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PORT ST. LUCIE — If A.J. Minter can take away anything positive from the left hip problems that ultimately led to surgery last summer, it’s that he learned how to pitch beyond just overpowering hitters.
It was midway through the 2023 season when Minter realized something had to change.
The lefty reliever was struggling for the Braves, with his fastball velocity lagging.
Minter, now with the Mets, was dealing with back soreness at the time that was a precursor to realizing the hip discomfort he had endured for years was something beyond normal wear and tear.
“I just started to realize I am not going to worry about velocity,” the 31-year-old Minter said. “I am going to worry about getting ahead, mixing my pitches, and just I have to find a way to get outs differently instead of just rely on just my stuff. I ended up having a good second half in ’23, and it carried over to ’24.”
Minter, who pitched a scoreless inning Saturday against the Nationals — his second appearance this spring as he ramps up toward potential readiness for Opening Day following a careful rehab from surgery — credits his former Braves teammate Jesse Chavez for helping transform him.
After averaging 96.6 mph with his four-seam fastball during the 2022 season, Minter had a drop-off to 95.8 mph the following year. Last year, Chavez averaged 94.5 mph with the pitch.
He pitched to a 2.62 ERA in 39 appearances before undergoing the surgery.
“Chavez was a big mentor to me with the Braves and a guy who goes out there and throws 88-89 [mph] and finds a way to get guys out,” Minter said. “I just worked with him a little bit and learn how to tunnel and work off your misses and just be a pitcher.”
Minter now throws two versions of his cutter and fastball to give different looks to the batter. He utilizes a changeup that opponents hit just .120 against last season.
“You can’t be scared, even though the velocity may not be what you want,” Minter said. “You still have got to attack the zone and be aggressive. You do have to be careful with your location mix, sometimes.”
