Right-hander Adbert Alzolay isn’t the same pitcher he was a year ago. He’s stronger, wiser and more confident in his abilities.
So much so, that he believes he has a realistic shot at earning the fifth spot in the Cubs’ rotation this season.
And he’s not the only one who thinks that.
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks believes Alzolay has serious major-league potential.
“He’s electric,” Hendricks said at the Cubs Convention this weekend. “He has a really good shot at being a really good major-league starter for a long time.”
Alzolay, one of the Cubs’ top pitching prospects, got a taste of the majors last season. In June, he made an impressive four-plus inning big-league debut out of the bullpen that earned him his first career start.
His first two outings went as well as one could imagine, but Alzolay lost his composure in his second start and was sent down to the minors where he stayed until his September call-up.
Though he was disappointed he couldn’t stay with the Cubs, Alzolay believes he’s better because of it.
“[Pitching in the majors] was up and down for me, but that was a good thing,” Alzolay said. “To me, it was really, really good that that happened to me because when you’re kind of having like success and success and success and then you fall you kind of feel like, ‘Oh, what am I gonna do now?’ ... I’ve been learning a lot from that and that really helped me to find out, ‘OK, this is what we’re gonna do now.’”
This offseason, Alzolay has focused on increasing his flexibility and overall strength. And with the guidance of his fiancée, who is a nutritionist, Alzolay overhauled his diet and became a vegetarian.
The result? He’s shed unnecessary body fat and bulked up. He’s also recovering faster and better than ever.
“That was a good game-changer for me,” he said. “I feel like this is the best shape that I’ve ever been in my life.”
Hendricks, who has worked alongside Alzolay in Arizona this winter, has seen the 24-year-old’s improvements since last season.
“He looks unbelievable right now,” Hendricks said. “[He’s] throwing bullpens and working out, doing everything he needs to do, so I think he could definitely be a big piece for us this year.”
The first four spots of the Cubs’ rotation this season are a lock with Yu Darvish, Hendricks, Jon Lester and Jose Quintana. But the fifth spot is up for grabs.
Right-hander Tyler Chatwood, who is in the last year of his $38 million deal, is back in the mix after a demotion to the bullpen last season. But Alzolay could make a compelling argument for himself this spring.
“I feel like mentally, this year, I’m more prepared,” he said. “I’m feeling great. ... I’m just ready for spring training.”
