Henry Owens may be Jalin Marshall Jersey the most intriguing pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization. He may be also the most unique. Drafted 36th-overall last year out of a Huntington Beach, California senior high school, the 6-foot-7 southpaw wears size-17 shoes, surfs, plays both piano and the guitar, and can throw a football 80 yards. His powerful left arm can also propel a baseball, as hes been clocked up to 94 mph. No le s notable is the fact that Owens comes with an advanced sense of pitching that belies his 19 years.
David Laurila: How would you define yourself as a pitcher?
Henry Owens: Im probably more of an electrical pitcher. Im seeking to pitch to contact, however in much more of an overpowering way. Im trying to get strikeouts in addition to ground balls. My fastball sits 90-92 and tops out at 94, and hopefully Ill be able to raise my velocity a little bit as the year goes on.
I was taught to not just throw, but to pitch. Theres obviously a positive change. Rather than just rearing back each time, you need to pitch having a purpose. I throw lots of off-speed pitches.
DL: In your mind, pitchability and being a power pitcher arent mutually exclusive?
HO: Theyre opposite, yet they can interact. Im a power pitcher in the sense that when I recieve ahead in the count, I've got a fastball will be able to throw by a number of people. Simultaneously, inside a hitters count say its 2-1 or 3-1 I have enough confidence in my off-speed pitches to understand I'm able to throw them all for strikes.
DL: Following a draft, [Red Sox scouting director] Amiel Sawdaye said that you throw four pitches but probably dabble with everything else else.
HO: I throw four pitches, but at this time Im staying with three. We shelved my slider in instructional league because they want me to just concentrate on my curveball. They need me changing speeds on that, instead of throwing a tough slider, and to keep working on my changeup.
When I had been a senior, I played having a cutter. I threw lots of two-seams and sometimes I would change my arm slot. Which was all more experimental stuff. Now Im just basically straight over the top with three pitches.
DL: Is your fastball a two-seam or perhaps a four-seam?
HO: I throw both. My two-seam is more for when Im ahead in the count, because its harder for me to manage. I get late, downward movement on it, a lot more like a bite.
DL: Sawdaye a serted you not only change speeds on your curveball, but shape too.
HO: I believe that Buster Skrine Jersey was more when I was throwing both a slider and a curveball, however when youre changing shape you can backdoor a righty or start it on the plate and try to place it over his back foot. Theres a lot of stuff you can perform. I dont throw it just to throw it. Theres an objective to every pitch.
Id say I throw four curveballs. Theres a get-me-over, which is as an 0-0; say its late in the game and youve faced a batter once or twice. Theres a backdoor, a back foot to a righty, and then theres a two-strike where Ill almost, in this way, overthrow it. Ill kind LaRon Landry Jersey of spike it and ensure theyre not likely to hit it.
The slowest my curveball been which is is 68 mph. Ive seen several guys go even slower like Livan Hernandez but Im probably not likely to do this. Im attempting to be tricky available, but not that tricky. The highest has been 76.
DL: How does one describe your changeup?
HO: Its a circle change and Ive been throwing it my whole life. I didnt throw a curveball until I had been 15 along with a freshman. My father wouldnt let me throw one, because it puts an exce sive amount of [stre s] around the elbow when youre a kid. My ligaments were still growing.
Ive been throwing my change since i have was 11 years of age, although I didnt get to showcase it too much in high school since it would just speed the hitters bats up. Now that Im in pro ball, Ill Randell Johnson Jersey be using it a great deal. Hopefully Ill get a lot of ground balls and swings and mi ses with ir.
DL: Would you get much movement in your changeup?
HO: It moves a great deal. It comes down from me just like a fastball with four-seam movement. I dont throw a two-seam change; I throw a four-seam change. Concerning the point where the hitter is going to swing, it kind of drops. Its a pitch you attempt to drop from the table. Ill get a little run with it sometimes, too. Basically, it stays fastball for awhile after which drops off.
DL: Do you consider it your second-best pitch?
HO: Personally, I think its my favorite pitch. Whenever you speak with pitching coaches, theyll always state that the very best help out baseball is strike one and that you have to command your fastball. In that respect, a fastball has to be every pitchers best pitch, but because I progre s in my career, my changeup will help to me get to the next stage.
DL: You reportedly have some deception in your delivery. Is that accurate?
HO: I believe so. I mean, I've big old feet and Im long and lanky. My arm angle is straight outrageous. I really jump on top of the ball and obtain a downward plane. I hide it pretty much.
Because Im so long and lanky, I need to have a pretty even-keeled delivery in order to do it again again and again. The Red Sox havent tinkered with my mechanics whatsoever. They havent inquired about to change anything.
DL: Have you ever studied your delivery on video?
HO: When I was in instructional league, I was type Ryan Fitzpatrick Jersey of struggling to get my fastball within the plate, as I hadnt been in the mound for awhile. Watching video of myself from senior high school, I realized that I usually take a deep breath before every pitch. Around the [instructional league] video, I wasnt doing that. Since then Ive made it a habit, even doing dry drills, to take a deep breath. Its a muscle memory thing.
DL: Do you plan to watch video of hitters when you progre s towards the higher levels?
HO: Definitely. Ill go to whichever I can to get an advantage. Around the mound, Ill watch swing tendencies, where they stand it the batters box, whether their swing is long, or short and compact. The majority of that is unconscious, though. When Im pitching, I try to not think too much. Thats what were all taught. When your mind is free whenever your consciousne s is free of charge happens when youre at your best.