Tomlin Enjoying Move To Rotation

When it comes to versatility as a pitcher, Double-A Akron right-hander Josh Tomlin is the epitome of versatility.

Tomlin, 24, is one of the Indians better pitching prospects often overlooked by fans mostly because he doesn’t have dominating stuff and that he has gone back forth between the bullpen and starting rotation during his four year Indians career. This season, he is in the Akron rotation and has performed quite well to date going 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in six starts and in 33.0 innings has allowed 36 hits, 5 walks, and has 27 strikeouts.

"It is going good,” said Tomlin in a recent interview at Canal Park when asked about how things are going for him in the starting rotation. “I am just taking it day by day because we are having rainouts and some guys are getting bumped early. Some guys are going on six days rest while others on four days. I just kind of wait to see when I will pitch. But everything else is going good."

Tomlin throws his fastball in the low 90s and has developed a pretty good slider in the past year. But his ability to command the baseball and pound the zone with strikes makes his stuff play up and more effective. In addition to his command and control, though, his best quality as a pitcher is that versatility he possesses where he can really pitch in any role on a pitching staff. Whether he is a starter, long man, middle reliever, setup man or closer, he performs in any role.

Tomlin was awesome last year at High-A Kinston where he really jumped onto the prospect map after he went 9-5 with a 2.98 ERA and in 102.2 innings allowed 82 hits, 16 walks, and had 109 strikeouts. His work largely came out of the bullpen as 31 of his 40 appearances in Kinston where in relief. What scouts and the Indians were mostly impressed with was how his fastball velocity ticked up and his slider improved by leaps and bounds to become an above average offering and potential big league out pitch.

This past offseason, the Indians decided to move Tomlin back into the rotation. He went out to the Arizona Fall League and had mixed results going 2-3 with a 6.43 ERA in eight starts, and came into spring training and this season continuing to adjust to the new full time starter’s gig.

"I think it is going well,” said Tomlin. “I went to the Arizona Fall League as a starter, so I kind of got into that routine again. But even in the fall league you get Sunday's off, so it is a six day routine instead of a five day one. But transitioning from the fall league to here hasn't been much of a difference because they started me off in spring training as a starter. So I kind of had that mentality going into the season."

In addition to adjusting to the routine of starting again, Tomlin is also continuing to work on his command and location. He knows that with the lack of a true out pitch and dominating stuff, his success will largely be determined on how well he can paint the corners and throw consistent, quality strikes.

"I am just trying to focus on throwing all of my pitches for a strike in the bottom half of the zone,” said Tomlin. “I am working on throwing changeups more to right-handers every now and then to just show them that pitch so it can open up my cutter away. I’m just trying to work both sides of the plate with every pitch."

Now that he is starting again, his velocity has bumped back to his normal 88-91 MPH range. Last year he was throwing harder in the bullpen, sitting at 90-92 MPH and touching 93 MPH at times, but in the rotation he has to hold it back a little and not air it out as much as he was in the bullpen last season.

"Yeah, [the velocity] has ticked back a little bit,” said Tomlin. “I usually sit around 88-90 MPH and hit 91 MPH every now and then again. In the bullpen I was usually at 92 MPH and would hit 93 MPH every now and again. As a starter I feel like I'm not only trying to pace myself, but you also throw more pitches since you throw a bullpen every third day. You may not feel as strong, but you are still trying to go out there to be efficient and give as many innings as you can to save the
bullpen."

His secondary offerings continue to improve. The Indians really like his slider, but his other pitches like his curveball and changeup continue to show improvement and now are quality pitches in his arsenal.

“Actually my curveball is kind of my third or fourth best pitch this year,” said Tomlin. “I have kind of worked on making that a littler bit tighter in the offseason and I feel it is getting better. I am still throwing it hard and it has been effective as a groundball and contact pitch when needed and also to put guys away with."

So far, Tomlin is enjoying his first experience playing in Akron. It is widely considered that the jump from High-A to Double-A is a big separator, and Tomlin agrees with that.

"I like it here,” said Tomlin. “The experience is good as there are a lot of good players. You are not just facing 2-3-4 hitters that are good, you are facing [a lineup of] 1 through 9 that are going to be good hitters. I think it is a good stepping stone for my career. It is different from Kinston where you can't just get a guy out with a curveball in the dirt."

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