of the solution, Eiland says.

“He’s better,” Eiland said. “You got to be more than that. You got to be balanced over the rubber, you got to have confidence, you got to feel good about yourself, you got to be convicted about your pitches. It’s just a small part of it. It’s one of many things. But it’s a big one, obviously.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 8:08 PM with the headline "How Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura tweaked his delivery for the 2016 season."