/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/2JAYAOXVTBAPPM55H5XRTE4SRU.jpg)
ARLINGTON – In case it wasn’t obvious enough from a simple gaze at the Texas Rangers’ stats, Bruce Bochy finally acknowledged the obvious Wednesday: He’s made a change at closer.
Will Smith has replaced José Leclerc.
Smith, who picked up a four-out save for the Rangers on Tuesday, has four of the club’s five saves. Leclerc has the other, but also has two blown chances. Leclerc has struggled to find command, particularly with his slider/changeup hybrid he calls the “slambio.”
“I think that’s pretty easy to say,” Bochy said of whether he’s changed roles. “You’ve got to make adjustments sometimes and so right now Will’s going to be getting most of the save [chances]. I think that’s fair to say because that’s what is happening here now.”
Leclerc has thrown the slambio about 28% of the time, but is throwing it in the zone only 26% of the time. The problem isn’t so much that it’s not in the zone, but that guys are now recognizing it enough and laying off it. It’s a pitch designed to get chases and he’s getting chases on only a quarter of those pitches. In 2018-19, at his peak, he was getting chases on the slambio more than 40% of the time.
It puts much more emphasis on the need to get ahead with the fastball. Another issue: He’s thrown the fastball for a first-pitch strike just four times in the 19 plate appearances in which he’s started the batter out with the pitch.
When ahead in the count, the slambio becomes a devastating weapon; when behind, it’s become a millstone.
For his career, Leclerc is allowing hitters a .329 OPS when he’s ahead in the count, but it is .886 when behind. Leclerc has walked seven of the 38 batters he’s faced this season (18.4%). Smith has walked four of 41 hitters for a walk rate basically half that of Leclerc (9.7%).
“I think what you’ve seen is obvious – the need to throw more strikes,” Bochy said of Leclerc. “He’s been his own worst enemy at times. He’s got to pound the strike zone and use all his pitches. He has the makeup to be a closer or setup guy. He’s got no fear.”
Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.