If you think Jordan Hicks only has one great pitch, rethink that notion

The former closer is becoming a starter, so the bag of tricks widens.

One of the biggest misconceptions about closers and relievers in general is that fans think they know the player’s limitations. Since he came on in the final inning of a game to collect the three most vital outs of the game, the most his arm can do is throw a baseball that clears 100 mph and also moves or sinks. Like, that’s it?!?

No, Jordan Hicks can do a lot more than pick up a baseball and throw it 104 mph past a hitter’s bat. It’s just that in the early part of his career-approximately 2,035 pitches spread out between 2018 and this year-Hicks has only shown off two of his pitches--at least at the minor league level.

According to Brooks Baseball, Hicks has relied primarily on his two-seam fastball (the triple digit one) and a slider that cuts off at the knees around 83 mph. What fans haven’t seen too much of is his splitter, changeup, or maybe even a curve.

Being a closer or high leverage reliever, something Hicks has been since his debut with St. Louis back on March 29, 2018, doesn’t allow a young pitcher to show off his full arsenal of tricks. If one simple mistake on pitch selection or location can change the outcome of a game-or at the very least, extend the game into extra innings-there’s little room for error. Or, in other words, trying out a pitch that you aren’t completely sure will do the job.

That’s precisely why the Cardinals are recalibrating Hicks as he returns from Tommy John surgery and a speed bump last spring that stretched his return back a season. It’s due to the fact that Hicks starting allows the 25-year-old phenom to fool hitters with a different pitch or two. According to Cardinals minor league expert and Birds on the Black columnist Kyle Reis-he’s like a sexier, filthier Columbo-Hicks has more in store for fans as he gets a bigger portion of innings to play with.

Kyle Reis @kyler416

In the minors, Hicks threw a changeup that was deadly and curve that he was really just starting to work on. Like with a lot of kids that get sent right to the pen, the additional offerings were abandoned. Let him throw that change and his third pitch is leGit.

viva el birdos @vivaelbirdos

Jordan Hicks needs to change if he wants to become a starter. His arm needs to stay healthy, he needs a third pitch, and he needs to throw strikes. If he can do all of these things, then he adds a lot of upside to the Cardinals rotation. https://t.co/Jg4GokU6BO https://t.co/wwmJqGnK0K

Since his debut, Hicks has used his two-seamer and slider. Brooks Baseball, which is an invaluable site for baseball writers who need to dig into velocities and usages, shows that he throws the sinker around 65% of the time and the slider at a 23-25% clip. That’s all a closer needs to be effective, but a starter will need 3-4 pitches.

The Hicks as a starter experiment has already experienced a couple speed bumps. A rainout in the Pirates series pushed his Tuesday work to coming out of the bullpen for two very sharp innings. With the postponement of the Royals game yesterday, Hicks is now on the bubble to make Sunday’s start against Milwaukee. His assignment will only be 2-3 innings again, but also another chance to show off his newer toys.

The Cardinals would be wise to slot him in on Sunday. Move Dakota Hudson, who is on his own Tommy John recovery tour, back a day. The team needs to get five starters going in unison, rainouts or schedule bumps be damned. Delaying Hicks’ blast off into starter territory earns you zero points or intel.

You need the intel to see if he can convert outs in the early going of games, and not just the latter stages of a game. There’s a comfort and ease that’s required in this transition, not just for the arm of Hicks but his mental makeup as well. If the experiment goes well, the Cards have a red hot starter candidate that gives them options when Jack Flaherty returns.

With that being a way’s off, finding out about Hicks--and that changeup viability-is the route to go. Kids come up to the Major Leagues and get shoved into an ill-fitting relief role without showing all their gifts. Think of Johan Oviedo and Jake Woodford last year. Sometimes, it’s too soon. Sometimes, it’s just right.

If you think Jordan Hicks only has a pitch or two, just wait. He’s got more in store.