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MOOSIC — The phrase “game of failures” gets tossed around a lot when discussing baseball.
It was something New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia brought up on his podcast R2C2 recently with ESPN and YES Network announcer Ryan Ruocco. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre reliever Ben Heller mentioned it as an aspect of the game he had to conquer earlier this season, as well.
After getting off to a rough start to start the year, Heller has been dialed in as of late. There was a stretch over the recent road trip to Gwinnett and Durham when the right-hander struck out 10 of 13 batters. He hasn’t given up an earned run since July 26.
Heller’s turned into one of the International League’s best bullpen arms and could be a key piece for the New York Yankees down the stretch.
“I’ve made a lot of adjustments throughout the year,” Heller said. “It’s been frustrating at times, trying to make changes and the results weren’t there early on, but probably about a month or so ago I really felt comfortable on the mound mechanically. From there, once I feel comfortable with what I’m doing, it’s just a matter of time before the results show up.
“Baseball’s a game of failure, and it’s up to you how you react to that and adjust and react. It’s no different for me. Obviously you don’t want to go through the failures and struggles, and what you do to move through those is ultimately what defines what type of player you are.”
Heller had a rough start to the season, accumulating a 6.00 ERA in eight games in April. He was still working on his slider and trying to find his groove.
However, since former RailRiders closer Ernesto Frieri’s exit on June 4, Heller has done much better pitching in high pressure situations. He’s racked up six saves and has a 2.32 ERA from June 1 on.
“Honestly the biggest thing is just throwing strikes with my fastball and slider,” Heller said. “I’ve been able to mix them in any counts. If I get behind the hitter early if I could throw a slider in there. If I get ahead of them with sliders, I can throw a fastball away. Just throwing strikes has allowed me to stay aggressive and I’m comfortable with.
“You’re not going to feel your best every single day, so you kind of have to know what is working each day. That’s what makes it more fun, but there are going to be days when both aren’t working and you have to feel it out and make adjustments in game.”
Both RailRiders manager Al Pedrique and pitching coach Tommy Phelps agreed on a noticeable change they’ve seen in Heller of late. He’s pitching with confidence now.
The 25-year-old righty has overcame his short-comings and regained his form from the end of his 2016 campaign.
“I’ve seen a kid who’s more aggressive, attacking the zone. He’s not nibbling so much like he did early,” Pedrique said. “And his slider. He’s shown good sliders. Right now he’s throwing strikes. I think his velocity is around 95, 96. That’s what we saw last year when we first got him in the trade, but the main thing is the mental part, the mental approach. Trusting his stuff and be able to go after the hitters and pitch for contact.”
“He’s able to repeat his delivery and he’s got good power and life to his fastball, and he has a really good feel for his slider. He’s able to throw it for strikes and expand,” Phelps added. “Those are keys for success and he’s been able to do it on a consistent basis.”